Autism is a lifelong, neurological disorder.  Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning its symptoms range from mild to severe, depending on the individual.  According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, a diagnosis of autism entails:

• Sensory integration
• Fine and / or Gross Motor Skills
• Play
• Cognition

 How do I know if my child has autism? 

(This list should not serve as a substitution for a diagnostic evaluation.  These are simply indicating factors.  If your child demonstrates several of these characteristics, contact your pediatrician.)    

Does your child. . .  exhibit unusual play behavior?  Children with autism usually engage in repetitive self-stimulatory behavior; they may appear as if ran by a motor.  They show little to no interest in pretend play.      

Does your child. . . appear withdrawn from reality?  Many children with autism have an ". . . empty gaze. . . and lack of emotional expression" (Beauchesne & Kelley, 2004, p.58)  Others appear indifferent to auditory stimuli, which is why some parents first suspect a child with autism is deaf. 

Does your child. . . display odd visual fascinations?  Does your child appear more intrigued by an airborne speck of dust than his/her toys, or the people around him/her? (Beauchesne & Kelley, 2004)

Also contact your pediatrician if. . .
 

Your child appears to lose skills he/she had previously 

Why is an early diagnosis so important ?
 

The sooner a child is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin—and time is of the essence.  While there is no cure for autism, research shows early intervention is the key to giving these children a better quality of life.  “Since it is imperative to intervene early with these children to achieve optimum improvements, it is essential that parents and providers be aware of these early signs”  (Beauchesne & Kelley, 2004, p. 58)

What kinds of early intervention are available? 

Many programs utilize. . .

 

Developmental intervention refers to child-directed approaches.  An adult (trained to effectively respond to a child with autism) will engage in interactive play activities with the child several times a day, gradually enhancing the child’s ability to imitate, to take turns, and to hold attention.  (Corsello, 2005) 

This model emphasizes the personal connection between the adult-and-child, which hopefully “...lead[s] to the mastery of cognitive and developmental skills”  (Corsello, 2005, p. 82)  

Incidental teaching is another strategy based on applied behavior analysis.  It involves “...taking advantage of teachable moments”  (Janzen, 1999, p. 75) 

We might have to rearrange the environment and place something the child wants out of reach.  If the child wants a stuffed animal, we might put this toy on a high shelf. The child appears to want the animal and stretches his/her arms out for it.  The instructor may say, “You want the dog.  Here is the dog.”  Or she may say, “You want the dog.  Say ‘dog.’” Before providing the dog as a reinforcer, the teacher will expect some sort of of response, even if just the first sound of the word.  (Janzen, 1999) "Over the past three decades, consistent and systematic research projects have demonstrated the utility of the behavioral approach, and many recent, larger-scale outcome studies have consistently demonstrated that this approach yields significant benefits for children with autism" (Maurice, 1996, p.195)

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