April is Autism Acceptance Month.
My hometown newspaper published an article about me this week and shared about my work with autism.
It's a perfect way to highlight April and share some up-to-date autism information with the community.
Here's what they said. . . .
April is Autism Awareness Month, a time of increased education and visibility for an often misunderstood population.
Linda (Quirk) Hodgdon, a Roscommon County native, is a speech pathologist, author and speaker who has worked with autistic people for more than 40 years.
Hodgdon graduated from Gerrish-Higgins High School in 1964. Her parents, the late Bob and Lynn Sohn, owned Sohn Supply and Funland, where she worked as a clown. Hodgdon worked her way through college as a waitress at multiple Houghton Lake and Roscommon restaurants.
She was active in the community, performing at the Houghton Lake Historical Playhouse and serving on the Tip-up Town’s Queen’s Court.
Hodgdon holds a master’s degree in education from Wayne State University and currently works out of Troy.
The focus of Hodgdon’s work is developing visual strategies to help children on the autism spectrum. Hodgdon explained that most autistic people process visual information more easily than auditory information.
For example, providing a visual schedule in a classroom is more effective than verbally explaining the schedule to students. The visual schedule gets the attention of an autistic person and they understand the information better. It serves the non-autistic children in the classroom just as well, too.
“Once you learn how they learn, you can help them do better in educational settings,” said Hodgdon.
She works with parents and educators to help them understand how autistic people learn and process information differently than the majority.
The purpose of Autism Awareness Month is to educate people on what autism is and to bring awareness to the wide diversity of people with autism. It’s also intended to reduce stigma around autism and promote acceptance.
In the past 10 to 15 years, Hodgdon said, there have been some changes in terminology and a change in attitude around autism and similar neurological conditions.
Neurodiverse is a newer term used to describe individuals who learn differently, including those with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or dyslexia.
In the past, autism has been seen as something wrong with a person that needs to be fixed or cured.
The concept of neurodiversity changes that, recognizing that individuals under that umbrella have brains that are built differently. They learn and process information in a different way.
The goal is to understand neurodiverse people, not to change them, and find ways to support them so they can have success.
Hodgdon said they should be accepted for their differences, “instead of criticizing them for doing things differently.”
Neurodiversity challenges misconceptions around autism and other learning differences.
A common misconception is that all people with autism are the same. The current diagnostic term is Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Hodgdon said that “spectrum” is a very appropriate word, since there is a wide range of skills, abilities and needs of those with autism.
People with autism are often assumed to have intellectual disabilities and are thought of as slow or incapable. While there are those who have many challenges and may not be able to have a job or live independently, there are many who achieve typical success by earning degrees and holding jobs.
However, just because they’re able to achieve the same things as neurotypical people doesn’t mean they don’t experience challenges.
Hodgdon gave an example of a woman from England whose blog she reads regularly. The woman has an autism diagnosis, has a degree and works an office job. Her challenge in the workplace came from the hand dryer in the bathroom. It caused her to have sensory issues, which are common in autistic individuals. The woman had to learn how to adapt to that particular situation.
Recognizing these challenges can help parents, educators and employers create an environment that is more comfortable for everyone and will help neurodiverse individuals succeed.
Sensory issues are a common challenge. Many autistic people are too sensitive or not sensitive enough to sounds, touch, tastes, smells and sights. Bright lights, loud sounds or the texture of a piece of clothing may cause distress and overwhelm them.
People who are neurodiverse often have multiple diagnoses, with autism and ADHD being a common co-occurrence. However, not everyone under the umbrella of neurodiversity learns or thinks the same.
While generally the attitude and approach to autism has changed, outdated and inaccurate information, as well as misconceptions and biases, create challenges for autistic people.
Hodgdon said there are parents who spend time and money looking for a “miracle” cure or therapy that will “fix” their child.
There’s also the misconception that vaccines cause autism. That idea comes from a 1998 paper published in Britain, which has since been retracted from the journal in which it was originally published and has been refuted by multiple studies. The author falsified and manipulated data for that paper and is no longer permitted to practice medicine in the United Kingdom.
Hodgdon said autism and other neurodiversities have to do with neurology and how the brain functions.
She said that recently, doctors and scientists have begun to understand an inherited component to autism. She said that sometimes one or both parents of an autistic child will find out they are autistic, or a parent will not recognize that their child is autistic because their child functions just like them.
Autism is becoming better understood through research and recognized through growing awareness. This leads to children getting diagnosed earlier and adults getting diagnosed later in life, which helps them access the support they need.
Hodgdon works with many families who she says are grateful she has helped them learn to communicate and connect with their child and build a better relationship.
“Autism is a mystery for a lot of people,” she said. “I try to take the mystery out.”
For information on Hodgdon’s work, visit www.UseVisualStrategies.com.
Would your local newspaper like to book an interview? Have them contact me here
office@usevisualstrategies.com
This is a perfect way to share some autism information with the community.