what is autism?

Question

does anyone have an autistic child? how early did you detect this? what were the signs?
I am confused about this... a lot of people say different things.

I know what the internet has to say about it...I am asking if anyone has personally gone thru this, and how early were the signs??

Answer 1

You have a VERY good question.

Autism is a neurobiological disorder that impacts the neural connections in the brain. It impacts the whole body. Some kids have problems with communication where all you hear are gutteral sounds- not speech. There are some that are in perpetual motion, with therapy that CAN be helped. I've seen a child start out that way, he is much calmer and happier now.

There are many different things that could signal autism and
there are tests that can be done to verify if it is autism or some other disorder. Keep in mind that the autism spectrum is vast so trying to say that only certain "signs" signal it could cause worry when maybe there shouldn't be.

Yes, I have an amazing autistic child, well- now he's a young man. I suspected he was autistic when he was about one year old. He walked on tiptoe when he was learning to walk. He couldn't look me in the eye when I spoke to him. I took him to a doctor that didn't know what autism "Looked" like, but that was in 1990. My child has Asperger's Syndrome. He flapped his hands, had problems with volume regulation when he got excited, has a large vocabulary ("Little Professor" syndrome), loves to play video games and understands computers inside and out.

Since 1993 autism has been researched and much more has been learned about it. The diagnosis on my son occurred when he was a freshman in high school. The school system really did not want to help him, so I found a school that would. I transferred my "Aspie" to that school (it was a charter school, by the way). He worked hard to develop the social skills he needed during his sophomore year, took a course over the summer (his "junior" year) and the next school year, he was a senior. He graduated that school year, 2005, with 31 in his graduating class.... as Valedictorian. He is now 19 and attends a community college near our home. He has worked really hard to function so well that, unless you are told, you would not know that he has Asperger's Syndrome.

And THAT (my son) is why I call myself hopefulmom. ;-)

Answer 2

It's a developmental disorder that impairs a child's social and language development. They often are in "their own little world". Signs appear around 12 months, but you would have to know what to look for. Most parents get concerned closer to age 2 when they notice their child has a speech delay. 1 in every 150 children receives an autism diagnosis.

Some signs are, not using index finger to point at items, lack of eye contact, non-responsive to name being called, delay in language, not interested in playing with other children, stimming (hand flapping, spinning wheels, fascination with lights of fans, etc...), and not imitating.

Answer 3

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees - this is why early diagnosis is so crucial. By learning the signs, a child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized intervention programs.

Answer 4

My 5 year old son has been tested through his school for autism, and came up "borderline". We are seeking more extensive private testing for him at this time.

Even as a baby, he hated being held unless he was swaddled or carried in a sling. He has never liked just being touched or handled by people and he has always had trouble with eye contact. He doesn't communicate well, either verbally or non-verbally. He can hear and talk, but he has a way of just ignoring people when they approach him. In school, he seems to want friends, but doesn't understand how to interact with others. :(

Behaviorally, he acts much younger than he is. He "solves" problems with others by throwing himself on the ground for a temper tantrum or striking out at others. Discipline doesn't seem very effective since he doesn't appear to understand cause and effect. Removing him from a situation and allowing him to be by himself is the only workable solution to many problems. It doesn't teach him social skills, though.

Physically, he has always had gross motor skills delays as well as speech and communication delays. Basically, he can't throw or kick a ball, and his gait is unbalanced and awkward. Even after 2 years of physical therapy, this has improved only minimally. He is quite an artist though, and a couple of years ahead of where he should be in math skills. He is behind in other areas of school.

So this is what I deal with on a day-to-day basis, and why people look at him and say he has autistic tendencies.

Answer 5

Well, I'm not a psychologist so I can't really tell you the true facts, but I can tell you what I kind of know. Autistic kids have different characteristics and are either good in one thing or bad in another. Like, some of them are very gifted and can memorize really well or juggle or do some cool stuff. They don't really give you eye contact and seem to be less attentive. They just act different from other kids and you can kind of see it. like when you call them, they don't respond. This is not the true definition of it and I'm sorry if I couldn't help, but to sum it up, that's what I think.. it can be cured ....if detected early....

Answer 6

.Basically, autistic people are impaired at communicating. Such things as social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication they tend to have obsessive or repetitive routines and interests, treatable I guess only by condensed interaction with others, specifically peers. I would say they need huge loads of love and one to one to bring them out of their shell to help them feel secure and more confident.

Autism usually isn't diagnosed until about age 3, although some experts believe that some children begin to show subtle signs as early as six months of age.

Early pointers to look out for are things like, not smiling by six months, not babbling, pointing or using other gestures by 12 months, not using single words by age 16 months and having a regression in development, with any loss of language or social skills.

Infants with autism might also avoid eye contact, and as they get older, act as if they are unaware of when people come and go around them.

An interesting site is http://www.signsofautism.com/ which I didn’t find to be too stereotypical.

Answer 7

i know its childern that have motor , speech diabilities ive known some children with autism . they cant speek and have to go to special schools in which they also teach them how to speak ive known this kid who never talked at first and after going to the school now dosent stop talking. children should try to lessen their autism at an early age. although im not an expert at it i do have some you experience. but yeah if your really concerned and would love to learn in depth answers about it i would try your local doctor or pediatrician. maybe web md. im not going to just paste things from a website like others do im going to give you actuall experience from friends hope ive helped and dont forget never be afraid to ask questions because what you dont ask is really what you should be afraid of. A clear description is like the commercial autism speaks. i wish i wrote down the number on the commercial to give you so that you could also ask questions about it if you want they also might have a website.
hope ive helped and have a great day
sincerly, channlesmyfav please answer my questions if you can thanks yeah its also i think something with autism speaks

oh and by the way sorry my answer is really long but signs include speech loss or no speech at all. which may have a large affect. lateness, no response. and late brain development
hope ive helped good luck

Answer 8

hi. i've got worked with babies with ASDs interior the previous and Thomas grew to become into surely astounding on the video- with a bit of luck sooner or later he will practice his friends that he grew to become into sought after on YA! do not subject appropriate to the stares. regrettably babies with autism have been put in hospitals until the Seventies yet society has developed slightly now and considered they are able to be a area of society. Edit - I agree - he seems a bigger than happy youthful lad. you will possibly be able to desire to be so proud!

Answer 9

it's like a mental disorder. they always have to follow the same schedule every day? will get upset if their schedule is messed up & they will freak out!!!!! they are also VERY smart.

watch the movie Rain Man with Tom Cruise & Dustin Hoffman

Answer 10

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/index.php