A mental disorder occurs when an individual’s brain disturbance affects the cognitive component. Autism disorder is a common mental illness affecting adolescents in society today. The patients experience communication and social problems, making the socialization process difficult. Additionally, people living with autism find it difficult to retain memory which controls body movements such as talking and walking. Autism disorder has negatively affected adolescents in the community due to many issues. Since adolescents are growing, they desire to live a life of their own without much pressure from their parents. However, this has gone contrary to their expectations, and in most cases, they become stressed due to events resulting from trauma and fear. Autism children should be treated with love and care while growing (Deutschendorf, 2020). As a vulnerable group of individuals in society, adolescents need guidance sessions to positively adapt to the changes in their bodies (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2017a). This essay discusses the impact of autism disorder on adolescents in the community and a nursing intervention that can be used to assist adolescents in becoming prominent society members.
Autism disorder among adolescents affects the manner in which they interact with other members of society. Globally, teenagers have been affected by depression and increased death cases (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2017b). Adolescence is a stage of development where young adults try to cope with changes in their bodies as they are growing. As adolescents try to be part of the community, autism disorder affects them socially, physically, and emotionally. While in school, learners with autism disorder are bullied, making them uncomfortable. This contributes to the decline in school performance as they fail to concentrate on their studies, in personal effects.
Adolescents with autism disorders are engage in risky behaviors with their friends, which endanger their lives and lead to dropping out of school. Drug abuse is a common problem arising from peer pressure in society. Some of the long-term effects of abusing substances lead to memory loss, poor thinking, and some cancers (Alhujaili et al., 2022). Adolescents engage in sexual activities while in school which affects their social life. These practices lead to unwanted teenage pregnancies and the spread of diseases like HIV-AIDS.
Socially, adolescents who have autism disorder find it challenging to interact with other members of society freely. This leads to self-isolation which further develops into depression, and in some cases, attempted suicide is reported. Adolescents suffering from autism disorders are discriminated against from participating in social activities since they lack practical communication skills (Jeffries et al., 2022). Some adolescents receive rejection from the society due to improper dressing and hygiene.
Nurses are responsible for handling autism disorders and adolescent patients in society. To offer effective care to the victims, the nurses must possess the skills and knowledge essential for behavior change. They can apply behavioral therapies, guidance and counseling services, and education to the public on how to live with adolescents in the community (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2018). Most importantly, an applied behavior analysis intervention can be adopted by nurses to treat people with autism. In this concept, desired behaviors are encouraged in society while undesired characters are discouraged. Autistic adolescents are encouraged to participate in activities that promote positive behaviors and modification. The new progress in the target population is measured and tracked regularly.
In conclusion, autism disorder affects communication and can be associated with behavioral changes. Adolescents suffering from autism experience many social challenges as they interact with other members in the society. Self-isolation is common where adolescents prefer to stay indoors. Nurses have played critical roles in enabling autism patients live with this disorder effectively. They have applied the behavior analysis intervention where positive behaviors have been encouraged and the negative ones have been discouraged.
References
Alhujaili, N., Platt, E., Khalid-Khan, S., & Groll, D. (2022). Comparison of social media uses among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and non-ASD adolescents. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, Volume 13, pp. 15–21. Web.
Deutschendorf, H. (2020). How to bolster emotional resilience and prioritize workplace self-care. Ragan Communications. Web.
Jeffries, P. (2022). Clinical simulations in nursing education: Advanced concepts, trends, and opportunities. Google Books. Web.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2018). Resources on trauma-informed care – fredla. Web.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2017a). Mental health information. National Institute of Mental Health. Web.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2017b). Talk about mental health. MentalHealth.gov. Web.