What is Autism and How Much Do We Know?

Altınbaş University Wednesday Meetings hosted Dr. Nursinem Şirin from Tohum Autism Foundation. In the conversation moderated by Altınbaş University Faculty Member Dr. Berna Ekal, it was stated that autism is defined as "difficulty in establishing social communication". Dr. Nursinem Şirin explained that people with autism have differences in their emotional perceptions, but they may have some prominent talents.

Stating that Van Gogh or Mozart can be said to be individuals with autism, Dr. Nursinem Şirin said that autism cannot be detected during pregnancy like Down syndrome, and the diagnosis can only be made by a child and adolescent psychologist. 

Şirin said, "The definition of autism changed in 2013. According to the level of support needed by individuals with autism, it is divided into 3 classes: 'individuals who need support, individuals who need intensive support and individuals who need very intensive support'. According to a study conducted in the US, one in every 36 children is diagnosed with autism. Based on these figures, we estimate that there are approximately 700 thousand individuals with autism in Turkey. As the number of studies increases, diagnosis and diagnosis can be made faster and earlier."

Şirin said that individuals with autism can be integrated into society with early, intensive, continuous education based on scientific techniques. He recommended individual education and training for at least 20 and at most 30 hours a week. Şirin listed the main symptoms of autism in 8 items:

• No eye contact 
  Not looking when his name is called
  Inability to point what you want with your finger
  Lack of interest in the games of peers
  Swaying and tiptoeing
  Excessive interest in rotating objects
  Obsessive and repetitive behavior
  Speech retardation Referring to the difference between speech delay and delayed speech, Şirin stated that speech delay alone is not a sign of autism.

"Misconceptions about Autism

Giving information about the misconceptions about autism, Şirin stated that there are also those who are at the genius level, but not all autistic people are gifted. Şirin said, "The most common question we encounter is whether the screen causes autism. We cannot say that it is a direct cause, but if the individual has autism, it certainly increases its severity. Therefore, we recommend limiting screen time." 

Who can provide training? 

According to data from the Ministry of National Education, 41,472 students with autism attend school, Şirin said, "These children are included in mainstreaming programs at schools. Sometimes other families may not want them to be in the same class with their children. It is important to raise awareness in society and schools." Dr. Nursinem Şirin stated that seeing internationally professional individuals at various events or series such as "The Miracle Doctor", which was broadcast for a period of time, about a doctor with autism, positively affected the society.
Emphasizing that the education of individuals with autism is a difficult subject, Şirin said, "Special education teachers mainly work in this field. Preschool and child development educators can also take part. However, they need to improve their professional equipment by learning about disabilities such as mind and hearing. They should also get plenty of nutrition from international sources." 

What do families experience during the diagnosis process?

Referring to the experiences of families during the diagnosis process, Şirin stated that parents with children with autism have the roles of educators and advocates in addition to their role as parents; "It is necessary to prepare these children for changes such as moving, divorce, for example. Parents can sometimes adapt to these changes faster or slower. For this reason, we publish books and prepare platforms to empower and educate families." He made his evaluations. 

What is the job coach supported employment model?

Stating that children usually come to mind when it comes to autism, Şirin said, "However, these individuals also grow up and go into business life.  They can work and fall in love. They are very productive in certain areas. Our goal is for every person with autism to live and work independently. Unfortunately, there is a great prejudice. There are only 100 people with autism registered with İş-Kur. This number is very small. For this, we are working on the Job Coach Supported Employment Model. We want to train a job coach in workplaces. We train candidates for 3 months at the Foundation. The job coach starts work and can work with the individual with autism under their supervision. Workplaces need to be ready for these individuals to work. They can be very systematic and work-oriented. It is striking that the margin of error rate in the pharmaceutical boxing company where an individual with autism is employed is very low."