What is ASD?
Autism, or Autistic Spectrum Disorder, is a developmental
disorder that affects the way a person communicates with and
relates to the people around them. It is usually first noticed
when a child reaches the age of about three and is basically
identified by considering the ‘triad of impairments’. These are
three areas of difficulty for the autistic person and are social
relationships, communication, and imagination and planning.
The autistic person may appear aloof and indifferent to those
around them. They may be sociable with one person, but unable to
function in a group. Communication difficulties include no
understanding or use of verbal or non-verbal communication. A
common characteristic is an unwillingness to look people in the
eye. Impairment of imagination may lead to limited, repetitive
play, copying others or problems discerning between fact and
fantasy.
A diagnosis of autism must address all three of these areas and
there is a whole range (hence the term autistic spectrum) of
factors and behaviors that can only be evaluated by a number of
tests and observations undertaken by medical professionals in
different fields including pediatricians and child
psychologists.
Frequently occurring features of an autistic person include a
state of anxiety, the need for structure and planning, social
misunderstandings and difficulty making choices. Autistic
children often have a literal understanding of what is said. An
underachieving autistic child told by a teacher to pull his socks
up is likely to do just that and unwittingly incur the wrath of
the adult.
Sensory overload is another feature that often manifests in
autism. For example the flickering of a fluorescent light that
goes unnoticed by most may be an annoyance to an autistic child.
The child may be sensitive to noises, the feel of some materials
against their skin, or the amount of pressure placed on areas of
their body. These sensory overloads mean the child can be highly
distractible or stressed and can lead to behaviors like covering
their ears, screaming, spinning or rocking, hiding under a table,
or even self-injury.
There are many strategies for helping an autistic child but the
best ones are based on understanding the individual. Be aware of
the common causes and triggers for their stress and try to reduce
them or divert the child from them. There should be opportunities
for the child to take a time out from stressful situations.
Autistic children often have some level of obsession about a
topic. It might be a type of toy, or a subject like geography or
dinosaurs. Use this focus to distract and calm the child when
they become stressed.
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