Vasjan Gulka

January 28, 2020

Informative Speech

Introduction

A. Attention Getter: Do you know that 1 in 59 children in the US was diagnosed with
autism? That’s what the latest study from the “Autism Speaks” organization showed in
2018 (Wright).

B. Motivation Statement: “Behavior is communication. Change the environment and

behaviors will change.” – Lana David

C. Thesis Statement: People with autism spectrum disorder ASD have many difficulties
with social interaction behaviors. Their lack of social skills and communication since
they are children and till they grow up, creates also social issues for their families, their
communities and our entire society.

D. Preview of main points: I want to share with you another viewpoint on autism and treat
it from a social perspective. First I want to show you what autism is. What makes people
with autism socially different? How does autism affect communication? What social
problems do people with autism face? What issues do their families have? How do
society and the government treat them?

Transition: In order to know why is important to talk about autism, first we need to know it
better.

Body:

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1. First Main Point: What is autism?
A. Autism or ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is a complex developmental disorder
that causes difficulties in social interaction, communication (verbal and non-verbal),
and behavioral problems of the individual. It is considered a spectrum disorder
because there is a wide variability of specific symptoms associated with it. These
include but are not limited to impaired speech or no speech, lack of interest or
concentration, disability to communicate with other people and emotional outbursts.
Autism begins during childhood and follows the individual during all his life.
Unfortunately, it is not curable, but with intensive educational therapies, the behaviors
can be modified (Fundukian 171).

B. Autism can be diagnosed within the first three years of life. It is the time when
normal children interact with their parents and their surroundings. But autistic
children behave differently (Lord 36). Although studies have implicated several
factors for the disorder, what causes autism is still not clear. There is a popular
movement that attributes these factors to vaccines but this was never proved to be true
(Turkington 157).

C. Individuals with autism exist in their private world and are not able to interact and
communicate with others. Most of the times they have the language barrier and the
disability to focus. They often have poor nonverbal conversation skills and narrow
interests. So, it is unusual for them to approach, start and maintain a dual
conversation. They tend to be solitary and go on uninterrupted with their casual
activities or repetitive behaviors. Sometimes, they might react unexpectedly when
they hear a loud sound or when they see something new to them. On the other hand,
approximately 10% of children with autism develop extremely high abilities or talents
in a specific area. They might be able to solve very difficult math problems, show
remarkable art skills or be virtuous when playing a musical instrument. All of these
factors, make them distinguish from others and not maintain stable social
communication. This places them alone even in a crowded room (Shannon 247).

Transition: Autism affects not only the individual but also the family.

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2. Second Main Point:: What difficulties do their families face?
A. The first entity to feel the social problems of autism is their family. After a child is
diagnosed with ASD, the entire family will live with it. Usually, it is difficult for
them to accept it, then they go through different stages which include grief, sadness,
loneliness, and even depression. In many cases, after they accept the fact of having
a child with autism, the families start to adapt. Then they start to look for help. They
reach their friends, relatives, institutions or search information online (Shannon
237).

B. In other cases, couples go to divorce. The divorce rate for couples that have a
diagnosed child with autism is at 80%. Divorce has a direct effect on the children
with autism and instead of resolving part of the issue, for the parents, it makes it
worse. Sometimes as an outcome, the child ends up in a child support institution
(Freedman et al. 2012).

C. Experience has shown that autism can improve with intensive therapy. Teaching
children with autism to communicate is essential to help them pass their first barrier
so at least they can fulfill their basic daily needs. This has to happen at home. Then
they need to be accompanied indoors and outdoors. For their family, this means
time and commitment. It takes a lot of work and patience from anyone such as
parents, siblings or grandparents. Many studies have shown that families with an
autistic individual, have higher levels of stress. Their parents show poorer physical
or mental health and lower quality of life (Voltaire 74).

Transition: Apart from the family, the entire society plays an important role to facilitate the
autism effects. The more we know them, the easiest it is to make them fit.

3. Third Main Point: Social inclusion in schools and government support

A. As a society we support the “United Nations declaration on human rights” and social
inclusion is a core element on it. However, there have been difficulties making that
happen for people with autism. The most important approach is with the school system.
An autistic child in the US has the same rights as other children to go to a public school.
The law requires schools to create individualized educational programs for each child.

