Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a highly complex developmental disorder that occurs in 1 out of every 110 births in the United States, notes the Autism Society of America. Autism usually appears by the third birthday and occurs in boys at a higher rate than females, 1 out of 70. No single cause has been identified, however it results from a neurological disorder that affects the normal function of the brain.
Communication Difficulties
Autistic children usually communicate normally during infancy and for a period beyond. Generally, around 18 months to 2 years of age, language changes into an echoed pattern, notes the Journal of Pediatric Health Care article by Lobar, Fritts, Arbide and Russell. A child may have difficulty expressing needs and use gestures or point to something instead of using words. She may be laughing or crying for no apparent reason. She may only want to talk about certain topics of interest and her speech may have an odd characteristic or tone. Parents may notice that a child talks to the mouths of others and does not look directly into their eyes. Sometimes comments she makes to other people will be totally inappropriate; a toddler may ask a large woman why she is so fat. Some toddlers may not speak at all.
Impaired Socialization
Some children prefer to be alone and become overwhelmed and stressed when encouraged to engage in play or socialization with others. When health care professional work with these children, they need to pay particular attention to how they experience their world. If a child is fixated on a particular object, a train for example, he may become more engaged in social play or interacting if he is encouraged to talk about trains. Certain characteristics of autism, such as clumsiness or being impulsive, may cause the child social isolation and rejection.
Sensory Problems
Autism children respond to environmental stimulus in various ways. What might be soothing to one autistic child, may be annoying or create sensory overload in another. For example, some toddlers may enjoy being in noisy, crowded places while others do not. Children can show visual sensory problems by flicking their finger in front of their eyes, notes the Autism News Now website. ASD children with severe sensory issues will have temper tantrums and other bad behavior. Other problems could include the lack of wanting to be cuddled by parents, over sensitivity or under sensitivity to pain, and no response to verbal cues even though the child's hearing is normal--acting as if deaf.
Repetitive Behavior
Autistic children use repeating words or phrases and gestures. The toddlers often repeat the same thing over and over again or ask the same questions time after time. They may enjoy repetitive play where they line up cars in several rows or continually spin objects. It is not unusual to see repetitive hand movement, such as hand flapping. Some toddlers are resistant to change and enjoy or insist on the same event or task occurring numerous times, notes the Autism Society.
References
- Autism Society of America: About Autism
- "Journal of Pediatric Health Care"; The Role of the Nurse Practitioner in an Individualized Plan and Coordination of Care for the Child with Asperger's Syndrome; Lobar, Fritts, Arbide, Russell; March/April 2008
- Autism News Now: FAQs about Autism
