Globally 1 in every 100 people are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD). There is approximately about 200,000 people in Australia with autism which has increased by 25% since 2015.
But autism is still fairly new to alot of people and I believe due to this lack of awareness and support around autistic people, their average lifespan of 55 years old for an individual with autism is much lower than the average life span of a person that doesn’t have it.
This is contributed to a lot of things and something I believe needs to be addressed and have more awareness raised about it, because we need to remind ourselves that knowledge uncovers a great power from within.
The 4 major areas we need to be more aware of in order to raise the life expectancy of individuals with autism and below is 1 of the following within this article (I will go further into the remaining 3 in another article)
- 1. Accidents - sensory issues in people with autism can increase the risk of having an accident, such as drowning in autistic children which is the leading cause of premature death. Autistic people are 3 times more likely to die from an injury than the general population.
Executive function relates to cognitive function, cognitive function helps us to process and understand information, for eg: thinking, remembering, problem-solving, decision-making and learning new things.
This function is performed by the prefrontal lobe cortex which is located just behind the forehead in the brain, its like the control centre that manages your thinking and behaviour. Its function is to help you make decisions, plan and control emotions. The prefrontal lobe cortex plays a major role in the 12 executive functioning skills which researchers believe are a major part of Executive Dysfunction in people with Autism.
Below is a full list of these functions.
What are the 12 executive functioning skills ? -
1. self-restraint,
2. working memory,
3. emotion control,
4. focus,
5. task initiation,
6. planning/prioritisation,
7. organisation,
8. time management,
9. defining and achieving goals,
10. flexibility,
11. observation, and
12. stress tolerance.
Not all people with autism experience all 12 executive dysfunctions.
But it doesn’t have to be this way when we can use creativity and a visual system to assist people with autism with their daily tasks. Such as writing a “to do” list. The most important thing is to keep learning in order to improve neurodevelopment.
5 ways that you can exercise at home Your Prefrontal Lobe Cortex for children and adults with Autism that involves art, creativity, your emotions, movement and personal development.
Routine is an important skill to have in order to overcomes issues at home, school or the workplace. Its helps you to pick up any behaviours or issues that arise outside of the norm in autistic people because your able to know when they get outside of their usual routine, this can tell you when something is the matter.
Use some of the routines below as inspiration to form some of your own at home, school or work.
1. Optimism is associated with raising dopamine levels which has a positive and engaging effect on the brain -
Create a possible future scenario that you can achieve and begin to write out some baby steps in your Dreamtime Journal how you could reach your destination, goal or dream.
When dopamine levels are low it can effect your mental and psychical health.
Because dopamine levels are linked to the reward system it plays an important role in many bodily functions listed above in the 12 executive functioning skills.
Optimism can be a bit like a muscle that needs developing over time and if described as an emotion is feels a lot like hope. Research has shown us that being optimistic can help us to have better psychical and mental health and can even help us to live longer, like up to the age of 90 years of age.
What can optimism do?
1. Optimism can help you make better choices and decisions that are good for your health.
3. Optimism can help you to have better relationships with people.
4. Optimism can change the body in positive ways.
2. Follow a strict sleep pattern that contributes to your overall health and well-being.
Numbers, Patterns and visual pictures are usually great reminders to help us to remember and play an important role in the exercise of our memory. What may help most people to relax will not usually help people with autism. So something which could be of benefit is to restrict your screen time on the phone, computer or TV 1 hour before you go to bed so that your mind can begin to wind down and replace that with 1 of the following below -
1. Read your favourite book before bedtime, it doesn’t have to be a reading book it could also be your favourite picture book.
2. Listen to some quiet music with your headphones so that you can begin to let your body know that its almost bedtime and time to relax and calm yourself down.
3. You could use the 1 hour before bedtime to have a nice warm shower and think of some good thoughts in the shower so that you can have a feel good bedtime.
4. Do some meditation or mindfulness such as writing in your Dreamtime journal about your day in order to off-load anything that is on your mind or that maybe troubling or worrying you. Later you can come back to it and think of some solutions which could benefit your optimism and stress levels.
3. Deny any drama and avoid getting caught up in gossip.
The amygdala may be a small part of the brain but it plays a major part in processing emotions. It’s also linked to other important parts of the brain such as memory, learning and your senses. When we get caught up in drama it can fire up the amygdala part of the brain which in turn will get our prefrontal cortex off its game and we certainly don’t want that to happen because the prefrontal cortex is responsible for the 12 executive functioning skills which can cause dysfunction in people with Autism.
So something that could be of benefit to you is to do one of the following -
1. Hang out with friends that bring you positivity, even if they are unpopular or disliked by others. They will not cause you any hate, stress or unnecessary worry.
2. Take your time getting to know people before you fully trust them. If they are causing you to question things about yourself or they are upsetting you in anyway, then keep a safe distance in order to protect yourself and make sure you take care of yourself first. Trusting people can take time so be patient with yourself whilst you explore relationships that are outside of your usual family or friend circle.
4. Movement is important for a positive body response.
Move your body with Art and Creativity. Dancing is also great in-between doing your Art.
If you find exercise to be boring, why not change it up a bit by being creative. Try one of the following below in order to create movement in your routine so that you can manage your autism easier and you will feel better in no time.
If Art is your passion then there is a number of ways that you begin to bring creativity more to your everyday such as -
1. Practice sketching in your journal some ideas that can help you to grow and be more productive and creative. Plus you can begin to sketch out your new masterpiece whilst your there. Try sketching outside where you can play with the different light perspectives. What will it look like, what do you want to create that you’ve been putting off for so long?
2. Get your favourite colouring book by Mirree and begin to colouring your favourite animal. Once completed think about that animal and how it can help you to get closer to your goals and dreams and begin to write that down - What does it mean to you and what does it symbolism for you in your life right now. Then frame it and put it somewhere important so you can look at it to everyday to remind yourself of those dreams and goals of yours.
(Or it could be part of your optimistic exercise from No: 1 and make it more powerful)
3. Begin a new painting from the sketch you did from No:1.
Don’t let your mind get in the way and keep positive about your experience. What paints will you use? Watercolour, Acrylics, Gouache or oil paints? Or maybe you would like to continue in your sketchbook and use some coloured pencils or coloured markers to complete your masterpiece inside your sketchbook. Keep going, your can do it!
5. Practicing Gratitude exercises can increase positive emotions.
Practicing Gratitude such as saying thank you to someone can create a positive response not only for yourself but for the person you are saying it to plus it activates the prefrontal cortex. Another way that you can practice this exercise is by writing in your Dreamtime Journal half an hour before bedtime (just like in No: 2) or half an hour after you get up in the morning. You can begin to create a small positive habit by doing this on a routine basis to cultivate the positivity in your life for a feel good lifestyle that contributes to your overall health and longevity as a healthy autistic person and for anyone wanting a better way of life for themselves.
