What is Autism?
"If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism"
This famous quote by Dr. Stephen Shore, an autistic professor of special education at Adelphi University, underscores one of the most important things to understand about autism - that every individual may have great strengths and significant challenges and that no two individuals are alike.
So what is autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a pervasive, neurobiological disorder characterized by impairment in social communication and interaction as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. Until the revision of the diagnosis in 2013, delays in language development were considered an inherent part of the diagnosis as well.
Please go here for the diagnostic criteria for autism based on the DSM-5
What are the early indicators of autism?
You can use the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) located at Autism Speaks’ website to see if further conversations with your pediatrician are warranted. Some early indicators of autism include:
Lack of gestures, pointing, and/or reaching by 12 months to communicate wants and needs
Child not saying first word(s) by 16 months
Does not make/sustain eye contact
When you point/comment, child does not follow point with eye gaze or share attention
Does not respond to name by turning head
Does not reach out to be picked up
Does not wave bye-bye in the first year
Resists being held/cuddled
Intense reactions to environmental stimuli such as noises, lights
Presence of repetitive behavior that does not seem to serve a function
Please be aware that this is not a comprehensive list; don’t ignore your concerns! Early, intensive intervention is a key to long-term outcomes.
What are some additional characteristics of autism?
Individuals with autism may also display characteristics such as:
Attending to the irrelevant features of an item or scenario
Difficulty generalizing learned information to novel situations
Preoccupation with preferred topics of interest
Lack of imaginative/symbolic play
Echolalia/scripting - repeating words/phrases (e.g., from TV shows, movies, and games out of context)