They May Struggle To Understand Their Own Emotions For Example Anxiety Relating To Friendships Or Jealousy
They may be very sensitive to other peoples thoughts. They may also find it hard to understand the stages of friendships, which can lead to confused emotions. They may struggle to cope with anxiety that could be linked to them not knowing what to say in conversations. Anxiety can lead to the avoidance of social situations. This can mean the individual with autism becomes socially isolated, meaning they have limited opportunities to make new friends.
So How Should I Describe My Child Or Someone Else’s Diagnosis
If you don’t know which description to use, don’t worry, it’s taken a while but I’ve figured out what works for us and I promise you will too.
There are two main approaches:
- Person-first : The argument for this approach is that it doesn’t define someone by their diagnosis. It’s not labelling somebody.
- Identity-first : The argument for describing someone as autistic is that it’s an inherent part of their identity and something to be proud of.
Last year autistic speaker Chris Bonnello, through his website Autistic Not Weird, asked 11,000 people how they describe a diagnosis.
Just over half of autistic respondents said they only use “autistic person” while 11 per cent preferred “person with autism”. About a quarter of people were happy to use either.
Supplied
Almost half of the non-autistic people with no autistic relatives said they only use “person with autism”.
“This does seem to back up the experience of many of us in the autism community, that professionals are taught to use person-first language but those on the spectrum themselves are more willing to claim the word autistic as their identity,” Mr Bonnello says.
“I see the arguments for ‘person with autism’ but I feel tempted to give the comeback that I don’t see my autism as something that is so terrible that it has to be pushed to the end of the sentence as if it’s not part of the real me.”
Mr Bonnello also flags the danger of becoming too caught up in the debate.
Supplied
Signs Of Asperger Syndrome
People with Asperger syndrome are generally considered to be on the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum. It is still a form of autism and is a lifelong condition.
Signs and symptoms that are typical of people with Asperger syndrome include:
- Very narrow and highly focused interests
- Great importance on rules and routines
- High standard of language skills, potentially very formal in expression
- Monotonous or repetitive speech
- Making the same noise repeatedly
- Scratching
These behaviors provide the person with a form of sensory input that the person finds appealing or helpful. There are various reasons why someone could be engaging in self-stimulatory behavior:
- They find it enjoyable
- It provides something to focus on, thereby reducing the effects of other, nearby stimuli
- It is soothing and helps with anxiety
Recommended Reading: Is Freddie Highmore Autistic In Real Life
Communicate With Your Team
Communicating with the doctor, therapist, teachers, and other healthcare providers can help make your daily tasks a lot easier.
For parents, this can mean asking for suggestions to continue practicing the skills your child is learning in therapy, which makes it easier for them to be more successful.
Is Tv Keeping Up
Supplied: Zach Hyman
I was so excited to sit on the couch with Patch a few years ago and point out Sesame Street’s newest character, Julia.
I proudly told him “Julia’s on the autism spectrum, just like you”. A gorgeous, smiling, four-year-old playing with her friends and loving life.
Sesame Street spent five years gathering information before launching Julia as part of their See Amazing in All Children initiative.
So how do they describe Julia’s diagnosis on a program aimed at pre-schoolers?
“We did quite a bit of research on language,” Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice-president of US social impact with Sesame Street, says.
They canvassed the community and professionals extensively about describing Julia as autistic or having autism.
“In this case, we actually intertwine on using both,” Dr Betancourt says.
You May Like: What Is The Life Expectancy Of People With Autism
How Is Autism Spectrum Disorder Treated
There is no cure for autism, but treatment can make a big difference. The sooner treatment starts, the better. With therapy, people with autism learn language, improve in school, and build social skills. Many kids with ASD are in special education classes or get special education services.
A treatment program might include:
- speech therapy to help with talking and language skills
- occupational therapy to help with everyday tasks, like dressing and playing
- behavioral therapy to help improve behavior
- social skills training to help with relating to others
- special education to help learning
- medicine to help with things like sleep, paying attention, and hyperactivity
How To Recognize Signs Of Autism In Yourself
This article was written by Luna Rose. Luna Rose is an autistic community member who specializes in writing and autism. She holds a degree in Informatics and has spoken at college events to improve understanding about disabilities. Luna Rose leads wikiHow’s Autism Project.There are 48 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 232,063 times.
Autism is an inborn, lifelong disability that affects different people in different ways. While toddlers can be diagnosed autistic, sometimes the signs aren’t obvious right away, or they aren’t understood. This means that some autistic people go undiagnosed until their adolescence or adulthood. If you’ve often felt different but never understood why it’s possible that you could be on the autistic spectrum.
Read Also: Are Stuttering And Autism Related
There Is A Constant Expectation To Maintain The Friendship
Keeping in contact with friends can be difficult because people on the autism spectrum may not know how often to contact their friend, and may become upset and disappointed if their friend doesnt reply for whatever reason. This may cause overwhelming anxiety and frustration. They may also worry if their friend doesnt message them very often because they may think they are purposely distancing themselves.
