What are the most common characteristics of autism?
Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some individuals mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater challenges with social interactions. They may have difficulty initiating and/or maintaining a conversation. Their communication is often described as talking at others instead of to them. (For example, a monologue on a favorite subject that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments).
Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some individuals mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater challenges with social interactions. They may have difficulty initiating and/or maintaining a conversation. Their communication is often described as talking at others instead of to them. (For example, a monologue on a favorite subject that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments). People with autism also process and respond to information in unique ways. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present.
is one of the most common traits of people with autism. They may have a hard time initiating OR maintaining a conversation. Often, their communication is described as talking at others instead of to them. (For example, a person may talk on and on about his/her favorite subject–ignoring attempts by others to interject comments).
Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some individuals mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater challenges with social interactions. They may have difficulty initiating and/or maintaining a conversation. Their communication is often described as talking at others instead of to them. (For example, a monologue on a favorite subject that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments). People with autism also process and respond to information in unique ways. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present. Persons with autism may also exhibit some of the following traits: • Insistence on sameness; resistance to change • Difficulty in expressing needs, using gestures or pointing instead of words • Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language • Laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason; showing distress for
People on the autism spectrum may: – Not understand what you say – Appear deaf – Be unable to speak or speak with difficulty – Engage in repetitive behaviors – Act upset for no apparent reason – Appear insensitive to pain – Appear anxious or nervous – Dart away from you unexpectedly – Engage in self-stimulating behaviors Also, the The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) lists five signs of autism that parents and pediatricians should look for in children: – Does not babble or coo by 12 months – Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months – Does not say single words by 16 months – Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months – Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age What should I do if I suspect my child has autism? Whether you or your child’s pediatrician is the first to suspect autism, your child will need to be referred to someone who specializes in diagnosing autism spectrum disorders. This may be a developmental pe
