Visual support for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Autizam, odnosno poremećaji iz spektra autizma se odnose na grupu stanja karakteriziranih poteškoćama u socijalnim vještinama, ponavljajućim radnjama, govoru i neverbalnoj komunikaciji. Iako se ne zna točan uzrok, smatra se kako je povezan s više različitih čimbenika. No poznato je kako je često praćen senzornom osjetljivošću i problemima zdravstvenog karaktera, poput poremećaja u gastrointestinalnom traktu, napadajima i poremećajima sna, kao i problemima sa mentalnim zdravljem gdje osnovu problema čine anksioznost, depresija i poremećaj pažnje. U odnosu na sveobuhvatnu podršku koja djeca s poremećajima iz spektra autizma trebaju, iznimno je važno da odgojitelji poznaju primjerene strategije rada s djecom te da znaju poticati djecu na suradnju s vršnjacima u redovnom vrtićkom okruženju.Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a group of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. Although, there is not the exact cause of autism, it is considered to be related with different factors. Autism is often accompanied by sensory sensitivities and medical issues such as gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures or sleep disorders, as well as mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and attention issues.In relation to the comprehensive support that children with autism spectrum disorders need, it is extremely important that educators know the appropriate strategy for working with children and know how to encourage children to work with peers in a regular kindergarten environment