Does the video describe your child to some extent?

So…. Your child may have been diagnosed as having some form of autism….

But …… What DOES my child really have?

Autism spectrum disorder
Autism
Autistic disorder
High-functioning autism
Asperger Syndrome
Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified Autism spectrum disorder
Autism
Autistic disorder
High-functioning autism
Asperger Syndrome
Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified

The above terms have caused significant confusion over time, especially for parents with a child newly diagnosed to have one of these disorders. For now, taking ‘Autistic Spectrum Disorder’ to cover the entire spectrum, ASD will be used for descriptive purposes here in this page. Autism diagnosis is sometimes not straightforward.

ASD describes a group of disorders with a wide spectrum of variability. Invariably though, the child will have some degree of key impairments in the following areas:
communication
social interaction and play
accompanied by
specific atypical behavioural patterns
restricted interests and/or
sensory defensiveness / integration difficulties

Although present from birth, the features may or may not manifest in infancy, most commonly becoming obvious around the 18-24 months and presenting to the medical doctor between 24-48 months of age.
How might a child with ASD present?

• The most common presenting feature is a delay/deviation in language skills or in communication skills.

• Most children get automatically attached to parents or caregivers, and many are often comfortable amongst peers, allowing for a little initial adaptation. However, there may be a deficit of emotional attachment and social relationship formation in the child with ASD.

• Engagement in together-play – parallel or interactive – is often not achieved on time. There is often a limited range of toys, games or activities that the child with ASD will engage in. Play may be noted to be copied, repetitive and stereotyped.

• Many of the children with ASD will be noted to have some degree of stereotypic activities , such as flicking of fingers, spinning themselves or of wheels, arranging items in running neat lines or obsessions with bus routes or encyclopedias.

What can I do?
If any of the above profiles describe your child in any combination, it would be important for you to seek consultation with a professional consultant, who can help to assess the entire profile of your child. Should a diagnosis of ASD be made, it would be important to provide a plan that involves investigations, intervention and education in a holistic way. It is important that we strive to make the world a less confusing place for these children and at the same time, help them develop their skills and optimize their potential.