Friday, March 22, 2024

Can You Tell Someone Has Autism By Looking At Them

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Early Signs Of Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Studies have shown that autism can be diagnosed as early as 14 months. It typically appears in the early ages of an individual.

This means that the infants first year is crucial in terms of the diagnosis of the disorder.

Many children with autism spectrum disorder show developmental differences. This can especially be seen in their social and language skills. There are certain developmental milestones babies hit while they are growing up.

Parents and caregivers should observe their childrens behaviors so as to be able to catch the disorder early on.

The 10 early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children can be as follows:

  • Little to no eye contact during infancy,
  • No babbling,
  • Not expressing emotions,
  • Not seeming attached to parents.

Subtle differences caused by autism may appear before the childs first birthday. These differences will be visible in childrens interaction with their surroundings.

When 2-months old, babies generally begin to smile at people, coo, and are able to pay attention to faces. This may not be the case for children with autism spectrum disorder. By 6 months, if a baby

  • doesnt smile,
  • doesnt smile as big,
  • is not showing any other warm, joyful, and engaging expressions

It may be a sign of autism spectrum disorder.

By 9 months, children with ASD:

  • make limited or no eye contact with anyone
  • dont share sounds,
  • dont smile back-and-forth with parents.

Before their first birthday, babies on the autism spectrum,

What’s It Like To Have Autism Spectrum Disorder

A kid with autism might have trouble:

  • talking and learning the meaning of words
  • making friends or fitting in
  • dealing with changes
  • dealing with loud noises, bright lights, or crowds

Kids also might move in an unusual way or do the same thing over and over .

A kid with autism may have a little trouble with these things, or a lot. Some kids need only a little bit of help, and others might need a lot of help with learning and doing everyday stuff.

Autism And Understanding The Emotions Of Other People

An autistic person may find it hard to understand the emotions of other people. Emotions are interpreted by subtle messages sent by facial expression, eye contact and body language. These are often missed or misinterpreted by an autistic person. Because of this, autistic people might be mistakenly perceived as being rude or unfeeling. Autistic people may find it difficult to understand how others perceive their behaviour.

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Children On The Autism Spectrum Are Not Dumb

Kids with autism have the potential to be absolutely brilliant. Theyre also talented, philosophical, kind, and creative. This is something much of society fails to see, but in truth, the autistic mind is simply wired differently than those not on the Autism Spectrum. Hans Christian Andersen, Emily Dickinson, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Michelangelo, Mozart, and Sir Isaac Newton all are said to have exhibited autistic tendencies.

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We Need To Hear We Are Doing A Good Job

Is it autism? Facial features that show disorder

This is, of course, true of every parent, but it is especially true of parents of children on the Autism Spectrum. Raising a child with autism is a lifelong learning curve. As more and more is learned about the biology of autism, parents must keep up with new therapies and decide if they would be right for their child. For instance, there are new supplements, dietary concerns, and feelings about a new friend or teacher. The list of things to keep parents up at night is a long one.

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Signs Of Social Difficulties

  • Appears disinterested or unaware of other people or whats going on around them.
  • Doesnt know how to connect with others, play, or make friends.
  • Prefers not to be touched, held, or cuddled.
  • Doesnt play pretend games, engage in group games, imitate others, or use toys in creative ways.
  • Has trouble understanding feelings or talking about them.
  • Doesnt seem to hear when others talk to them.
  • Doesnt share interests or achievements with others .

Basic social interaction can be difficult for children with autism spectrum disorder. Many kids on the autism spectrum seem to prefer to live in their own world, aloof and detached from others.

Ners Of Autistic People

Some autistic people will successfully maintain relationships. However, like most relationships, there are challenges.

An adults diagnosis of autism often follows their childs diagnosis of autism or that of another relative. This double whammy can be extremely distressing to the partner who has to cope simultaneously with both diagnoses. Counselling, or joining a support group where they can talk with other people who face the same challenges, can be helpful.

An autistic partner, like any partner, will have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to relationships. A non-autistic partner may find that there are communication breakdowns, such as misunderstandings or finding that your partner is not able to predict your feelings. An autistic partner may need routine, order and time to pursue their hobbies.

Relationship counselling with a counsellor or psychologist experienced at working with autistic people can assist couples to develop strategies and to communicate more effectively with each other.

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Is It Autism Facial Features That Show Disorder

How do children with autism differ from those without the disorder? Social behaviors, mostly – things like avoiding eye contact or ignoring tone of voice. But recent research has shed light on a more subtle difference – facial features. Scientists at the University of Missouri found that children with autism share certain facial features that distinguish them from other children. At left is an example of a face study author and anatomy professor Dr. Kristina Aldrige mapped with 17 points to calculate facial traits.

