Symptoms and signs:
Individuals with autism do not necessarily look obviously different from others. There may, however, be impaired in their speech, behavior, learning, and the way they perceive the world around them. The diagnostic segments that previously comprised the disorder, namely, autistic disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS), and Asperger Syndrome are now classified as a single disorder: the autism spectrum disorder.
The three main domains that are affected by the disorder are speech or communication, social skills, and behavior. Symptoms manifest before age 3 years, though children may be diagnosed after the age of three years in many cases. Some children manifest symptoms very early in life with up to half of parents noticing these symptoms in the first year of life. Almost all parents notice symptoms within the first two years of their child's life. Further, although symptoms may improve with time, they generally last throughout life.
Symptoms of autism include the following:
1. A child may not point at objects to show interest such as a picture on the wall.
2. They may not look towards objects when their parent points at them.
3. The child may have trouble interacting with other children or with adults.
4. They may want to play alone or may avoid eye contact with others.
5. They may have difficulty relating with the feelings of others or discussing their own feelings.
6. They may avoid direct physical contact such as being held by their parent.
7. They may appear unresponsive to others when they are spoken to.
8. They may repeat words or sounds or phrases they hear and use them instead of normal speech.
9. They may have trouble expressing themselves and having their needs met.
10. They may not indulge in "pretend play" - such as, when a child pretends to feed her doll or pretends to drive a fire engine.
11. They may be very resistant to changes in their schedule or changes in the way things are done around the house.
12. They may tend to do things over and over again.
13. They may line their toys up in a straight line.
14. They may unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound.
15. They may become unable to do things they once could.
Individuals with autism do not necessarily look obviously different from others. There may, however, be impaired in their speech, behavior, learning, and the way they perceive the world around them. The diagnostic segments that previously comprised the disorder, namely, autistic disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS), and Asperger Syndrome are now classified as a single disorder: the autism spectrum disorder.
The three main domains that are affected by the disorder are speech or communication, social skills, and behavior. Symptoms manifest before age 3 years, though children may be diagnosed after the age of three years in many cases. Some children manifest symptoms very early in life with up to half of parents noticing these symptoms in the first year of life. Almost all parents notice symptoms within the first two years of their child's life. Further, although symptoms may improve with time, they generally last throughout life.
Symptoms of autism include the following:
1. A child may not point at objects to show interest such as a picture on the wall.
2. They may not look towards objects when their parent points at them.
3. The child may have trouble interacting with other children or with adults.
4. They may want to play alone or may avoid eye contact with others.
5. They may have difficulty relating with the feelings of others or discussing their own feelings.
6. They may avoid direct physical contact such as being held by their parent.
7. They may appear unresponsive to others when they are spoken to.
8. They may repeat words or sounds or phrases they hear and use them instead of normal speech.
9. They may have trouble expressing themselves and having their needs met.
10. They may not indulge in "pretend play" - such as, when a child pretends to feed her doll or pretends to drive a fire engine.
11. They may be very resistant to changes in their schedule or changes in the way things are done around the house.
12. They may tend to do things over and over again.
13. They may line their toys up in a straight line.
14. They may unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound.
15. They may become unable to do things they once could.
