Autism Symptoms

One of the early symptoms of autism that many parents and caregivers notice is that sometimes the child appears to be deaf, but at other times the child will respond to sounds. For instance, a child might not respond to the mother calling his or her name, but the child will react to the sound of a bird's song or a car horn. People with autism do not process information like other people do. While a mother's voice and a name might grab the attention of someone without autism, these things might not hold any particular meaning at all for someone with the disorder.

Autistic infants might not only be "deaf" to certain aural stimulation, they often seem to be blind to things that would prompt a reaction from most children. For instance, many people discover that their children are autistic when they become concerned about the children's disinterest in playing games. The reason that autistic children do not show interest in certain games is that they do not respond to visual cues in the same way that most children do. Games like peek-a-boo often have no significance for autistic children because they do not have the same type of interest in human faces as children without autism.

The mothers of autistic children often experience great anxiety because they worry that their child does not like them. These mothers worry about because the child cries when he is picked up and held. This is often an early sign of autism. Many autistic people are very sensitive to touch, especially a touch from another person. Even after years of treatment, many people with autism dislike being touched by other people. Children that cry when they are picked up by people are often diagnosed autistic by a doctor.

When looking for signs of autism in teenagers and adults, they are often similar to those seen in children. They might have difficulty concentrating on certain tasks, dislike being touched, focus on objects that people normally do not find interesting, and show a lack of concern for the subjects that usually preoccupy people. There are also other symptoms that frequently develop when people with autism get older.

Many people with autism perform rituals and motions that are peculiar to those without the disorder. They might rock back and forth when seated, clap their hands over their ears when they hear certain sounds, or perform other actions that do not seem appropriate to most people. When people with autism are prevented from performing these actions, they often become very agitated. They might also act out by yelling or punching.

People with autism also frequently develop fixations on certain objects. Sometimes they might become attached to articles of clothing, stuffed animals, or other items. There seems to be little rhyme or reason that dictates the item to which an autistic person will become attached. While a fixation does not necessarily mean that someone is autistic, when it is combined with other symptoms, it can be a good indicator.

These are not my own experiences, but they were related to me by a special needs teacher:

Autism is a hard condition to describe, because it manifests itself in so many different ways. As a teacher I've worked with a number of autistic children over the years, and I've found that each one is unique in his abilities and challenges. The best way I know to explain the wide variety of symptoms of autism is to give examples from some of the cases I've worked with.

David

The first autistic child I ever worked with was David. He was a very handsome young high school student who was in the Severe and Profound program. He was totally unable to speak and could only be taught to do basic manual tasks such as separating items. He liked to pace the floor. When he was angry, he sometimes got so frustrated with being unable to express his anger that he would actually knock over furniture and display extreme violence until he could be calmed down. Usually, though, he was kept very docile on medicine.

Brandon

I worked with Brandon in high school, but I had known him for a number of years. He was from a very poor family that at one point lived in their car. He was different. He refused to wear jeans like the other kids claiming they hurt him. He spent a lot of time talking to himself. Because of this, he had no friends and was the butt of a lot of ridicule. Waiting for his mother to pick him up in the afternoon, he would stand and talk to the trees. He would never look anyone straight in the eye, and if he saw someone he didn't like in a room, he'd either refuse to go in or would back in to avoid looking at them. He was quite verbal, and although he was in special needs classes, he could handle his lessons well - if he chose to. He wasn't tested for autism until he was a junior in high school. After testing it was concluded that he had mild autism. By the end of his senior year he had become much more outgoing and friendly with his classmates and was going to start a junior college program for special needs kids. Then his mother learned she had cancer and died within two months of his graduation. His usually-absent father moved in with him and discouraged him from going to college because he wanted to continue to receive the welfare checks.

Caleb

I started working with Caleb in his 2nd year of Kindergarten. He was already much larger than any of the other children in the class. He cried about everything, made inappropriate comments about toilets and butts, and also touched other boys inappropriately in the restroom. One of his favorite pastimes was pacing the floor with both arms flapping. He was bright enough to do the work, but he refused to do anything unless I did it with him which would have meant neglecting my other students. I refused to do that. Instead, during the two years I had him in my class, I taught him to be more independent and not to cry. Unfortunately, his mother decided she wanted to take advantage of the laws and insist Caleb have a one-on-one assistant to work with him. From the moment that happened at the beginning of his second year of 1st grade, he once again became clingy, dependent, and weepy. He regressed so far that it made me want to cry to see it.

Jordan

Jordan was a beautiful little boy with curly hair and big eyes. He was very bright and able to do all of the work we did in our classroom. He also had many strange mannerisms which caused the other children to shun him. He would sit talking with himself about things such as "tree people". He couldn't stand being corrected in any way. If I tried to tell him he'd done something wrong, he'd respond by hitting himself in the head, swaying, or bashing his head into the desk. He was never diagnosed because his parents were in denial that their beautiful child might have problems.

As stated earlier, every autistic person is totally unique. What works with one doesn't work with someone else. Only by testing and trial and error is it possible to help each individual case.

Diagnosing autism can help those with the disorder learn the skills that can help them live more ordinary lives. Children that begin treatment earlier have a better chance of resolving many of the behavioral issues that accompany the disorder.

If you feel that someone you care about might have Autism, then you've come to the right place. Sure there are counselors, doctors, and other caregivers out there, but not only they can be pretty expensive, more importantly they can do very little to help, since Autism has no cure. It requires special treatment. Because it's not just the special person with Autism who is suffering, all the people who care about that person are also going through tough times. I've spent a lot of time evaluating free resources too, but they always seem to hide the full story from you. My favorite resource is Essential Guide To Autism. Although it does cost a little bit of money, it works. And you can't put any price tag on making your loved one feel better and happier.