Top 4 Signs And Symptoms Of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder is a brain abnormality that causes developmental disability. Some individuals with ASD have a known medical condition, such as a genetic disease.
The precise underlying causes of ASD are yet to be determined. There may be numerous factors contributing to the development of ASD, which work together to modify the most typical ways that people develop. We have a long way to go before we fully understand these causes and how they impact persons with ASD.
There is rarely anything special about the way individuals with ASD appear from normal persons. They may react, talk, interact, and learn in ways that are distinct from most others.
The talents of individuals on the autism spectrum vary considerably. Some people with ASD may have advanced conversation abilities, while others may be nonverbal. Some people with ASD require a significant amount of support others can manage and live despite having little or no assistance.
The most common type of ASD is Aspergers syndrome, which affects 1 in 100 people. It is characterized by repetitive behaviors and interests that are typical for a person with ASDs. ASD symptoms may appear at any age, but they generally begin before the age of three years and can persist throughout a persons life. Some toddlers display signs of.
Why Is Autism Awareness Important
April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. April has also become known as Autism Awareness Month in the United States. However, many community advocates have rightly called for the need to increase awareness about ASD year-round, not just during 30 select days.
The Autism Society of America and other advocates have even proposed that April be designated Autism Acceptance Month instead.
Autism acceptance requires empathy and an understanding that ASD is different for everyone.
Certain therapies and approaches can work for some people but not others. Parents and caregivers can also have differing opinions on the best way to advocate for an autistic child.
Visit Also Beyond Autism
Symptoms can manifest themselves as early as 24 months in children with extremely severe forms of the disorder. Some youngsters with ASD display new talents and attain developmental milestones until around 18 to 24 months old, after which they cease gaining new abilities or lose the ones they previously had.
Autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified , and Asperger syndrome are now included in the diagnostic criteria for ASD. These formerly discrete disorders have been renamed autism spectrum disorder.
Problems with social interactions and communication, as well as restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests, are among the criteria for diagnosing ASD. Its worth noting that some persons who do not have ASD may also exhibit some of these symptoms. However, in individuals with ASD, these traits can be extremely difficult to live with.
Read Also: Autism Awarness Symbol
What Causes Aspergers Syndrome
The causes of Aspergers Syndrome are unknown. Genetics and brain abnormalities may be involved.
We do know that Aspergers Syndrome is NOT the result of a childs upbringing or poor parenting. Aspergers Syndrome is a neurobiological disorder, meaning it is just a part of the childs brain development, whose causes are not fully understood.
Early Signs Of Autism In 3 Year Old
As your kid grows older, certain signs become a little bit less clear compared to the first few months. You can get a better idea by checking the developmental milestones to see if your child is behind on some.
- Some autism red flags for 3 year olds are as follows:
- Prefers being alone,
Recommended Reading: Aspergers And Stuttering
Also Check: Broader Autism Phenotype
Communication And Social Symptoms
-
Pragmatic Language Most individuals on the autism spectrum have difficulty communicating with other people. This often becomes apparent during early childhood. Any delays in speech development and nonverbal communication should be evaluated by a qualified specialist.
-
Eye Contact and Nonverbal Communication Poor and avoidance of eye contact are common symptoms among those with autism. Other non-verbal communication difficulties may include recognizing and using facial expressions, physical gestures, and overall body language.
-
Tone of Voice Some people with autism may have difficulty regulating or modulating their tone of voice. As a result, they may speak too loudly, too quietly, and/or with a monotone voice.
Early Signs Of Autism In Babies Aged 0
Shortly after they are born, babies begin to smile and coo at people around them. By the time they turn 2 months old, they are able to pay attention to faces.
If the child has autism spectrum disorder, this may not be the case. If a child doesnt smile, or smile as big, and is not showing any warm expression, it may be a sign of autism spectrum disorder.
The following signs can also be seen by the time the baby turns 3 months old:
- Doesnt respond to loud noises,
- Doesnt grasp objects,
You May Like: Aspergers Stuttering
Screening Tools And Tutorials
There are some great screening tools and tutorials to help parents and carers spot the early warning signs for autism. Below are some we highly recommend. Please be mindful that they are just screening tools, and not a diagnosis.
