The Future of Autism Intervention. by Lillyanne

The Future of Autism Intervention. by Lillyanne - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

Behavior Disorders in Children was a brief subject we covered in my introduction to psychology course, but I knew that moment that I wanted to do something about it. My father has autism and in that class we were learning about diagnosing someone with autism but what happens after? He was wasn't diagnosed until he was 53 but I feel that if he got the proper interventions when he was younger he might be doing a lot better now. Autism is a thing that happens frequently to a lot of people all around the world. Autism can allow for severe talent in individuals with such amazing outcome such as art, math, music, etc. The problem I want to combat surrounding autism however is the interventions and plans for young students who are being diagnosed.
My goal is to go to graduate school and become a school psychologist. I want to be able to work with children with autism and other behavior and learning disabilities and figure out plans of intervention that can allow for them to have the best quality of life. I want to provide an education for students so that they understand that they can pursue their dreams, we can nurture their talents and use that to help them on their educational journey. I want to provide safe classrooms for them where they feel comfortable going and working with other neurotypical and neurodivergent people, just like what happens in the real world. Autism is a spectrum and some students with autism may have different capabilities than others, but meeting students where they are is very important for learning and developing into members of their community.

These children are our future and there are more children being born with autism by the day. I want them to grow up learning that their autism isn't an excuse but an explanation for their behavior. That someday they could grow up and become a very influential member of society and that their autism doesn't define them. That the students who grow up to become police men and law enforcement understand how to work with people with autism spectrum disorder. These interventions and new learning pathways in preschool and elementary school is what I believe is going to be the most important factor in allowing these kids to thrive.