Autism
Introduction
Please click on the link provided to watch a video about seeing if you could spot the child with autism. After they show you which child has autism, please observe her behaviors. Do not watch the whole video, just until the first 1 minute 30 seconds of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjQcxATh1vI Did you pick the right child before being shown?
Child with Autism look just like any other child. Autism looks different from child to child. It is a complex neurologically based developmental disability that typically appears within the first three years of a child's life. In some cases though, the signs and symptoms are not noticeable until the child reaches school age. Children with autism can behave completely different from one another and have varying capabilities. Like the other Autism Spectrum Disorders, a child with autism has impairments with communication, socialization, and repetitive behaviors and routines. These impairments and behaviors are more severe than children with Asperger's syndrome and Pervasive development disorder. Children with autism often have mental retardation, seizures, digestive problems, sleep problems, and poor coordination. Autism is diagnosed almost five times as much in boys than girls.
Signs and Symptoms
Possible signs that a child might have autism can be noticed as early as the first year of that child's life. A parent should be concerned if their child displays the following signs within the first year of their life:
- Does not babble or coo by
- Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp, etc.)
- Does not turn to a mother's voice or respond to their name
- Does not look people in the eye
Here are some signs that a child might have autism when the child reaches two years of age:
- Does not say single words by 16 months of age
- Does not take part in pretend games by 18 months of age
- Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own (rather than just repeating what someone says to him or her) by 24 months of age
Other signs and symptoms that a child might have autism are the following:
- Has any loss of any language or social skills at any age
- Cannot explain what he/she wants
- Language skills or speech are delayed
- Doesn't follow directions
- At times, the child seems to be deaf or the child seems to hear sometimes, but not others
- Throws intense or violent tantrums
- Has odd movement patterns (rocking, spinning, hand flapping)
- Speak in a sing-song or robotic way
- Seems to prefer to play alone and has no interest in other children
- Doesn't know how to play with toys or shows unusual attachments to toys
- Shows unusual attachments to objects or schedules (i.e., always holding a string or having to put socks on before pants
- Gets "stuck" on things over and over and can't move on to other things
- Spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order
- Shies away from touch and affection
Conclusion
Here are a few videos that show the signs to look for with a child:
- Bringing the early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorders into focus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtvP5A5OHpU
- Subtle signs of Autism 0-7 years old https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ93HTeKc98
Answer the following questions:
- What is Autism?
- At what age should someone start looking for signs of autism in a child?
- List five signs that a child may be autistic.
In the next unit, we will learn about how a child gets diagnosed with Autism
Unit 3: How do we diagnosis someone for Autism?
Links
Return to: ETAP 623 Fall 2014 taught by Byrne Systematic Design of Instruction
Autism Spectrum Disorder Mini Course
Unit 1: What are the different diagnoses under Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Unit 4: What are the possible treatments and therapies used for someone with Autism?
Unit 5: What strategies can be used for someone with Autism inside and outside of the classroom?