| Common Characteristics of Autism for Kids |
Kids with autism have difficulties relating to and communicating with other people. When they’re babies, they don’t look at others a lot. By two years of age, they often won’t sound like a conversation. Also they won’t imitate others with behavior like clapping or waving.
Kids with autism will often repeat a particular behavior over and over, or become fixated on an object. For example, they might repeatedly turn lights on and off, or focus on the wheels of a toy car, rather than playing with the whole car and engaging in pretend play.
Many kids with autism also have unusual sensory issues, although this isn’t necessary for a diagnosis. They might:
- Be especially sensitive to sound, which is why they raise their hands to their ears to block out noise.
- Like the feel of objects and smell and sniff at everything around them.
- Want to eat only foods with a certain texture – for example, they’ll be happy to eat soft, smooth food, but will refuse anything lumpy.
- Use their peripheral vision a lot, or tilt their heads to look at objects from a particular angle.
Some kids with autism have below-average intelligence. Others will have intelligence within the typical range – often called ‘high-functioning’ autism.
Autism can also be present with other conditions, such as epilepsy and other disorders like Fragile X syndrome.
Autistic disorder can be diagnosed at about two years of age in most kids. At this age, it can usually be seen whether a baby or child’s development is conforming to accepted, age-based milestones, particularly in relation to social and emotional interaction and communication.
AUTISM FOR KIDS NEURO ACUPUNCTURE
| Checklist for Signs of Autism |
- Social interactions
Kids with autism might:
- Seem to be in their own world
- Show little eye contact – for example, during interaction or to draw attention to something
- Not use gestures – for example, lifting arms to be picked up
- Not share enjoyment or interests – for example, they might not point to an object or event to share it
- Show little emotion or empathy
- Not respond to their names
- Show no interest in other children or peers
- Communication
Kids with autism might:
- Have little or no babble
- Have little or no spoken language
- Not engage in pretend play – for example, they won’t feed a baby doll
- Have ‘echolalia’, which means they echo or mimic words or phrases without meaning or in an unusual tone of voice
- Have difficulty understanding and following simple instructions – for example, ‘Give me the block’ might be difficult for them
- Repetitive or persistent behaviors
Kids with autism might:
- Have intense interest in certain objects – they’ll get ‘stuck’ on one particular toy or object
- Focus narrowly on an object – for example, on a detail like opening and closing the door on a toy bus rather than pretending to drive it
- Insist on following routines and be easily upset by change
- Show repetitive body movements or unusual body movements – for example, back-arching, hand-flapping or walking on toes
- Sensory issues
Kids with autism might:
- Be extremely sensitive to sensory experiences – for example, they might be easily upset by certain sounds, or only eat foods with a certain texture
- Seek sensory stimulation – for example, they might like deep pressure touch or vibrating objects like the washing machine
- Like to flutter their fingers at the side of their eyes to watch the light flicker
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