Comorbidity Features Of Autism Spectrum Disorders And Its Related Challenges In District Faisalabad

Abstract

The study identified the comorbidity features of Autism Spectrum Disorders and its related challenges in district Faisalabad. The study also explored the strategies to resolve the comorbidity related challenges of children with autism spectrum disorder. The research was descriptive in nature. The population of the study consisted of all the special education teachers presently teaching the children with autism spectrum disorder in public/private special education institutions of district Faisalabad. In sample size, there were 40 teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder of public/private special education institutions of district Faisalabad. Convenience sampling technique was used for the sample selection. Researcher used a self-structured questionnaire as a research instrument and technique for the purpose of data collection. Questionnaire was comprised of 20 statements. The questionnaire was designed to collect information from the teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder. Researcher prepared forty copies of the questionnaire for the data collection from the special education teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder for the data collection. The main purpose and objectives of the study were shared with study subjects before the distribution of questionnaire. The questionnaire was given to teachers for completion and was elaborated in easy wording. The questionnaires were collected back after completion. The collected facts of the study were kept in record carefully and the data was tabulated and interpreted. The analysis of the data was made by using the descriptive statistics. The results of the study showed that students with autism have the comorbid features of schizophrenia, epilepsy, down syndrome and mental illness. The educational as well as the social challenges were the basic hurdles to handle the students with autism. Regular medication, use of motivation and reinforcement, giving positive feedback and use of hands-on activities to improve attention, were most suitable strategies to cope the challenges of comorbid features of students with autism spectrum disorder. The future research may be conducted in other metropolitan cities of the region.  

Keywords: Comorbidity, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Challenges.