For those of you that do not know, April is Autism month. Some of you might have heard about the stereotype of Autism, smart individuals that are socially challenged living in a world of their own, but the reality is that they are intellectually capable people more in tune to the world than many of us. As a mother of a toddler and a new born, I am very interested in learning more about it.
Here are some core Autism symptoms to note:
- Social interactions and relationships. Symptoms may include:
- Problems developing nonverbal communication skills, such as eye-to-eye gazing, facial expressions, and body posture.
- Failure to establish friendships
- Lack of interest in sharing enjoyment, interests, or achievements with others
- Lack of empathy
- Verbal and nonverbal communication. Symptoms may include:
- Delay in, or lack of, learning to talk
- Problems taking steps to start a conversation and keeping the conversation going
- Stereotyped and repetitive use of language
- Difficulty understanding their listener’s perspective. For example, not understanding when someone is using humor
- Limited interests in activities or play. Symptoms may include:
- An unusual focus on pieces. Younger children with autism often focus on parts of toys, such as the wheels on a car, rather than playing with the entire toy.
- Preoccupation with certain topics
- A need for sameness and routines
- Stereotyped behaviors like body rocking and hand flapping
Normally Autism is not detected until the age of 3 years old, but more research is being done to detect it earlier for better results in treatments. Usually parents and caregivers detect autism in the first 3 years of a child’s development, but the signs of the disorder are difficult to diagnose during infancy even though autism is said to be present at birth. One of the main signs that raise a red flag for parents is delayed speech. Also the child might not like to be carried or play certain games like Peekaboo. Most children are able to relate to others, communicate and help themselves with early and intensive treatment. Very few are completely socially isolated.
If you are interested in learning more, take a look at Kate Winslet’s foundation called The Golden Hat Foundation. She is also promoting a book titled The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism
, which tells a story of a boy with Autism and his mom’s journey to raise awareness of the condition along with photos and quotes of famous people and kids with Autism.
, which tells a story of a boy with Autism and his mom’s journey to raise awareness of the condition along with photos and quotes of famous people and kids with Autism.There is a lot of information out there for us. Even if you don’t directly relate to this condition, it is always great to know what it is and how we can help each other to make it all better. It is much easier to go through a journey with an army than to try to do it alone.