Mark Haddon wrote an amazing book that became a bestseller and won both the Whitebread Book of the Year and the Whitebread Novel Awards. When Mark Haddon himself produced the book, he is said to have exclaimed, "Who in the world would want to read about a 15-year-old boy with a disability?" Little did he know that it was his 15-year-old boy with a disability who made his book stand out, win an award, and become a bestseller. The book is called "A Strange Incident That Happened to a Dog in the Night and the Boy Is Christopher".
Christopher is autistic. He can name all the countries of the world and their capitals after him. He has a photographic memory and is a genius in math and science. Despite his extraordinary intelligence, he cannot think of idioms, understand them, or associate them with jokes. He also doesn't like places with a lot of people and people touching him. Autism scholars point to common traits in people with autism and those with Savant syndrome. Autism is a developmental disorder that belongs to the group of autism spectrum disorders. This condition is primarily characterized by impairments in socialization, imagination, and communication. Savant syndrome is characterized by very low general intelligence, usually very impaired in the areas of mathematics, music, art, and memory.
In the story, Christopher's parents are separated. His mother decided to move away from Christopher and his father because she could no longer cope with the demands of her autistic child.
Parents who care for special children, such as those with autism, may have higher levels of stress than most parents. This is mainly due to the fact that their children have special requirements, unusual behaviors, and other abilities compared to children of the same age. These children may have difficulty communicating and may react differently than normal. An example of this is when an autistic child starts crying and hitting himself for no apparent reason. Most of the time, something upsets him or her, but he or she cannot express it because he or she does not know how. Some children with autism who have problems with sensory integration may be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to touch, pressure, movement, and sound. They exhibit certain behaviors that are sometimes difficult to understand, such as avoiding certain types of food and drink, pinching and hitting, making repetitive movements, and yelling. Some of them show a strong attachment to certain routines and a fear of new places and people.
Autism severely limits a child's world. They should thrive in security and avoid anything they see as a threat to their security.However, many factors, situations, and demands of society make them uneasy, and the pressures they face make them very vulnerable. Autistic children have a constant, unconscious and unintentional fear of anything new or foreign to their understanding. Much like the book, Christopher felt sick and terrified when he had to leave familiar areas of the city. Unlike most children, people with autism do not easily adapt to new environments and situations.
The process of learning to understand and accept what was previously unknown leads to higher levels of anxiety. A lot of research has been done and published on proper management that not only reduces anxiety but also reduces parental stress. Certain methods, such as cognitive behavior modification, behavior modification techniques, and environmental modification techniques, have been shown to be effective in changing inappropriate behaviors and improving learning abilities in children with autism. People with conditions other than autism may need additional treatment recommended by their doctor. Autistic children who also suffer from manic depression because they are unconsciously unhappy about being involved in self-protective behaviors may need more treatment than those previously mentioned. not. In such situations, it is highly recommended to consult a psychiatrist. Other drugs may be prescribed.
Christopher's story ends with him overcoming the difficulties that frightened him too much, and his mother decides to return to take care of him. Just like in this fictional novel, real life can accomplish the same in terms of dealing with the stress and anxiety of family members dealing with illness. Appropriate management, medication, or therapy can effectively manage stress and anxiety in parents and children with autism.
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