Early autism detection – ASDetect
This is a free app that empowers parents and caregivers to assess the social attention and communication behaviours of their children younger than 2½ years .This video-led self-assessment app is based on comprehensive, rigorous, world-class research conducted at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre
The app guides parents and carers through each assessment using a combination of videos and questions, as well as activities that you can do with your child. Once you have completed an assessment, you receive both an on-screen result of either âlowâ or âhighâ likelihood of autism, as well as a comprehensive formal assessment results email. See more asdetect.org/
Early signs of autism tutorial Kennedy Krieger Institute
This free 9-minute video tutorial on ASD behavioural signs in one-year-olds. The tutorial consists of six video clips comparing toddlers who show no signs of ASD to toddlers who show early signs of ASD.
Each video is presented with voice-over explaining how the specific behaviours exhibited by the child, as they occur on screen, are either indicative of ASD or typical child development.
What Are The Different Types Of Autism
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition is published by the American Psychiatric Association . Clinicians use it to diagnose a variety of psychiatric disorders.
The most recent fifth edition of the DSM was released in 2013. The DSM-5 currently recognizes five different ASD subtypes, or specifiers. They are:
- with or without accompanying intellectual impairment
- with or without accompanying language impairment
- associated with a known medical or genetic condition or environmental factor
- associated with another neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder
Someone can receive a diagnosis of one or more specifiers.
Before the DSM-5, autistic people may have received a diagnosis of:
- autistic disorder
- pervasive development disorder-not otherwise specified
- childhood disintegrative disorder
Its important to note that a person who received one of these earlier diagnoses has not lost their diagnosis and will not need to be reevaluated.
- evaluations
Read Also: Is Symmetra Autistic
How Is Autism Treated
There is no cure for ASD. Therapies and behavioral interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can substantially improve those symptoms. The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that meet the specific needs of the individual. Most health care professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better.
Educational/behavioral interventions: Early behavioral/educational interventions have been very successful in many children with ASD. In these interventions therapists use highly structured and intensive skill-oriented training sessions to help children develop social and language skills, such as applied behavioral analysis, which encourages positive behaviors and discourages negative ones. In addition, family counseling for the parents and siblings of children with ASD often helps families cope with the particular challenges of living with a child with ASD.
Interaction And Social Communication Skills
People with ASD may have difficulty interacting and communicating socially.
The following are some examples of social communication and social behavior patterns associated with ASD:
- Eye contact is avoided or not maintained.
- Does not understand simple interactive games such as pat-a-cake by the age of 12 months.
- Uses very few or no gestures by the age of 12 months
- Does not have the same interests as others
- Doesnt point or look at what youre pointing to by the age of 18 months.
- Does not act in pretend play
- Peers are uninteresting to him.
- At 36 months of age or older, he or she has difficulty comprehending other peoples emotions and expressing their own.
- Does not play games with turn-taking for 60 months old.
Recommended Reading: How To Tell If You Re Autistic
Challenging Behaviors In Autism
People with autism spectrum disorder may exhibit behaviors which put themselves at risk, cause difficulties for people around them or which are not socially acceptable.
Around 50 percent of people with autism engage in behavior that can cause themselves harm when they feel frustrated, overwhelmed or unwell. Such behaviors can include:
- Banging their head on walls or other objects
- Hitting themselves, e.g. hitting their head with their hands
- Poking themselves in the eye
- Pulling their hair
- Biting themselves
- Smearing feces
A person with autism who feels frustrated, overwhelmed or feeling unwell may also display physically aggressive behavior. This can include:
- Throwing objects
- Hitting, slapping or biting other people
- Pulling other peopleââ¬â¢s hair
Some people with autism eat objects that are not edible, or keep the objects in their mouth, a behavior known as pica. It is the most common eating disorder found in people with autism spectrum disorder. People may eat anything, including dirt or soap.
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 peopleââ¬â¢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
Worried you or someone you know might have some of the signs of autism? The Ada app can help you check symptoms. or find out more about how it works.
Recommended Reading: Adhd And Asd Comorbidity
What Are Patterns Of Behavior With Autism
Children with ASD also act in ways that seem unusual or have interests that arenât typical, including:
- Repetitive behaviors like hand-flapping, rocking, jumping, or twirling
- Constant moving and âhyperâ behavior
- Fixations on certain activities or objects
- Specific routines or rituals
- Extreme sensitivity to touch, light, and sound
- Not taking part in âmake-believeâ play or imitating othersâ behaviors
- Fussy eating habits
Early Signs Of Autism In Adults
Autism spectrum disorder occurs in all age groups. It is generally characterized by social and communication difficulties.
Severe forms are usually diagnosed in the first two years of a childs life. However, high-functioning individuals may not be diagnosed until later in their lives.
Here are some of the symptoms in autistic adults:
- Difficulty in regulating emotion
Read Also: The Symbol For Autism
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.