What are these distinguishing features? Keep clicking to see images used in the study and compare them with photos of children with autism courtesy of the Autism Society

Researchers used a camera system that simultaneously captured four images to create a 3-D model of each child

The study found that children with autism have an unusually broad upper face, including wide-set eyes. They also have a shorter middle region of the face, including the cheeks and nose.

Children with autism have a broader or wider mouth and philtrum – the groove below the nose, above the top lip.

This photo of a young boy with autism was not used in the study. But Dr. Aldridge notes that he has the characteristic wide eyes and wide forehead.

This little girl shows the shorter midface region, in the area between the eyes and upper lip, says Dr. Aldridge.

This boy has a wide mouth and forehead, characteristic of boys with autism, says Dr. Aldrige.

What Are Some Early Signs Of Autism In Toddlers

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When a baby becomes a toddler, various developmental differences, signs and symptoms may become more apparent with the growing age of the child.

During their first year, toddlers with autism spectrum disorder may not:

  • like seeing new faces,
  • may not be able to walk, or w__alk only on their toes__
  • may find certain sounds, tastes and smells upsetting,
  • may fall into repetitive movements, like flapping their hands.

These signs may be more noticeable compared to the signs presented early on. However, the majority of children with autism are not diagnosed before the age of two due to missed signs by caregivers, or lack of access to specialists.

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How To Help Any Autistic Behaviour That Occurs As A Child Becomes A Teenager:

  • Take a calm, quiet approach when talking to the young person
  • Give them their own space, while ensuring that they dont retreat from family life altogether
  • Limit online activities to encourage face-to-face time with people
  • Plan activities for weekends and holidays in advance and share those plans with the young person
  • Keep to a routine
  • When talking to your son or daughter, do so while engaging in a chosen activity, such as walking through the park or driving in the car with them as a front-seat passenger, rather than sitting looking at them
  • Use lots of subtle and genuine praise, as children with autism generally have low self-esteem and need more genuine praise then neuro-typical children. But remember that many autistic children dislike being singled-out in front of others and praised

Five Ways To Damage Autistic Children Without Even Knowing

Yep, uncomfortable title. But sadly, these are subjects that I feel we have a responsibility to talk about.

Today, Im going to share some habits that Ive seen in a wide variety of contexts: some of them in my career in education , some of them from people dealing with me as an autistic man, some of them Ive seen in the form of internet comments, and so on. Although often done unknowingly- hence the article title- these habits have the potential to do harm.

This is a tricky subject, I know, but these are five mistakes that need discussing. Youd be surprised how easy it is to make them.

Rather importantly, this is not specifically a guide for parents. It is a guide for anyone who has any contact with a young and/or vulnerable autistic person, whether they are parents, teachers, teaching assistants, family friends, and so on.

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How Parents Can Spot The Warning Signs

As a parent, youre in the best position to spot the earliest warning signs of autism. You know your child better than anyone and observe behaviors and quirks that a pediatrician, in a quick fifteen-minute visit, might not have the chance to see. Your childs pediatrician can be a valuable partner, but dont discount the importance of your own observations and experience. The key is to educate yourself so you know whats typical and whats not.

Monitor your childs development. Autism involves a variety of developmental delays, so keeping a close eye on whenor ifyour child is hitting the key social, emotional, and cognitive milestones is an effective way to spot the problem early on. While developmental delays dont automatically point to autism, they may indicate a heightened risk.

Take action if youre concerned. Every child develops at a different pace, so you dont need to panic if your child is a little late to talk or walk. When it comes to healthy development, theres a wide range of typical. But if your child is not meeting the milestones for his or her age, or you suspect a problem, share your concerns with your childs doctor immediately. Dont wait.

Regression of any kind is a serious autism warning sign

Can You Tell If Someone Has Autism Just By Looking At Them

Why Autism in Girls Is Often Missed Until Adulthood ...

i don’t know. probably not. Sometimes you can tell if a child isa little ”quirky” and doesn’t quite understand others verbal andnon verbal cues. Some people have autistic tendencies yet don’thave autism, and some have autism which is a little harder todetect. If you are worried it is best to consult a paediatrician orother professional. A person with autism does not differ inphysical appearance compared to people without autism, although ithas been suggested that as they grow older they might look slightlymore youthful than others their age. Autism cannot be detected byphysical appearance it is detected by behaviors.

