1. Know How to be Friends
Autism Spectrum Disorders begin before age 3 and last throughout a person's life. It occurs in all racial , ethnic and socioeconomic groups and it is more common among males than females. If you are someone with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome, you may have symptoms related to social interaction. Unusual behaviors and interests can render a back-and-forth conversation both a social and communication problem. Trouble interacting with peers, speaking out your mind if it's not right, adjustment difficulties and poor grooming can make it really hard for you to sustain employment. You may also have anxiety and depression rendering social interaction difficult. However, there are successful autism patients working in mainstream occupations. Researchers say that adults with autism, when encouraged and supported morally and emotionally, can lead an independent life.
2. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
If you are autistic, it may seem artistic to repeat actions and motions over and over again. It might be your body or involve an object of interest. For example, if you are spending a lot of time flapping your arms or rocking from side to side, it may not seem okay for others. You may also find change from routine really frustrating or upsetting. However, watch out if it leads to temper tantrums in a strange place. Your friends ad family can ease some of these unusual behaviors.
3. Red Flags
An adult with autism spectrum disorder might might have trouble relating to others or understanding their feelings. They may avoid eye contact and prefer loneliness. They would much rather not be cuddled or only if they want to. They may appear to ignore others when they talk but respond to other sounds. Although interested in people, they may not know how to communicate with them. It is not uncommon to find autistic adults with trouble expressing their needs using appropriate words or gestures. They might exhibit unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel or sound. It is also possible they might lose language or words they once were familiar with.
4. Additional Symptoms
Experts say that someone with autism may also have one or more of other developmental disabilities. These might include mental retardation, epilepsy, fragile X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis. A study by the Center for Disease Control and Infection (Atlanta, GA, USA) reveals that 5 to 38 percent of adults with autism have epilepsy. Some of them may also have an underlying mental ailment such as depression and anxiety. The additional challenges are best addressed by family and friends. Additional autism symptoms may range from excessive activity, short attention span, impulsive behavior, aggressiveness, self-injury and temper tantrums. Watch out for strange responses to touch, smell, sound and other senses as well as abnormal eating habits. Issues like constipation and diarrhea are not uncommon.You should not be upset with abnormal moods or emotions or sleeping habits. Still, it might be possible to train and manage the myriad symptoms.
5. Living with Autistic Adults
A few adults with autism are able to live entirely on their own. In other cases, family and friends have been able to assist with solving major problems. You might also find "skill development" homes that can teach self-care and housekeeping skills. Professionally managed group homes or apartments for individual with disabilities are able to provide help with basic needs. Indeed, they can assist with meal preparation, housekeeping and personal care. A few autistic adults have managed to live and work independently and attend to their activities of daily living with minimal supervision.
