More and more children in the U.S. are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism affects how children speak, behave and interact with others. Autism Spectrum Disorders affect each child differently.
Typical symptoms
- No response to their own name by 12 months
- Does/did not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months
- Does/did not play "pretend" games (pretend to "feed" a doll) by 18 months
- Avoids eye contact and wants to be alone
- Has trouble understanding other people's feelings or talking about their own feelings
- Has delayed speech and language skills
- Repeats words or phrases over and over
- Gives unrelated answers to questions
- Gets upset by minor changes in routine
- Has obsessive interests
- Flaps hands, rocks body or spins in circles
- Has unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look or feel
Source: Autism Society of Indiana
Treatment for autism typically includes physical, occupational and speech therapies, as well as counseling with a therapist experienced in behavior modification.
