What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental disability that appears during the first 3 years of life. It is 4 times more prevalent in boys than girls.

This neurological disorder interferes with the normal development of the brain. Communication, social interaction, sensory impairment, play, and behaviors may be affected. The intensity and severity can vary from symptom to symptom which is why autism is often referred to as a spectrum disorder. The behavior usually occurs across many different situations and is consistently inappropriate for their age. Diagnosis is difficult for a professional with limited exposure to autism, because the characteristics vary so much. Ideally a child should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team which may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, or a speech/language therapist.

Individuals with autism usually have at least half of the these traits listed below:

Difficulty in mixing with other children
Insistence on sameness: resists change and routine
Inappropriate laughing or giggling
No real fear of dangers
Little or no eye contact
Unresponsive to normal teaching methods
Sustained odd play
Apparent insensitivity to pain
Echolalia (repeating words and phrases in place of normal language)
Prefers to be alone; aloof manner
May not want cuddling or act cuddly
Spins objects
Noticeable physical over activity or extreme under activity
Tantrums, displays extreme distress for no apparent reason
Not responsive to verbal clues; acts as if deaf
Inappropriate attachments to objects
Uneven gross/fine motor skills
Difficulty in expressing needs; uses gestures or pointing instead of words.

The above information and more can be found at Autism Alliance Of Metro West.