Autism-Articles

One of the symptoms of autism that nearly always need major attention in anyone with autism is that of social skills. As you probably know, people with autism have a lot of difficulty making friends and, later, having romantic relationships. Why is this? There are many reasons. One of the Classic Symptoms of Autism - Reading Social Cues People with autism have a lot of trouble reading social cues...and this is one of the most challenging symptoms of autism. They cannot understand, for example, when they have been talking too much and it's time to be quiet and let someone else talk. They can't understand from someone's face if they've said something inappropriate or offensive, or if the other person is bored. This can create a lot of issues with miscommunication. Another of the Symptoms of Autism - Understanding Social Norms There are so many social norms that we all take for granted, but that those with autism often have no idea exist. For example, ...

One of the hardest autism symptoms in your child to observe is that of self-injurious behavior. What is self-injurious behavior? Well, some kids with autism will bang their head, hit themselves, bite their hands, or otherwise engage in activities that hurt themselves. Why does an autistic child deliberately hurt himself? There are many theories to explain these autism symptoms in a child. For some kids, it may block out other stimuli. They may be overwhelmed and over-stimulated from their environment, and they desperately need to focus on something internal or external. Causing pain to is a way to switch that focus of attention. A child may have extreme sensory issues and need a lot of tactile feedback. Head banging and other similar behaviors may be ways of trying to get that tactile feedback, although not very good ones. If this is the case, sensory integration therapy should be undertaken, and the child with autism should be given other ways to get the tactile fe...

As parents and as individuals, we want to fit in with everyone else. We want to feel loved, respected, and to belong. Life happens, however, and not everyone fits into the mold. But then, think about it. Would you like a million of "you" walking around the planet? The world 'autism' may conjure up all sorts of associations. In older times, it unfortunately had the associations of mental institutions and disability. I want to do something a little different with this article. Rather than talk about what is wrong with children on the autism spectrum, I want to talk about how they are unique. This uniqueness and particular hardwiring they are born with is what makes them who they are. As a parent, it's your job to become a lifelong student of your child and of his abilities, and of her challenges. Generally speaking, autism manifests itself first in early childhood, from as early as six months to three years of age. Some children may app...

Autism is a developmental disorder that, at first, can be difficult for a parent to recognize. Sometimes there are subtle differences in a child that the parents may not notice and sometimes there are dramatic, sweeping changes that take place and can be alarming to behold. This is an account of the differences between my son when I first started noticing that things were different about him, when he first got diagnosed with autism, and finally, how he is doing now that he is almost a teenager. Brandon, birth to 1 year Brandon was born a normal, happy baby. A little on the smallish side but full-term, nonetheless. He was smiling most of the time and giggly and gave me almost no problems as far as sleep patterns go. He only cried when he was hungry, needed a diaper change or for some reason, was in pain. The "perfect" baby. Brandon still continued to be happy after he had turned a year old. Back then I had a nurse from our local W.I.C. (Women, Infants and ...

Perhaps one of the most important kinds of treatment for kids diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of high functioning autism, is sensory integration therapy. What is sensory integration therapy? Well, kids with autism have a lot of sensory processing issues. This means that every kind of stimuli seems too extreme for them. While most people have some kind of filtering system, kids and adults with Asperger's syndrome have a very hard time filtering out extraneous sensory information. What does a sensory overload look like? Your child may not want to put on the clothes you laid out for him because they are too scratchy or there's a tag in the back. He may refuse to go into many public places because they are too noisy, or the lights are too bright. He may suddenly have a tantrum because the smell of someone's perfume is overwhelming him. A Child Who Is Under-Sensitivity To His Surroundings May Also Have Problems Conversely, there are also kids...

What are some of the most common autism symptoms in children? Sensory issues. What are sensory issues? Sensory issues are when your child has all his senses turned to high. In other words, he is overly sensitive to noise, smells, lights, crowds, touch, and so on. How does this autism symptom in children present itself? A child with autism who is sensitive to noise may scream in a crowd, cover his ears, or generally look agitated. He may not be able to concentrate in the classroom because of all the noise. He may get especially agitated at unexpected noises, such as fire alarms, fire trucks, sirens, and so on. The noise from a coffee grinder may even be enough to cause a meltdown (yelling and screaming.) How to Minimize the Effect of These Autism Symptoms in Children In these situations, you might try to only bring your child with autism to environments that will be reasonably quiet...when possible...and prepare him for the noise when this is not. iPods or earplugs...

The renowned autism expert Tony Atwood is fond of putting it this way: "Autism is anxiety looking for a target." Autism and anxiety go hand-in-hand. Autism affects a person's ability to communicate with others or to understand the world around him, and that's bound to cause anxiety and panic sometimes. Anxiety becomes even worse when there is a change in the autistic child's routine. Even positive and "fun" changes, like a school field trip or a visit to the zoo, can increase anxiety and aggressive behaviors. For parents, the best course of action is to anticipate upcoming changes and help your child prepare for them. Many parents find it helpful to use stories and pictures to prepare children for impending disruptions. If it's a field trip to the zoo, for example, use pictures to show your child what he'll see at the zoo, what the zoo will be like, and what sort of things to expect. Do this each day for three or four days p...

