Autism
Autism
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people. Still, people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in different ways from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.
As ASD is a spectrum, the diagnosis now includes autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome.
About Disorder
Signs and Symptoms
People with ASD often have problems with social, emotional, and communication skills. They might repeat certain behaviors and might not want change in their daily activities. Many people with ASD also have different ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to things. Signs of ASD begin during early childhood and typically last throughout a person’s life.
Early signs of ASD can include, but are not limited to:
- Avoiding eye contact,
- Having little interest in other children or caretakers,
- Limited display of language (e.g., having fewer words than peers or difficulty with the use of words for communication), or
- Getting upset by minor changes in routine.
Signs and Symptoms
Screening and Diagnosis
Diagnosing ASD can be tricky since no medical test can diagnose the disorder like a blood test. Doctors look at the child’s behavior and development to make a diagnosis.
Children or adults with ASD might:
- not point at objects to show interest (e.g., not point at an airplane flying over)
- not look at things when another person points at them
- have trouble relating to others or not have an interest in other people at all
- avoid eye contact and want to be alone
- have difficulty understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their feelings
- prefer not to be held or cuddled, or might cuddle only when they want to
- appear to be unaware when people talk to them, but respond to other sounds
- be very interested in people but not know how to talk, play, or relate to them
- repeat/echo words or phrases said to them, or repeat words or phrases in place of ordinary language
- have trouble expressing their needs using typical words or motions
- not play “pretend” games (e.g. not pretend to “feed” a doll)
- repeat actions over and over again
- have trouble adapting to routine changes
- have unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound
- lose skills they once had (e.g., stop saying words they were using)
Contact us now to learn more about screening and diagnosis.
