Understanding the Autism Spectrum
April is Autism awareness month and though many of us may have heard the term used, there still may be questions related to what autism means. Whether you, your child, or a family member has been diagnosed with autism, I just want to take a moment to explain what autism is and what help is available for you.
Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a broad range of conditions consisting of challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), autism currently affects approximately 1 in 44 children in the United States.
When stating autism is a spectrum disorder, it is because there are many types of autism, which can be impacted by genetic and environmental factors. Autism does not always present in the same way, therefore any person with autism can have a unique set of abilities and challenges. People that are within the autism spectrum vary in the way they learn, think, and solve problems. They can also vary from severely challenged to what we consider to be “high functioning.” Therefore, their needs will also vary from those individuals that will require significant daily support to those that may require limited support and can live very independent lives and support families of their own.
Oftentimes autism is diagnosed at an early age, between 18 months and 3 years old. According to Autism Speaks, the following may indicate your child is at risk for an autism spectrum disorder:
By 6 months
Few or no big smiles or other warm, joyful, and engaging expressions
Limited or no eye contact
By 9 months
Little or no back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions
By 12 months
Little or no babbling
Little or no back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving
Little or no response to name
By 16 months
Very few or no words
By 24 months
Very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating)
At any age
Loss of previously acquired speech, babbling or social skills
Avoidance of eye contact
Persistent preference for solitude
Difficulty understanding other people’s feelings
Delayed language development
Persistent repetition of words or phrases (echolalia)
Resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings
Restricted interests
Repetitive behaviors (flapping, rocking, spinning, etc.)
Unusual and intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors
Remember autism is a spectrum so for diagnosis the age, variety and severity of symptoms may vary widely. Some infants show hints in their first months. So if your child exhibits any of the above symptoms, ask your pediatrician or family doctor for an evaluation as early as possible. The sooner that intervention can begin, the better the expected outcome.
So, you may ask, “What help can early interventions provide for someone on the autism spectrum?”
Research has found that between the ages of 1-3, developmental regression, or loss of skills, including language and social interests, affects around 1 in 5 children who go on to be diagnosed with autism. Early intervention can improve learning, communication, and social skills, as well as address underlying brain development. Many children affected by autism benefit from interventions such as speech and occupational therapy and make progress from being nonverbal to verbal and develop many skills that increase their independence.
There are also those that are diagnosed with ASD in adulthood. This is typically due to their high functioning in most areas associated with adulthood, but difficulty in social interactions such as:
Finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling.
Getting very anxious about social situations.
Finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on their own.
Seeming blunt, rude, or not interested in others without meaning to.
Finding it hard to say how they feel.
Taking things very literally and not understanding sarcasm or idioms.
Having the same routine every day and getting very anxious if it changes.
In these situations, the most helpful interventions can be psychotherapy and counseling with the focus being on the developing social and communication skills through psychoeducation, modeling, coaching, and role-playing activities in handling real world situations.
If you need a little help or tlc along the way, call our office and schedule an appointment with me today!
Author:
Shermelia Drummer LPC-A, LCDC-I