Your Child With Autism May Bring Out The Best In Your Family
“Our son is the oldest of our three children, and he has taught us all the importance of kindness, patience, compassion, listening and respect. These attributes allow our family to keep a very grounded and real perspective on what is truly important in life vs. what is fleeting, frivolous or simply not worthy of our energy.”
Stephanie Martin, Greenville, South Carolina
“It’s exciting and challenging because each day holds a new adventure. Despite the challenges of having a child on the spectrum, my life is perfectly complete. My son challenges me to be a better parent every single day.”
Yolanda Holmes, Greenville, South Carolina
Don’t Miss: Autistic Life Expectancy
Camouflage Or Compensate For Disorder
For many years, De Pauw was one of the most popular media figures in our country and had a busy social life. His public image may therefore not be in line with the cliché image that many people have of people living with ASD. It often happens that people can camouflage or compensate for their disorder for years so strongly that they themselves do not even notice that it exists.
In the event of a major life event that involves change, such as the birth of a child, a new job or a divorce, they may suddenly notice that they have been struggling with certain aspects of life for some time. In the case of Bart De Pauw, it is therefore quite possible that he only realized what his reactions caused after the accusations of the women. I didnt read you properly, I didnt feel it right, he said in court.
In any case, De Pauws disclosure is far removed from the defense that his lawyers conducted during the trial. They did their best to dismiss the statements of the bourgeois parties as unreliable. For example, lawyer John Maes cited an expert who pointed to the existence of collaborative storytelling. In addition, statements become more similar because witnesses speak to each other and it becomes difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.
Celebrate All Of Your Childs Achievements
I wish I had known that unlike other parents we cant take even the smallest achievement or milestone for granted. When our son started wearing his coat without a fight and expressed that he was cold, when he was able to participate in circle time during music class and when he got up on stage with the other kids at his school show we celebrated.
Steven Grossman, Los Angeles
Don’t Miss: Types Of Empathy Autism
Top 8 Things You Should Never Say To A Person With Autism
My name is Leanne, Im 24 years old, and have a very mild form of autism called Aspergers syndrome. Here are some things you should not say to people with autism spectrum disorder :
1. You dont care about anybody but yourselfLet me explain. Even though it may seem like people on the autism spectrum dont care about others , many do. We just might not show this in ways most people understand. For example, imagine that Kyle is watching a tournament on TV with some friends. He offers his friends the guacamole his mom made earlier. They say they dont want any, so Kyle proceeds to eat all of his moms guacamole himself. Kyles friends think he just doesnt care about them, or is being rude because they expected that he would offer the guacamole more than once, or leave some in case they changed their minds. Kyle does not see it like they do, because at least he offered it one time, and his friends said they didnt want any.
3. Autism is just a made up condition used to excuse bad behaviorSaying this to someone who has autism is like saying, Your eyes arent really blue, you just wear contacts to make them look blue. Autism is not a made up condition. I know some adults say that a child has autism to excuse the childs behavior, but that doesnt mean that all cases of autism are fake or fabricated. Also, autism is an invisible condition.
Find The Why For Autism And Hitting
Some kids have aggressive outbursts with people who put demands on them or try to tell them they cant have something they really want. Other kids have aggressive outbursts when theyre not engaged or when theyre bored or when theyre in pain. Another important thing to look at is when the hitting does not occur. So, if you said your son wont hit if he was given free access to his iPad all day long or if hes in a swimming pool, then that will give you important information as you make a plan to understand how to stop autism and hitting or at least reduce the behavior.
Recommended Reading: Is Level 2 Autism High Functioning
Emotional And Behavioral Difficulties
- You have trouble regulating your emotions and your responses to them.
- Changes in routines and expectations cause outbursts or meltdowns.
- When something unexpected happens, you respond with an emotional meltdown.
- You get upset when your things are moved or rearranged.
- You have rigid routines, schedules, and daily patterns that must be maintained no matter what.
- You have repetitive behaviors and rituals.
- You make noises in places where quiet is expected.
Early Signs Of Autism
Signs of autism in babies
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder, which means that signs become apparent as a child does not develop as expected, for example developing speech or learning to crawl later than expected.
As such, there are few signs of autism that are noticeable in newborns. However, if a baby fails to reach the developmental milestones expected at two months old, four months old, six months old, nine months old and a year old, this could be one of the first signs of autism or another developmental condition.
Good to know: Not all babies reach developmental milestones at the exact same time. It is normal to have some variation in development. If in doubt about a childââ¬â¢s development, check with a doctor.
