Autism Spectrum Disorders

What is autism?

Autism is a complex developmental disability that causes problems with social interaction and communication. Symptoms usually start before age three and can cause delays or problems in many different skills that develop from infancy to adulthood.

What is an autism spectrum disorder?

Different people with autism can have very different symptoms. Health care providers think of autism as a “spectrum” disorder, a group of disorders with similar features. One person may have mild symptoms, while another may have serious symptoms. But they both have an autism spectrum disorder.

Currently, the autism spectrum disorder category includes: Autistic disorder (also called “classic” autism) Asperger syndrome Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or atypical autism) In some cases, health care providers use a broader term, pervasive developmental disorder, to describe autism. This category includes the autism spectrum disorders above, plus Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Rett syndrome. This Web site uses “autism spectrum disorder” and “autism” to mean the same thing.

What are the symptoms of autism?

Do you notice the following behaviours in your child?

  • Walks on toes.
  • Incontinence of bowel and/or bladder.
  • Appearance of hearing problems, but hearing has been checked and is fine.
  • Seizure activity.
  • Allergies and food sensitivities.
  • Irregular sleep patterns.
  • Very little or no eye contact.
  • Resistance to being held or touched.
  • Tends to get too close when speaking to someone (lack of personal space).
  • Difficulty reading facial expressions and body language.
  • Difficulty understanding the rules of conversation.
  • Difficulty understanding group interactions.
  • Seems unable to understand another’s feelings.
  • Prefers to be alone, aloft or overly-friendly.
  • Difficulty maintaining friendships.
  • Speech is abnormally loud or quiet.
  • Difficulty whispering.
  • Repeats last words or phrases several times. Makes verbal sounds while listening (echolalia).
  • Often uses short, incomplete sentences.
  • Pronouns are often inappropriately used.
  • Difficulty understanding directional terms (front, back, before, after).
  • Obsessions with objects, ideas or desires.
  • Ritualistic or compulsive behaviour patterns (sniffing, licking, watching objects fall, flapping arms, spinning, rocking, humming, tapping, sucking, rubbing clothes).
  • Fascination with rotation
  • Play is often repetitive.
  • Many and varied collections.
  • Unusual attachment to objects.
  • Difficulty transferring skills from one area to another.
  • Perfectionism in certain areas.
  • Feels the need to fix or rearrange things.
  • Inability to perceive potentially dangerous situations.
  • Extreme fear (phobia) for no apparent reason.
  • Verbal outbursts.
  • Unexpected movements (running out into the street).
  • Difficulty waiting for their turn (such as in a line).
  • Causes injury to self (biting, banging head).
  • Sensitivity or lack of sensitivity to sounds, textures (touch), tastes, smells or light.
  • Difficulty with loud or sudden sounds.
  • Unusually high or low pain tolerance.
  • Intolerance to certain food textures, colours or the way they are presented on the plate (one food can’t touch another).
  • Inappropriate touching of self in public situations.
  • Desires comfort items (blankets, teddy, rock, string).
  • Laughs, cries or throws a tantrum for no apparent reason.
  • Resists change in the environment (people, places, objects).
  • Calmed by external stimulation - soothing sound, brushing, rotating object, constant pressure (hammock, rolled in a blanket).
  • Difficulty in reading
  • Difficulty in writing

If your kid have more then 5 above mentioned symptoms please contact us to help you ramesh.sk.babu@gmail.com