Autism is a condition where a person has impaired social skills and communication, as well as having a tendency for extremely compulsive and repetitive behavior. This compulsive behavior makes it difficult for you to be able to deal with the person, since any deviation from the routine will cause an adverse reaction. Music therapy may help an autistic person get over his condition and alleviate some of the symptoms associated with it. They do this by using music's quality of having a rhythm and at the same time variety, allowing the autistic to adjust gradually Setting Rhythms Rhythm is one of the main elements of music. This is one element which creates a certain periodicity and routine to it. This differentiates ordered music from disordered noise. This is definitely something which autistics can pick up and appreciate. It is nearly instinctive for them to be comfortable in set rhythms and patterns, in order to make them feel comfortable. They would defini...

There are many different kinds of autism symptoms. Some are more severe than others. Some are less understood than others. Some of the more unique autism symptoms have to do with intellectual quirks, such as hyperlexia and special interests. Many kids with autism tend to be quite smart. Autistic children with high IQs may be classified as having Asperger's syndrome (a form of high functioning autism). As we know, autism is a spectrum disorder, so there will be kids who have autism and have extremely different abilities and backgrounds and each can exhibit different autism symptoms. Hyperlexia - a Unique Symptom of Autism Not everyone will have the autism symptoms described in this article. But many will. Many kids with autism have something called hyperlexia. It means that they can recognize letters and words, and read, by a very early age, often by 2. Kids who have hyperlexia don't understand what they are reading, but they love reading. They read everyth...

One of the unfortunate parts of dealing with autistic children is that sooner or later, you are going to come across a bully or two, and you're going to need to know how to deal with them. Unfortunately, autistic children are far more susceptible to bullies both because they stand out and because they often can't stand up for themselves. Sometimes, they don't even know they're being bullied. 3 Steps to Stop Autistic Children from Being Bullied Communicate : In order to help protect autistic children from bullying, you should talk with him or her so that they know what the different kinds of bullying are and how to recognize them. Some are obvious, of course, but others are more subtle. Report the Bullying : Teach your child to tell a teacher or aide as soon as these things happen. Many autistic children keep the bullying to themselves in fear that either it will get worse if they tell or that nothing will help. Explain It Is Not Their Fault : Explain...

Chances are an autistic child who is in mainstream education will not require special education, which means they are unlikely to have obvious learning disabilities. But that said they will still have special needs. The first thing as a teacher you should do is to speak to other members of staff and the SENCO in your school. Make sure that everyone understands what autism is and that they are aware of how this will affect the child's behaviour. Sometimes it is helpful to explain to the other children within the class about autism. This will help to prepare them for the autistic child starting school. It will be helpful to explain that the new class member may act differently or strangely - for example they may shout out unexpectedly or laugh at inappropriate things. You ought to explain that although the autistic child may act inappropriately that this is not intentional and they too have feelings like everybody else. This is an important thing to stress as i...

Many parents are frightened upon finding out that their child is autistic. The prospect of raising a child who has autism is intimidating, and having an autistic child is an exercise in patience, certainly. However, it can also be just as rewarding an experience for parents as raising a normal child. Toddlers at any age and of any abilities can be a challenge, but there are some great ways to make it easier on your child as well as yourself. Do Some Research - With the internet, this is easier than ever. Don't let the internet be the end of your resources, though. While there are many websites and forums online for parents of autistic children - and it is helpful to join some of these to network with other parents - it's also important to pick up a few books. Keep in mind that all children are different and every method suggested will not work for every child. Get to Know Your Toddler - Autism is not a disorder that is the same from person to person. It i...

You are in the grocery store making a purchase and suddenly your child who has autism, displays the loudest tantrum you ever heard. There you stand in shock and with embarrassment from this outburst. Your child needs a meltdown. But how? Has this ever happened to you? You know you must deal with this tantrum and give your child a meltdown. Having a child who has the disorder of autism is extremely challenging, when an outburst of a tantrum occurs. If you have other children or are aware of other children, who are not autistic, a high percentage of those children who are under five years of age, usually have tantrums and outbursts. But, these tantrums usually can be stopped or corrected. When a child with the disorder of autism, displays tantrums, you want to calm him or her down with a meltdown. It can be difficult and challenging to calm your autistic child down and control his or her behavior. Before you decide to take your child out in public places, prepare yoursel...

1. Autism is the parents' fault: Theories of what actually causes autism abound these days. Everything from mercury in vaccinations to food allergies to genetics are all theories of how autism came about. No one seems to really know why autism exists. One thing I can tell you is that it is NOT the parent's fault. There was a time, not so long ago that doctors blamed the mother for a child being autistic. The doctors believed that an autistic child had "withdrawn inside himself" due to a lack of affection given by the mother. The mothers used to be deemed "Refrigerator Mothers" because it was believed they were cold and un-affectionate. Now, we know that this is just not true! Many scientists think that autism is a genetic problem but even so, no one can seem to find a cure for it. 2. Autism is caused by a lack of discipline or spoiling: Lots of unknowing people, mostly passers by and looky-loo's are under the impression that kids w...

