About Autism

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. People with ASDs handle information in their brain differently than other people.

ASD stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder. The “spectrum” refers to the variety of the disorder: it presents differently in each individual. Autistic people share some similar symptoms, such as problems with social interactions, but there are differences in when the symptoms start, how severe they are, and the exact nature of the symptoms. Some autistic people adjust better to independent living than others, and some require higher levels of support, but all are equally autistic.

The National Institute of Mental Health states that symptoms of autism spectrum disorder vary from one child to the next, but all demonstrate atypicality in three areas:

1. Social interaction

2. Verbal and nonverbal communication

3. Repetitive behaviors or interests

Autistic people present different symptoms in each of these areas, sometimes more in one area than another. For instance, a child may have little trouble learning to read but exhibit extremely poor social interaction. Not all these symptoms are strictly negative: for example, many autistic people engage in repetitive self-stimulating behavior, otherwise known as “stimming,” to calm themselves down—leg bobbing and hand flapping are two of many forms of this. However, symptoms may reach unmanageable levels or manifest in destructive ways. Each child will display communication, social, and behavioral patterns that are individual to them but fit into the overall diagnosis of ASD.

The following should be considered as indicators for investigating the possibility of a child being on the autism spectrum, but do not inherently mean a child has ASD. 

Each of these symptoms runs the gamut from mild to severe. They will present in each individual child differently. For instance, a child may have little trouble learning to read but exhibit extremely poor social interaction. Each child will display communication, social, and behavioral patterns that are individual but fit into the overall diagnosis of ASD. The following warning signs or “red flags” should be considered as indicators for investigating the possibility of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and does not mean a child has an ASD. That requires a diagnostic process from a team of professionals.