Children with Special Needs -> Does Your Child Have Autism?

Does Your Child Have Autism?

Have you heard that 1 out of 166 children in America suffer from autism? Nowadays, it really pays if autism is detected early in every child. We have provided certain guidelines for you to follow.

Try to use these assessments to determine if the child is showing the signs of autism:

1. The child resists or deters any manifestation of human affection:

If the child is autistic, he is not used to being hugged by others, even by his parents. When they are touched or held, they become stiff, and they do not feel any comfort from cuddling.

When an autistic child starts to have tantrums or becomes restless, it is advisable not to touch them or give them a hug, just like what we do to comfort other children. What you can do is give him a diversion, like his favorite toys, or bring the child into an environment with less stimulation.

2. Internal stimuli are stronger than external stimuli. The child's processing of the external stimuli is tough. Because of the inability in receiving stimuli from the external environment, the child:

a.) Cannot find the difference between his self and his environment, just like referring to himself in the third person.

b.) Is incapable of helping himself in doing activities, like eating, dressing up, and going to the toilet.

c.) Has a difficult time learning expressive communication.

d.) Cannot enjoy the relationship with external elements, like strangers or other stimuli from the environment, and cannot make eye contact.

e.) Is not aware of everybody; instead, he knows only his self and isolates his self while playing for hours, and withdraws from other kids.

f.) Finds security in lifeless objects like toys.

3. Establishes body movements that are stereotypic.

Examples of these are rocking of the body, spinning everything he lays hands on, hand tapping, and other cyclic actions.

4. Your child exhibits an obsession in being similar:

An autistic usually sticks to his daily habits and has great repugnance when there are changes.

5. Your child becomes impulsive:

When the child is interrupted in doing his or her activity, an autistic child begins having temper tantrums.

6. Your child is most likely to resort to hurting himself. A child who is autistic usually bangs his head when he is having tantrums.

7. Your child displays an intense withdrawal shown by not eating or refusing food.

8. Your child may demonstrate low motor skills by being clumsy together with a low IQ.

9. Your child starts to experience seizures or schizophrenic episodes come about.

10. The case of being autistic is sometimes linked to being mentally retarded at some point.

However, it is difficult to obtain the correct measurement of the precise IQ of these kids because they lack language skills. An IQ that is less than 50 is composed of 60% of these children, between 50 and 70 is composed of 20 %, and greater than 70 is 20%. Autism occurs more in male children than female children; that is, in a three is to one ratio.

Children with Special Needs -> Does Your Child Have Autism?