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 Unfortunately, the offered services are dictated by the city’s budget rather than the needs.
(Wright)

B. There is a consensus between educators regarding the educational practices for

children with autism in public schools. Studies from the “American Psychiatric
Association” have shown that placing them in class with other children affects the
improvement of their social skills by 5% since the first year. (American Psychiatric
Association, 1994).

C. Because there are very high costs associated with autism therapies and medical
expenses, in the US there is government (both state and federal) support for the
individuals diagnosed with autism and their families. The US Department of Health and
Human Services has offices and telephone lines where you can get information related to
aid for autism. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is offered to support financially the
individuals diagnosed with autism. There is also the Medicaid program which offers free
medical insurance. Autism grants are offered in every state for families and individuals.
Also, every state in the US has several specialized centers for education and support
(Wright).

Conclusion & Throwback:

Because the number of children with autism is rising every year, our entire society must prepare
to know and treat them better. If at this stage we are not able to prevent or cure autism, at least
we should be able to create the conditions to offer them a better life.

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 Works Cited

AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION. 1994. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of

Mental Disorders, 4th edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Freedman, Benjamin H., Luther G. Kald, Benjamin Zablotsky, and Elizabeth A. Stuart. 2012.
“Relationship Status among Parents of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum
Disorder.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 42 (4): 539–548.

Fundukian, Laurie J. "Autism." The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, 3rd ed., vol. 1,
Gale, 2010, pp. 166-173. Gale eBooks, https://link-gale-
com.db03.linccweb.org/apps/doc/CX2468400061/GVRL?
u=lincclin_bwcc&sid=GVRL&xid=13dce586. Accessed 27 Jan. 2020.

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Lord, C. (1995). Follow-up of two-year-olds referred for possible autism. Journal of Child
Psychology and Psychiatry, 36(8), 1365–1382.

Turkington, Carol A., et al. "Autism." The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health, edited by Kristin
Key, 3rd ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2012, pp. 157-162. Gale eBooks, https://link-gale-
com.db03.linccweb.org/apps/doc/CX4013200053/GVRL?
u=lincclin_bwcc&sid=GVRL&xid=0e559036. Accessed 27 Jan. 2020.

Shannon, Joyce Brennfleck. "Communication Problems Associated with Autism." Autism and
Pervasive Developmental Disorders Sourcebook, 2nd ed., Omnigraphics, 2011, pp. 246-
250. Health Reference Series. Gale eBooks, https://link-gale-
com.db03.linccweb.org/apps/doc/CX1728200068/GVRL?
u=lincclin_bwcc&sid=GVRL&xid=1b7e61db. Accessed 25 Jan. 2020.

Shannon, Joyce Brennfleck. "Moving Forward After a Child is Diagnosed with ASD." Autism
and Pervasive Developmental Disorders Sourcebook, 2nd ed., Omnigraphics, 2011, pp.
235-242. Health Reference Series. Gale eBooks, https://link-gale-
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u=lincclin_bwcc&sid=GVRL&xid=bdd32c9a. Accessed 27 Jan. 2020.

Voltaire, Michael. "Autism Spectrum Disorder." Macmillan Encyclopedia of Families,

Marriages, and Intimate Relationships, edited by James J. Ponzetti, Jr., vol. 1, Macmillan
Reference USA, 2019, pp. 72-75. Gale eBooks, https://link-gale-
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u=lincclin_bwcc&sid=GVRL&xid=08893e21. Accessed 27 Jan. 2020.

Wright, Suzanne. “CDC Increases Estimate of Autism's Prevalence by 15 Percent, to 1 in 59

Children.” Autism Speaks, Suzanne Wright, 26 Apr. 2018,
www.autismspeaks.org/science-news/cdc-increases-estimate-autisms-prevalence-15-
percent-1-59-children.

Wright, Suzanne. “Accessing Funding Through State and Federal Programs

.” Autism Speaks, Suzanne Wright, 24 August 2018, https://www.autismspeaks.org/tool-kit-
excerpt/accessing-funding-through-state-and-federal-programs

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