I found myself shouting at my brother who is autistic, because I had my doubts he could not hear, understand, or communicate with me, when I was speaking to him. Have ever felt you were not being heard, understood, and communication was not present with your autistic child, while you were speaking to him or her? I remember I could be no less than two feet away from my brother when talking to him. Being that close to him, he was ignoring what I was saying and not giving me a response. I became frustrated. I was curious why I was not being heard or understood when I spoke to my brother, who has autism. I decided to do research on this subject and I was informed, some children with the disorder of autism might be behaving in a way that you feel they have not heard you, but in reality they did receive your message, and the conversation that was given. I have experienced, when you think you are not being heard or understood, when speaking to an autistic person, he or ...

Too often, we tend to think of autism as a disability. However, the word "disability" is typically defined as " lack of ability ." It may be true that people with autism can lack some abilities, such as speech, the ability to potty train, empathy, withstanding touch or emotional control. Additionally, children with autism spectrum disorders often cannot tolerate everyday situations such as shopping, eating out or driving due to the inability to filter sensory input. These issues can be frustrating and downright depressing for parents, family and friends. We must remember, however, that autism is not a disability . Autism grants its own gifts to those who have it. Those gifts can manifest themselves as stellar mathematical abilities, memory, creative writing, visual arts, or even acting. Some individuals with autism spectrum disorder even make fantastic teachers. In this role, the communication abilities of the individual shine in ways t...

The mouth has many sensory receptors: for taste, texture, temperature, wetness and dryness, movement (in the jaw and in the tongue, for instance), and so on. The information from these receptors is sent to the brain, which organizes and processes the information. When sensory processing is dysfunctional, children typically seek, or avoid, certain sensations around the lips, tongue, and mouth. A child with sensory issues may enjoy sour and chewy Starburst candies or spicy Buffalo wings because he finds these foods stimulating, but sensory seeking that involves the unsanitary and even dangerous habits of licking and biting are socially unacceptable and must be addressed. A pediatric occupational therapist (OT) or speech/language pathologist (SLP) with the proper training in oral/motor issues can help kids who have oral/motor sensory issues. In the meantime, there is a lot parents and teachers can do to reduce unacceptable oral sensory seeking. Offer chewy foods and/...

Having a child born with an abnormality is every parent's worse fear - but what if you knew that problems such as autism, ADD, ADHD and other disorders were actually caused by a breakdown in a biochemical process and could be reversed. Some Background Information Several years ago health researchers led by Dr Paula Bickle, made a breakthrough when they found that youngsters with autism all had immune problems, high levels of toxicity and alcohol in their bodies and were lacking in most of the amino acids - especially taurine; they also lacked a number of important vitamins (particularly vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid) and many minerals - particularly magnesium, copper and zinc. These nutrients are essential for the necessary biological reactions (which convert methionine to taurine) which eliminate toxins and, very importantly break down sugar. It is this sensitivity to sugar (along with a number of other toxins) and toxic build up that leads to hyperactivity...

What are unusual toys? I believe unusual toys are toys that are abnormal, unconventional or anything out-of-the-ordinary. These are toys your child is willing to use and play with as he or she chooses, because they think it is a toy. But is it a toy? Is it an indicator of signs of autism? I remember when my brother was an infant, pre-school age, he was interested in playing and exploring with unusual toys and objects. Some of them were considered to be dangerous and not wise for his use. My parents, and our neighbors thought this was out-of-the-ordinary, compared to other children his age. As my brother developed, probably around his first birthday or later, our family noticed he would rock back and forth, stare into space, do repetitious spins, pace back and forth. He would look out of the corner of his eyes and not have direct eye contact with people. No interaction with baby rattles or toys. I am now older, I look back on the history of my brother, who was not ...

Parents of autistic children know that there are many challenges to parenting autistic children, especially nonverbal ones. Nonverbal kids can't express their wants, dislikes, feelings, or anything else about themselves in words. They can't answer questions. It is often quite frustrating for both the parent and the child with autism to have a good relationship without the use of verbal communication. Parents of autistic children understandably want to know what the child is thinking and feeling - are they happy? Sad? Hurt? Hungry? Lonely? How can I help them? The child wants also to communicate these things, but they can't. A lot of nonverbal autistic kids will act out from the frustration of not having any viable way to communicate. It is a difficult balancing act for all involved. Fortunately, there are alternative communication forms that have been developed to help nonverbal autistic kids. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) One very common ...

Friendship can be a difficult issue that comes up quite frequently for those who are parenting autistic children. There is no doubt that most children with autism want friends, but they just lack the skills to be able to make them. Friends end up being just one more thing they have to learn; one more thing they have to figure out; one more thing that just doesn't make any sense to them. What comes intuitively to those parenting autistic children comes with a lot of work to autistic children themselves. Why do children with autism have so many problems making friends? Well, autistic kids can't read social cues, or easily understand the "street slang" that many neurotypical kids use. Children with autism aren't able to talk casually and easily like other children their age do. As a result, they can be shunned. Autistic kids can't easily enter into conversations. Those parenting autistic children often see their loved ones being isolated, an...