No, you can’t tell that someone is Autistic just by looking at them.

Generally speaking there are no physical symptoms of Autism, thus a persons appearance alone is not an indication – although an Autistic person may dress differently, and have unusual looking body language such as issues making eye contact. As an Autistic person I can often tell Autistic people within a few minutes of being with them, not from social interaction but because although we learn social skills like body language as it doesn’t come naturally to us it’s always ever so slightly ‘off’. I’ve never known a neurotypical person who was able to consciously pick-up on this.

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Why Do Some Young People Get A Late Diagnosis

It is common for a young person to get a late diagnosis if they are high functioning or academically able. This also occurs more in girls than in boys, as girls are generally more adept at copying neuro-typical behaviours, including verbal and non-verbal communication in order to mask their autism.

Late diagnosis can happen because there is some ambiguity which makes it difficult to be sure a young person has autism, or because other conditions have presented as being their primary need e.g. challenging behaviour or ADHD. Typically, children are also often able to cope in a primary school environment but find the increasing demand of secondary school very stressful, leading to their difficulties becoming more apparent.

Why Is Eye Contact Important

On the one hand, we know that eye contact helps people communicate their interest and attention to a conversation partner. Its also important for communicating interest in having a social interaction with someone. Often times, we need to maintain eye contact in order to pick up and respond to important social cues from other people. And of course, a failure to make eye contact can be misconstrued by others as disinterest or inattention.

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Signs And Symptoms Of Autism In Babies And Toddlers

If autism is caught in infancy, treatment can take full advantage of the young brains remarkable plasticity. Although autism is hard to diagnose before 24 months, symptoms often surface between 12 and 18 months. If signs are detected by 18 months of age, intensive treatment may help to rewire the brain and reverse the symptoms.

The earliest signs of autism involve the absence of typical behaviorsnot the presence of atypical onesso they can be tough to spot. In some cases, the earliest symptoms of autism are even misinterpreted as signs of a good baby, since the infant may seem quiet, independent, and undemanding. However, you can catch warning signs early if you know what to look for.

Some autistic infants dont respond to cuddling, reach out to be picked up, or look at their mothers when being fed.

Living With An Autism Diagnosis

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Receiving an ASD diagnosis as an adult could mean a greater understanding of yourself and how you relate to the world. And it can help you learn how to better work with your strengths and strengthen areas of your life that are challenging.

Getting diagnosed can help you gain a different perspective on your childhood. It can also help those around you to understand and empathize more with your unique characteristics.

Better understanding the set of challenges you face can help you find new and inventive ways to work with or around those challenges. You can also work with your clinician and your family to seek support that may be right for you.

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Alternative Ways To Indicate Interest

It may be that eye contact is so stressful for your son that he pays less attention when you ask for it. In this case, its appropriate to look for alternative ways for your son to indicate to others that he is interested and paying attention to them.

For example, you might explain the importance of indicating his interest in some nonverbal way and then offer some of these options:

  • Suggest that your son show his interest by fully facing the person and staying within a conversational distance. This includes working on any tendency to wander away in the middle of a conversation.
  • Help your son learn some socially appropriate comments that he can use to indicate his attention. For example: saying yes or okay or even hmm-hmm. Its important to help him understand that these little comments should come when the other person pauses not while they are speaking. The two of you can practice the timing together.
  • Your son might even tell someone I am paying attention even though Im not looking at you.

Signs And Symptoms Of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known. Scientists believe there are multiple causes of ASD that act together to change the most common ways people develop. We still have much to learn about these causes and how they impact people with ASD.

There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people. They may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The abilities of people with ASD can vary significantly. For example, some people with ASD may have advanced conversation skills whereas others may be nonverbal. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives others can work and live with little to no support.

ASD begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a persons life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12 months of life. In others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months or later. Some children with ASD gain new skills and meet developmental milestones, until around 18 to 24 months of age and then they stop gaining new skills, or they lose the skills they once had.

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Differences In Need For Structure And Routine

Flexibility of thought is the ability to hazard a guess at the unknown, to cope with the unexpected, to act upon a whim. The sense of security brought on by the known can lead to the following:

  • becoming obsessed with an interest, place or person
  • becoming anxious by change, spontaneity and unplanned events
  • experiencing difficulties in coping with the unknown
  • experiencing difficulties in remembering sequences without prompts, such as: diary, personal planner, alarm
  • experiencing difficulties in comprehending abstract concepts
  • reluctance in using own initiative

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