 Signs and Symptoms of Autism
Autism is a condition surrounded by myth and generalizations about people with autism that are rarely appropriate. The common beliefs that people with autism never express emotion, never smile or laugh, never make eye contact, never talk, and never display affection are simply that—myths. Just as every person is unique, with his or her own personality and characteristics, every person with autism manifests the disorder in his or her unique way.
Autism is one of the four major developmental disabilities. It occurs in one to two of every 1000 births. For instance there are approximately 10,000 people with autism in North Carolina.
Autism can occur by itself or in association with other developmental disorders such as mental retardation, learning disabilities, epilepsy, etc. Autism is best considered as a disability on a continuum from mild to severe. The number of handicaps and degree of mental retardation will determine the location on that continuum.
Signs of autism may appear during infancy and the disorder is usually diagnosed by the age of 3. Sometimes the child’s development appears normal until about 2 years old and then regresses rapidly. Symptoms of autism occur in various combinations, from mild to severe.
The list of symptoms and behaviors associated with autism is long, and each affected person expresses his or her own combination of these behaviors. None of these clinical features is common to all people with autism, and many are occasionally exhibited by people who are not autistic.
That said, however, all people with autism have abnormal functioning in 3 core areas of development: social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and the presence of repetitive and restricted patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. The diagnosis of autism is typically made when impairment is significant in all 3 areas.
- Appears indifferent to surroundings
- Displays lack of response to others
- Resists cuddling
- Appears content to be alone, happier to play alone
- Marked reduction or increase in activity level
- Does not point out objects of interest to others (called protodeclarative pointing)
- Displays lack of interest in toys
Young children with autism usually have impaired language development. They often have difficulty expressing needs (i.e., use gestures instead of words) and may laugh, cry, or show distress for unknown reasons. Some autistic patients develop rudimentary language skills that do not serve as an effective form of communication. They may develop abnormal patterns of speech that lack intonation and expression and may repeat words or phrases repetitively (called echolalia). Some children with autism learn to read.
Autistic children do not express interest in other people and often prefer to be alone. They may resist changes in their routine, repeat actions (e.g., turn in circles, flap their arms) over and over, and engage in self-injurious behavior (e.g., bite or scratch themselves, bang their head).
- Avoids cuddling or touching
- Inappropriate attachments to objects
- Frequent behavioral outbursts, tantrums
- Sustained abnormal play
- Uneven motor skills
- Maintains little or no eye contact
- Over- or undersensitivity to pain, no fear of danger
- Unresponsiveness to normal teaching methods and verbal clues (may appear to be deaf despite normal hearing)
Symptoms of autism may increase in severity when the child enters adolescence and often decrease in severity during adulthood.
|
