One of the early warning signs that a child might have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is that they don’t respond to their name. This question is asked on the M-CHAT, or the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, which is a screening questionnaire for autism that parents fill out during their child’s 18-month and 24-month […]
Children go off into magical worlds, blurring imagination with reality in what is called pretend play. It’s truly a pleasure to watch children having fun exploring and acting out different scenarios this way, but pretend play is also a crucial component of cognitive growth. Pretend play helps to shape the foundation of children’s minds. It […]
People who have autism face many challenges that they deal with on a daily basis. Some of the common challenges include communication, social interaction and regulating emotions. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might not be able to fully comprehend what emotions they are feeling1. This may cause them anxiety, frustration and/or stress. In addition, […]
Some children who have autism might avoid eye contact more so than their neurotypical peers. This isn’t a symptom of their autism spectrum disorder (ASD), though, as not every child on the autism spectrum avoids eye contact. The reason why children with autism make less eye contact than others is because of a condition called […]
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that’s diagnosed based upon the prevalence of symptoms, rather than by any underlying medical examinations or blood tests. This is one reason why it can be challenging to diagnose autism, since it isn’t diagnosed like other curable diseases. Much of how autism is viewed today is thanks to the publication […]
Advances in medical research and technology have enabled healthcare professionals to screen for various diseases, disorders and conditions from an early age. Such pre-diagnostic screening has greatly benefitted the overall health of all people, helping to identify concerns so early interventions can be taken. In fact, these screenings happen from a very early age. Pediatricians, […]
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects different people in dramatically different ways. The signs and symptoms of it, and the severity to which these are present, can look entirely different in one individual than they do in another. Autism is considered to affect boys much more than it does girls — about […]
Many people who have autism experience sensory issues. The most recent criteria for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in fact, includes sensory issues. Just like all other signs and symptoms of autism, sensory issues are quite unique to each individual. Some people may experience over-sensitivity to certain sensory stimuli, called hypersensitivity, while others might experience […]
It may be hard to believe today, but it wasn’t that long ago that autism was considered a black mark on the individuals who had it and also on their parents. As late as the 1960s, in fact, children who were diagnosed with autism in the United States and United Kingdom were often automatically institutionalized. […]
