The first step to understanding autism is learning that there is a spectrum, and it can vary depending on the person. Some kids with autism are more high-functioning meaning that they are more independent when it comes to their needs;while others are more low-functioning and therefore dependent. For example, lets say that someone is diagnosed with high-functioning autism. This means that they are more likely to be more verbal, and better at communicating their needs. They may still have issues understanding social cues and may display repetitive behavior. However, for those who are more low-functioning tend to be non-verbal, and also have trouble with motor skills. It’s important to remember that there are different varaitions of autism, and that not every autistic person you meet will appear anti-social, or repeat what they say. The video below gives a good description of how wide the spectrum is, and how the term autism spectrum disorder became the umbrella term for people with disorders such asperger’s syndrome, persuavive develomental disorder, and many other terms. Autism - causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, pathology
Signs of Autism
Many people with autism have trouble with the following:
- Making little or inconsistent eye contact:
- Tending not to look at or listen to people
- Rarely sharing enjoyment of objects or activities by pointing or showing things to others
- Failing to, or being slow to, respond to someone calling their name or to other verbal attempts to gain attention
- Having difficulties with the back and forth of conversation
- Often talking at length about a favorite subject without noticing that others are not interested or without giving others a chance to respond
- Having facial expressions, movements, and gestures that do not match what is being said
- Having an unusual tone of voice that may sound sing-song or flat and robot-like
- Having trouble understanding another person’s point of view or being unable to predict or understand other people’s actions
Sometimes kids with autism may also be repetitive with thier behavior and speech such as
- Repeating certain behaviors or having unusual behaviors.
- Repeating words or phrases, a behavior called echolalia
- Having a lasting intense interest in certain topics, such as numbers, details, or facts
- Having overly focused interests, such as with moving objects or parts of objects
- Getting upset by slight changes in a routine
- Being more or less sensitive than other people to sensory input, such as light, noise, clothing, or temperature
- Having sleep problems and irritability.
Recommended treatment
As someone who was diagnosed with PDD-NOS(before the umbrella term autism spectrum disorder was created)I strongly suggest thearpy for kids on the spectrum. Early intervention can really improve some issues you may be having. For me, it's helped me become more focused,hard-working, and better at socializing. For other kids, it can help with life-skills,increase or build on strengths, and learn how to communicate and socialize better with potential friends. Just keep in mind that this not a cure for ASD, and there is no cure for autism in general because it's not a disease, or a mental illness. It's a condition that causes some kids to think differently. A neurotypical brain is one where the person has typical cognitive and intellectual ablities, whereas a neurodiverse brain is the type of brain that people with autism have.
Benifits of Autism
I've talked about the downsides to havig autism, but there are plenty of benefits as well like
- Being able to approach situations differently and think "outside of the box”
- Strong abilities with systems, such as computer programming and mathematics
- Creativity
- No pressure to conform to social “norms” that may not go alongside their own personal idea of happiness
- Musical abilities
- Above-average attention to detail
- Strong visual-spatial skills
- Skills in art and design
Autism isn't something to be afraid of, or something to cure, but rather embraced. When it comes down to it, autism basically means that your child will think differently and that's ok. There are many famous people on the spectrum such as Dan Aykroyd, Temple Grandin, Satoshi Tajiri(creator of Pokemon),and many more. But this doesn't make them any less important, and is arguably the reason for their success. Even those who knew Bill Gates claimed he has asperger's syndrome, and even though it's never been confirmed it's not impossible. The point is that many people on the spectrum are actually very intelligent, and should be treated as such.