Some of the early signs that a baby under one year old may have autism spectrum disorder include:
- Not babbling by four months old
- Not smiling by five months old
- Not laughing by six months old
- No interest in games like pat-a-cake or peek-a-boo by eight months old
- Not responding to their name by 12 months old
- Not looking at objects pointed out by other people by 12 months old
- Being upset by loud noises
- Not looking to a parent for comfort in new situations
- Being happy to play alone for long periods of time
- Not making eye contact
Signs of autism in toddlers
Some of the signs that a toddler, between one year old and two years old, may have autism spectrum disorder include:
You May Like: Does James Holzhauer Have Autism
Helping Autistic Children And Teenagers With Interactions And Communication
If autistic children understand what they need to do in certain social situations or have the skills to communicate in these situations, they might be more likely to cooperate.
Social storiesSocial stories explain social situations to autistic children. You can write one to encourage appropriate skills and behaviour in situations where your child needs to cooperate, including washing hands, going shopping, packing away and so on.
Social stories are particularly helpful for children who get anxious and prefer to know whats going to happen.
Using technology Technology can help children with limited language cooperate by making it easier for them to communicate. For example, the Picture Exchange Communication System uses pictures, symbols, words or photographs that represent tasks, actions or objects.
They May Not Feel Confident In Their Own Abilities
Feeling self-conscious, timid and anxious can make it undoubtedly harder for people with autism to establish friendships. If negative self-talk overrides, people will begin to believe they are not as good as others or incapable of at making friends. It can be difficult if people are unaware of their special interests and what theyre looking for in a friend.
Read Also: Bubble Guppies Nonny Autistic
Sensory Signs Of Autism In Adults
You may be labeled a picky eater and have only a few preferred foods.
Maybe you have a go-to at every restaurant. For me? Chicken alfredo or chicken strips are almost always safe, so I typically stick to that.
You might seek out deep squeezes or big hugs when youre stressed or upset.
And you might chew, rub, or tap on things obsessively.
I chew my nails and the collar of my shirts any time Im stressed or my mind is occupied.
You also might struggle to settle your brain and body down enough for restful sleep at night.
Whether your brain is running a million miles a minute or you feel like your body just cant stop moving Sleep may be hard to come by.
If Your Child/relative Is Autistic
Full disclosure: Im oftentold Im a father figure to numerous autistic young people, and Id readilytake a bullet for the young people I work with and/or know socially, but Imnot a parent. I make no assumptions about what the parenting lifestyle is like,nor do I claim to have expertise in parenting beyond what I have been taught bymy parent friends.
With that said- of all the people who have found my perspective helpful, Id say about half have been parents of autistic children. And while writing this, Im deliberately ignoring the well-known chasm in the autism community between autistic adults and parents of autistic children. Frequent readers of this website will know exactly how I deal with that divide: not by shouting matches over the internet, but .
So how should you talkabout the autism-related negatives if youre the parent/caregiver of anautistic person? What Ive already said above covers the main principles: behonest, be compassionate, and dont talk exclusivelyabout the persons struggles.
When writing about autismonline though, I think theres a factor that isnt discussed enough: whose experience people are aiming toraise awareness of.
Because theres adifference between autism awareness and parenthood awareness. Both of them areneeded and can offer enormous support to other people, although the boundariesbetween them can become blurred unintentionally.
Short version: spot thedifference between these two sentences.
Also Check: Is Level 2 Autism High Functioning
When You Change Your Expectations The World Will Grow
I wish we knew that autism just means different, not less. Instead of baseball games in elementary school we would have sensory integration programs. I wish we knew then that it will be OK some days will be hard, some days will be beautiful and at the end of each of them when we tuck our son into bed, the most important thing we can do is make sure he knows he is loved.
Tabatha and Tony Rainwater, Knoxville, Tennessee
The Two Conditions Are Often Confused But Theyre Not The Same
Many people on the autism spectrum have atypical responses to certain sensations. One person might become overwhelmed in a noisy, brightly-lit shopping center, while another might have to cut all the labels out of their clothing because they cant stand the feeling of the tags rubbing against their skin.
Those sensory sensitivities were believed to be hallmarks of autism for decades, until new research began to reveal that sensory processing disorder may be a condition all its own.
SPD presents in one of three broad patterns:
- Sensory modulation disorder, which impairs a persons ability to regulate their response to sensations. Someone with this pattern of SPD might overreact to, under-react to, or excessively crave sensory input.
- Sensory-based motor disorder, in which problems with the sense of balance or the sense of body position make it challenging for a person to plan and execute movements.
- Sensory discrimination disorder, which causes difficulties in interpreting sensations. A person with this type of SPD might have trouble telling the difference between the letter N and the letter M or might not be able to tell when they have to use the bathroom.
SPD was conflated with autism spectrum disorder for many years because SPD is so common in autistic individuals. Recent studies suggest that between 90% and 95% of people on the autism spectrum have sensory processing differences.
Recommended Reading: High Functioning Autism Prognosis