As the Upper Cumberland recognizes Autism Awareness Month, a local expert said understanding the broad autism spectrum better supports families and children.
Board-certified behavior analyst Allison Crawford said it is important all residents understand the varying degrees of the diagnosis. Crawford said that helps neighbors properly assist one another.
“So you might have a little more empathy for someone if if you pick up that they are on the spectrum, then, you know, they’re not just trying to be difficult,” Crawford said. “You know, they’re doing the best they can in this current situation. And so because of that, you become more accepting because you’re more accepting of of taking the time and space to understand and work through it instead of just making a judgment or an assumption and moving on.”
Crawford said a common misconception is that autism only presents as a significantly profound disability where individuals are completely non-verbal. The condition is actually a very wide spectrum where someone might not appear to have a disability at all during a conversation.
“Over the years, it’s become a more prevalent diagnosis, and so I think more and more people are encountering this in the community, whether it be at their grocery store, the park, whatever,” Crawford said. “And the more aware that they are of it, the more that they can support those families, instead of judge those families ultimately.”
Crawford said parents who suspect their child is on the spectrum should first consult a pediatrician to get a referral for a complete diagnostic evaluation. Families in the area typically go to Siskins, East Tennessee Children’s, or Vanderbilt to see developmental psychologists or pediatricians to ensure they receive the appropriate approach.
“Because just trying to get everything from the school system, I think most of the time you’re going to be underwhelmed because your child needs, most of the time the child needs additional medical intervention, that is not under that school and education umbrella,” Crawford said.
Crawford said the availability of providers in the Upper Cumberland has greatly increased over the past ten years due to raised awareness and the training of more practitioners. Children often require additional services outside of the school setting, such as applied behavior analysis, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, to reach their fullest potential.
“So I would say the the first step would be take a breath,” Crawford said. “Say, okay, we have a new journey, and this is where we’re going to start our journey.”
Crawford said evaluating a child’s most prevalent need and taking the process one step at a time can help families manage the transition into new therapies.
