Autism Spectrum Disorders (Research Paper Sample)

Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Autism Spectrum Disorders
Introduction
An NES training plan is a very vital tool for dealing with autism. The training plan gives consideration to issues touching on delivery and accessibility of training and conversion of theoretical training knowledge into skills and practice. The autism strategy strives to boost understanding of autism by enhancing awareness of autism by offering training to all leading public service staff, in tandem with their job needs, and creating professional training for staff in social and health care (Myers, Johnson, & the Council on Children with Disabilities, 2007). A review of the main areas of training highlighted in the framework is crucial to identify the type of training necessary for every element as well as the existing gaps in availability or accessibility of training facilities. The best way to boost awareness and knowledge of autism is by enhancing autism awareness guidance for an entire group of leading public service staff, in tandem with their job needs, as well as setting up professional training for entire staff in social care and health.
Importance of autism awareness and understanding
There has been a general acknowledgement by GPs, frontline staff, to benefits advisers of their scarce understanding of autism. Needless of the fact that most professionals are aware of some basic autism knowledge, they lack knowledge in the effects of autism (The National Autistic Society, 2012). This deters their ability to recognize autism and effectively communicate with autistic people. This also implies that they may be unaware of how to change their behavior and services to adapt to the needs of autism support.
Increasing awareness and understanding of autism
The first move would be to incorporate autism awareness training into programs dealing with general equality and diversity offered across all public services. Also, a statutory guidance should be set out to outline examples of social care and health best practices and emphasizing the need to incorporate autism-affected adults and their caregivers in creating and delivering training (Lair, 2011). It is necessary to ensure provision of autism awareness training to all DEAs to those without it. Essentially, this awareness training ought to be availed to the relevant staff in the criminal justice sector.
Counselors should be trained on how to maintain client confidentiality and how to adhere to the professional codes of ethics. There are different ways that counselors are trained to talk to people. A counselor trained on behavioral and cognitive counseling techniques would be better placed to assist autism patients to change things. This is due to the high prevalence of anxiety and depression among most adolescent and young adult patients. These challenges are often observed by the behavior during difficult situations such as uncertainty, lack of emotional and behavioral control, reduction in rate of activity, or drugs and alcohol abuse.
Cognitive and behavioral therapy-trained counselors subscribe to the school of thought that if a person alters their self image and perception towards others, then it will improve their future functionality. Some autism patients have distorted thought processes thus unable to cope with life situations. This occurrence is also evident with people experiencing depression and anxiety for reasons such as genetic disposition to bad past experiences and emotional problems.
Different Approaches for ASD Training
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Training
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of counseling that can really help an ASD patient. According to this approach, if a person alters their self image and perception towards others, then it will improve their future functionality (The Scottish Government, 2011). This type of training focuses on helping counselors direct the ASD patients towards changing the patient’s negative thinking and focus them towards constructive thought processes that generate positive emotions and actions. Information regarding recent research on effectiveness of behavioral therapy has been documented on the charity Research Autism that is very independent. In recent times, there have been twenty research projects that have documented results such as depression, reduced anxiety, and social problems solutions.
Solution Focused Therapy Training
Solution focused therapy training is focused on future solutions and targets on practicality, clarity, and conciseness. Despite the little research on this type of counseling on ASD patients, counselor Veronica Bliss has drafted a book and article in communication magazine covering this approach and its effectiveness towards helping a Spurger syndrome patient.
Integrative Therapy and Eclectic Approach Training
There are a couple of different approaches that are available to an eclectic counselor and may be in line with a client’s needs. The counselor can therefore employ varied psychotherapy and counseling models and together with the client, select an approach that best works for them.
Humanistic Approach
Humanistic approach training trains counselors to convince clients to consistently consider their feelings and bear responsibility of whatever thoughts they have or actions they take. This method prescribes to a holistic approach since it is focused on the client and looks at the whole person.
Person Construct Theory Training
Person construct theory trains a psychologist or counselor to adopt a holistic approach towards the client developing different ways to explain their surroundings.
Person Centered Therapy Training
In person-centered therapy, the counselor is trained on convincing clients to communicate any of their feelings aiming at separating the client from negative thoughts towards fostering their individual skills. The ultimate goal is to give the client a sense control over their lives and the ability to bring change to their lives. The approach focuses more on behavioral science rather than thought processes.
Psychoanalytic Approach Training
Since this approach focuses on an individual’s past and unconscious, ASD patients may deem this approach extremely challenging. This therapy type heightens the client’s self awareness and influence over relationships, the most challenging aspects of ASD clients.
Gestalt Therapy Training
Gestalt therapy’s main focus areas are thought, feelings, and actions. In German, "Gestalt" means organized whole. Expressing feelings, behaviors analysis and body language, are all focus areas of this approach. Going through this process enhances the client’s self-awareness.
The counseling relationship Training Approach
Significant research indicates the invaluable quality of counselor-client relationship that highly affects the positive outcomes in therapy and counseling. Therefore it is highly necessary that an ASD client be extremely comfortable with their counselor of choice and the approach taken to administer help.
Training Development priority areas
Enhancing awareness and understanding
Despite there being numerous awareness creation courses on offer, feedback from ASD clients, parents, and caregivers indicate that there is an improvement gap when it comes to ASD recognition and understanding. This strongly points to either problems in accessing training, or the application of available training to daily practice. For the "informed" level worker, of assistance would be to comprehend the importance of autism awareness in all practice areas coupled with Local Delivery Plans and local area commitments to ensuring an all-inclusive staff training program (Balistreri, Jobe & Boat, 2005).
Screening, Assessment, Identification, and Diagnosis
Eradicating barriers and shortening waiting times to diagnosis are deemed as being crucial in improving the experience of ASD clients, their parents, and caregivers. Assessment times are to a large extent shortened especially for children with ASD when clinicians are more informed about the child before the performance of diagnostic assessment. Currently, there seems to be a specific training gap for clinicians posted at the "Skilled" level highly probable to be engaged in referring to diagnosis thereby undertaking screening. The main training elements include comprehension of "associated factors" for instance differential diagnosis on conditions that occur concurrently. Training in diagnostic measures (ADI, ADOS, DISCO, and 3DI) should be availed at the "Expertise" and "Enhanced" level.
Complexity, Differential Diagnosis, and Co-morbidity
Another training requirement in both Child and Adult Mental Health Services is Specialist assessment. This is associated with diagnosing ASD in relation to other co-occurring scenarios whose presentation appear complex as well as identifying co-morbid scenarios for ASD diagnosed individuals. These issues are widely considered during diagnostic measures training. Nonetheless, additional specific training in this area coupled with support network creation will most likely cause heightened benefits to "expertise" and ”enhanced" level and thus lessen both assessment lengths and delays.
Management, support and intervention
Training development needs at the informed level are more or less similar to those for Assessment, Screening, Identification, and Diagnosis, since they are related to autism awareness and ensure accessibility, uptake, relevance, and impact towards practical understanding. The focus on the key areas is also based on the understanding on how to alter routine approach and practices to enhance the experiences of ASD clients. During the formulation of optimizing outcomes, feedback obtained from the ASC community stakeholders reflec...