Empowering Autism and Other
Disabilities # 3
“By holding the highest vision for your child when they cannot see it for themselves, you are lifting them up, elevating them and helping them to soar.” – Megan Koufos
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. The effects of ASD and the severity of symptoms are different in each person.
What Causes Autism Spectrum Disorder?
There is no singular cause but, it has been accepted that it’s caused by a broad range of factors, including abnormalities in the brain structure or function, through genetics, along with environmental factors that can trigger ASD in developing.
Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder
People can experience a wide range of symptoms and of varying severities. For example, a person with autism who is towards the high functioning range of the spectrum will have a good grasp of language, but a person towards the low functioning range of the spectrum may not speak at all.
As such, it is important to note that a person with autism spectrum disorder will not display all symptoms and symptoms will vary in severity. However, a person with ASD will display several of these behaviors and signs.
“If you’ve met one individual with autism, you’ve met one individual with autism”.
Stephen Shore
Common signs of autism
Some of the more common signs that may indicate a person has autism include:
• Avoiding eye contact
• Delayed speech and communication skills
• Reliance on rules and routines
• Being upset by relatively minor changes
• Unexpected reactions to sounds, tastes, sights, touch and smells.
• Difficulty understanding other people’s emotions.
• Focusing on or becoming obsessed by a narrow range of interests or objects
• Engaging in repetitive behavior such as flapping hands or rocking
• Children not responding to their name by 12 months.
• Children not pointing at distant objects by 14 months.
Signs of autism in adults
Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong condition and some people with autism spectrum disorder are not diagnosed until they are adults. This could be because they fall into the higher functioning range of the autism spectrum and their symptoms are less severe, or because they were misdiagnosed with a condition such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Although treatment can improve some outward symptoms, people with autism will always process sensations such as sound, sight, touch and smell in different ways.
If a parent feels that his/her child is showing some of the above signs, then what to do, or what would the next step be.
There are some steps to follow to get through the diagnosis process easily. We will be
discussing all about it in our next issue.
Huma Shoaib
Behavioural Therapist
Founder of Empowering Autism
Humas6@hotmail.com