What To Do If Youre Worried
If your child is developmentally delayed, or if youve observed other red flags for autism, schedule an appointment with your pediatrician right away. In fact, its a good idea to have your child screened by a doctor even if he or she is hitting the developmental milestones on schedule. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children receive routine developmental screenings, as well as specific screenings for autism at 9, 18, and 30 months of age.
Schedule an autism screening. A number of specialized screening tools have been developed to identify children at risk for autism. Most of these screening tools are quick and straightforward, consisting of yes-or-no questions or a checklist of symptoms. Your pediatrician should also get your feedback regarding your childs behavior.
Recommended Reading: High Functioning Autism And Psychosis
What Exactly Is Autism
Autism, often known as autism spectrum disease , is a neurological condition. It has an impact on how people communicate with one another, as well as how they act and learn.
Autism is a lifelong condition, with symptoms and indicators appearing as early as infancy. Although autism cannot be cured, therapies and support services can help people with ASD manage their symptoms and enhance their quality of life.
While the causes of autism are unknown, a substantial amount of scientific evidence indicates that there is no link between autism and vaccinations.
Autism Symptoms In Adults
Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong disease, and some people do not receive a diagnosis until they are adults. This could be due to the fact that they are in the higher functioning range of the autism spectrum, with less severe symptoms, or because they were misdiagnosed with a diagnosis like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder.
Despite the fact that medication can help with some outward symptoms, people with autism will always perceive stimuli like sound, sight, touch, and smell differently.
Autism is a spectrum disorder, which implies that individual adults will have varied day-to-day experiences. An adult with modest symptoms who is on the autism spectrums higher functioning range may:
- Having trouble interacting with others
- Eye contact should be avoided at all costs.
- Not understanding nonverbal facial or bodily signals like frowning or shrugging. Not understanding changes in speech tone like sarcasm.
- Be reassured by regularity and regulations.
- Be too or underly sensitive to loud noises, strong odors, or strong tastes.
- Have a limited range of interests and engage in repeated actions such as pacing or hand flapping
- Have a good memory and be able to recollect information.
An adult with autism who is in the lower functioning range of the spectrum might:
Read Also: Does Gestational Diabetes Cause Autism
Mild Autism Symptoms For Children
Mild autism is referred to clinically as PDD or Pervasive Developmental Disorder. In this particular case of PDD, some of the autism symptoms can be discerned in the victim, but not all autistic signs are displayed in the child or the adult.
Mild autism is often related and associated with Aspergers Syndrome, as, in the latter, one finds fewer development disorders and inabilities, just like in the case of PDD. Aspergers Syndrome is considered to be hereditary and is often diagnosed alongside bipolar disorder as well as depression.
There are multiple syndromes of mild autism or PDD, and if one goes through the autism checklist, he or she will not have difficulty understanding why this is called a mild form of autism.
Lets Check a Few Best Selling Sensory Toys for Autism:
| # |
|---|
In the case of severe autism, the child will signs of the disorder even before he or she has turned three, but in the case of mild autism, the signs get displayed in the child when he or she has reached the age of three or even a little older than that.
The mildly autistic child will have an average IQand might not appear to have any abnormal behavior in the first few years of his or her life.
But gradually, as the child begins to grow up, the parents can see that they are having difficulty mixing with other children of the same age and having problems communicating with them and the others.
Heightened Sensitivity Or Sensory Aversion
Autism can cause a childs senses to be touchy. A child may enjoy rubbing smooth or soft surfaces, or he may smell everything, Pandey says. But he may not like to be held or cuddled. Everyday sounds might be really hard for them, she says of children with autism. She mentions toilet flushes and vacuum cleaners as common irritants. They might hold their hands up to their ears, she says. A child with autism may also be very sensitive to bright light, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Recommended Reading: Autism Speaks Symbol
Challenges In Severe Autism
The extreme behaviors of severe autism may result from frustration, sensory overload, or physical pain.
Some people with severe autism express themselves through frightening behaviors. If the behaviors can’t be managed, they can become dangerous.
In many cases, it’s not safe for family members to live with a severely autistic teen or adult.
Does Having One Or Two Of These Signs Mean I Have Autism
Remember one or two of these symptoms is not enough to diagnose autism. Only if you see a several symptoms and a pattern of behaviour over a few years should you be concerned. Some kids or teens go through a stage so if a behaviour is just occurring for a few weeks, this is not cause for concern either.
There may be something else going on that is temporary and will resolve, like a fight with her best friend causing stress or worry about an upcoming exam causing anxiety or something else.
You May Like: Hypnosis And Autism
Also Check: Autism Gaze