How easy is it to make your brain think in a different way?

by Nicola Ireland in association with Autism Outreach, UK

Autism is an invisible disability that affects cognitive thinking. It is not an obvious disorder. Autism affects every aspect of a person's life; he or she encounters difficulty in communicating and social interaction, and has rigidity of thought—being incapable of seeing see anyone else's perspective. Without support and understanding, an individual with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) lives in a frustrating, confusing and misunderstand world.

The word autism has been around for about 100 years and comes from the Latin word "autos," meaning "self." The word describes conditions in which a person is removed from social interaction — hence, an isolated self. For many years it was a misunderstood disorder for which attempts were made to change behavioural patterns by using treatments such as LSD and electric shock. It wasn't until the 1980s when scientists began to understand aggravations towards behavior and people with ASD were able to live an integrated life in society rather than being categorized and misunderstood.

Autism requires understanding to allow for the cognitive progression of individuals and for the success of teachers and students in an educational setting. Autistic behavior in students is directly linked to the stress that develops because they cannot communicate in a neuro-functional way. They typically find it difficult to read non-verbal communication, lack understanding of the basic rules of conversation, interpret language literally, and lack understanding of what information is important. Basic insight into how your student reads a situation can reduce stress for the teacher and pupil, resulting in a more successful working relationship.

Statistics show that one in 100 people are diagnosed with ASD. Without people around them who are educated on their disorder, they can feel like they are in a world that is misunderstood. Behaviour always has a cause–whether negative or positive—and determining the root of the behaviour can lead to a successful outcome.

Take into consideration elements that might cause frustration. ASD students often get confused and overloaded by gestures, tone of voice and facial expressions; they will state things that are logical and obvious to them, even when it is inappropriate. They will not always understand humour and may not show empathy towards others. All of these factors can result in inappropriate behaviour to mask their social ignorance and low self-esteem.

Neuro-functioning individuals often take for granted that it is inherent to be able to read social situations, adapt easily to change and have initiative to see the bigger picture.

Our brains are programmed to view the world in a certain way and we can expect people with ASD to adjust to our way of thinking, but how easy is it to make your brain think in a different way?