Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a variety of combinations from mild to severe.
Parents may hear different terms used to describe children within this spectrum such as autistic, autistic tendencies, autism spectrum disorder, high-functioning or low-functioning autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, PDD and PDD-NOS.
Every person with autism is an individual who has a unique personality, strengths and needs. Communication challenges are often an area of great concern as so much of our daily interaction with our environment depends on appropriate conversational and social skills. People with autism may have difficulty initiating or maintaining a conversation and many have described their communication as talking “at others” rather than with them.
People with autism process and respond to information in unique ways. In some cases, aggressive or self-injurious behavior may be present. For children and adults with autism, sensory integration problems are common. Their senses may be over or under active resulting in different reactions to things they see taste, touch and hear.
Common Characteristics:
People with autism may demonstrate some of the following traits.
• Insistence on sameness; resistance to change
• Difficulty in expressing needs, use of gestures or pointing rather than words
• Repetition of words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language
• Laughing, crying, showing distress for reasons not apparent to others
• Preference to be alone; seems aloof
• Tantrums
• Difficulty mixing with others
• May not want to be cuddled
• Little or no eye contact
• Unresponsive to normal teaching methods
• Repetitive or sustained odd play with objects
• Spins or flicks objects
• Inappropriate attachment to objects
• Over or under sensitivity to pain
• No real fear or awareness of danger
• Physical over-activity or extreme under-activity
• Uneven gross/fine motor skills
• Not responsive to verbal cues and may seem deaf though hearing has tested within normal ranges
Diagnosing Autism:
There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. Accurate diagnosis based on observation of the individual’s communication, behavior and developmental levels by professional psychologists, physicians, psychiatrists or neurologists is crucial. These professionals may order various tests to rule out or identify other possible causes for the symptoms being exhibited. Information from parents and other caregivers such as a developmental history is very important in making an accurate assessment. It is important to distinguish autism from other conditions, as appropriate treatment as early as possible can provide the basis for building an appropriate and effective educational and treatment program.
Early Warning Signs of Autism:
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) lists these five behaviors that signal further evaluation should be sought.
• Child does not babble or coo by 12 months
• Child does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months
• Child does not say single words by 16 months
• Child does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months
• Child has any loss of any language or social skills at any age
If your child demonstrates any of these five characteristics it does not mean that your child has autism. Because the characteristics of this disorder vary widely, your child should have further evaluation.
In order to begin to identify the child’s specific strengths and needs, a comprehensive evaluation by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals who are knowledgeable about autism is warranted. This team may include the neurologist, physician, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language pathologist, educational consultant, physical therapist, occupational therapist and family support specialist.
