Autism - What is it? pt. 1
All of the information I attained during my research on Autism was from the NAMI website. Make sure to utilize the wonderful tools the National Alliance on Mental Illness gives our community.
I cannot say that I know everything there is to know about Autism, but I did my best to scratch the surface and create a two part blog post that people can turn to and become educated. I also wanted to provide a reputable source they can go to (NAMI). If you have any other questions that I possibly did not address, ask your basic resource of knowledge, your pediatrician!
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So, what is Autism?
"Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to socialize and communicate with others."
I have had the opportunity to work with many individuals who have Autism throughout my teen and young adult years. In High School, I peer taught students with special needs. After graduation, I worked at a place called Eaton Alliance, which was a community-based service provider for individuals with disabilities. A few of these students and clients had Autism. Let me tell you, they were the smartest, sweetest, and most amazing individuals I have ever met. Just like the rest of us, they have specific ways of doing things, and they like their stability. Some were high functioning, and some were low functioning. Some individuals were able to talk to me without any issues, and some would stay quiet during our interactions. Regardless of the functionality, they were all incredible people.
Who has it?
According to the NAMI, 1 in 68 children have autism, and the number is on the rise. The rising number is attributed to the advancement of screening methods, which allows doctors to more accurately diagnose Autism.
Boys are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with Autism than girls.
What are the signs to look out for in children?
It is wise to look for Autism in children between the ages of 0-3, since the symptoms start to show within the first three years of life. Just like all mental illnesses, not every single person experiences the same severity of symptoms, but all individuals with Autism will have symptoms that affect their everyday social interactions and relationships.
Here at the symptoms of Autism provided by the NAMI:
I cannot say that I know everything there is to know about Autism, but I did my best to scratch the surface and create a two part blog post that people can turn to and become educated. I also wanted to provide a reputable source they can go to (NAMI). If you have any other questions that I possibly did not address, ask your basic resource of knowledge, your pediatrician!
So, what is Autism?
"Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to socialize and communicate with others."
I have had the opportunity to work with many individuals who have Autism throughout my teen and young adult years. In High School, I peer taught students with special needs. After graduation, I worked at a place called Eaton Alliance, which was a community-based service provider for individuals with disabilities. A few of these students and clients had Autism. Let me tell you, they were the smartest, sweetest, and most amazing individuals I have ever met. Just like the rest of us, they have specific ways of doing things, and they like their stability. Some were high functioning, and some were low functioning. Some individuals were able to talk to me without any issues, and some would stay quiet during our interactions. Regardless of the functionality, they were all incredible people.
Who has it?
According to the NAMI, 1 in 68 children have autism, and the number is on the rise. The rising number is attributed to the advancement of screening methods, which allows doctors to more accurately diagnose Autism.
Boys are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with Autism than girls.
What are the signs to look out for in children?
It is wise to look for Autism in children between the ages of 0-3, since the symptoms start to show within the first three years of life. Just like all mental illnesses, not every single person experiences the same severity of symptoms, but all individuals with Autism will have symptoms that affect their everyday social interactions and relationships.
Here at the symptoms of Autism provided by the NAMI:
- Delay in language development, such as not responding to their own name or speaking only in single words, if at all.
- Repetitive and routine behaviors, such as walking in a specific pattern or insisting on eating the same meal every day.
- Difficulty making eye contact, such as focusing on a person’s mouth when that person is speaking instead of their eyes, as is usual in most young children.
- Sensory problems, such as experiencing pain from certain sounds, like a ringing telephone or not reacting to intense cold or pain, certain sights, sounds, smells, textures and tastes.
- Difficulty interpreting facial expressions, such as misreading or not noticing subtle facial cues, like a smile, wink or grimace, that could help understand the nuances of social communication.
- Problems with expressing emotions, such as facial expressions, movements, tone of voice and gestures that are often vague or do not match what is said or felt.
- Fixation on parts of objects, such as focusing on a rotating wheel instead of playing with peers.
- Absence of pretend play, such as taking a long time to line up toys in a certain way, rather than playing with them.
- Difficulty interacting with peers, because they have a difficult time understanding that others have different information, feelings and goals.
- Self-harm behavior, such as hitting his head against a wall as a way of expressing disapproval.
- Sleep problems, such as falling asleep or staying asleep.
Source: The National Alliance on Mental Illness website: https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Autism
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