S T ™-Autism-Traditional Definition/Characteristics

Originally posted on August 8, 2017-8:22 a.m. by A-G @ SoulTranslations.com

These are notes I have taken from sources about topics that interest me, and/or that have tremendously helped me along This Beautiful Journey called LIFE!!! … Many people ask me about all these things, and I decided to create a section where I post all this information. Hope you will also find it interesting and helpful… Please scroll down and click on the reference(s) for the complete information on this topic.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

spectrum= wide variation
neurological and developmental disorder
many types

Causes

no known single cause
many causes (combination of genetic and environmental factors)

Characteristics

range of conditions
affects individuals differently and to varying degrees
medical and mental health issues may accompany autism: intellectual disabilities, gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures, sleep disturbances, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and phobias
unique strengths and differences

Signs

most evident signs appear around 2-3 years old, but many times the signs appear much more early in life
lasts throughout a person’s life
challenges with: social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication
delayed learning of language
difficulty making eye contact
difficulty holding a conversation
difficulty with executive functioning (reasoning and planning)
narrow, intense, restricted interests
repetitive behaviors
poor motor skills’
sensory sensitivities
lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
persistent fixation on parts of objects

Treatment

it is treatable-improvements are achievable
there is no one standard treatment
common treatments: behavior and communication therapies, skills training, and medicines to control symptoms
there are many ways to increase a child’s ability to grow and learn new skills
the earlier one starts the interventions, the more chances of success