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Does your child get really angry when you try to change their routine in even the smallest way? Do they pull away when you try to hug them? Does your child spend hours playing in the corner with a fidget spinner? These experiences are challenging for any parent. You may feel hurt, confused, stressed, and worried about your child. However, Autism Spectrum Disorder is an increasingly common developmental disorder affecting approximately 1 In 66 Canadian Youth. People with autism struggle with communication, social interaction, and restrictive or repetitive behaviours. Keep reading to learn about what autism is, how to identify it, and how to help your child.
Autism As A “Spectrum” Disorder
Autism is a spectrum disorder. This means that every person with autism will have their own unique challenges and strengths. Using the term “spectrum” acknowledges the variability of autism, as no two children with autism will have the same intellectual abilities, challenges, and degree of progress. However, all children with autism will express difficulties in social relationships and communication, and engage in repetitive or ritualistic behaviours. Consider the following case studies, to see just how different each child with autism is.
Autism Case Studies
Jamie’s mother experienced many problems during her pregnancy. Jamie was always developmentally behind, and by two years old, she could only communicate through strange sounds. As a toddler, Jamie loved to play with a specific doll, and screamed and banged her head if someone tried to take it. She also loved to touch different things, even on strangers. At the age of 5, Jamie was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Giancarlo’s mother experienced a normal pregnancy. Giancarlo was an easy baby, but by two years old, only communicated through sounds. As a toddler, Giancarlo showed extreme independence, and did not care when his parents left the room. He would also spend hours lining up toy bricks, and rarely played with other children in daycare. At the age of 5, Giancarlo was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Deficits in social communication and interaction
- Does not start, engage, or respond in social interactions (including with caregivers)
- Avoids making eye contact
- Does not use body language such as hand gestures or facial expressions when communicating
- Does not seem interested in peers and may have difficulties making friends
- Prefers to play alone
- Does not initiate physical affection such as hugging, cuddling, or holding
- Struggles to understand the feelings of others or discuss their own feelings
- Seems to be “in their own world”
Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped behaviour or interests
- Engages in repetitive motor movements or speech patterns (e.g., may say the same phrase over and over, may rock their body or flap their hands repeatedly)
- Insists on sameness and is inflexible to changes in routine (e.g., will show extreme distress to any small changes in their daily routine)
- Arranges items or toys in order and gets upset when the order changes
- Intense interests in specific objects and object parts (e.g., always wants to bring a specific toy everywhere they go, focuses on the wheels of a toy car)
- Displays hypersensitivity and reactivity to light, touch, or sounds (e.g., may respond very negatively to a specific sound that other children don’t notice)
- May be indifferent to pain or temperature
- Has obsessive and unique interests
While autism has its challenges, some children with autism also have unique skills. These include special talents in reading, writing, music, drawing, puzzles, or memory.
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Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk Factors
Each year, more children get diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. There are some risk factors that may increase the likelihood of an autism diagnosis during and after pregnancy. However, none of these factors single-handedly determine autism development. These include:
- Older maternal age
- Maternal drug use (prescription and recreational)
- Toxic environmental chemicals
- Maternal illness during pregnancy
- Complications during birth
- Family history of autism (genetics)
- Male gender
Importantly, no research supports the notion that vaccinations cause autism.
Diagnosis And Treatment For Autism
A child psychologist can conduct autism assessments. This assessment usually involves several questionnaires on the child’s family and developmental history, an interview with parents, and an activity-based assessment of the child. In the assessment, the psychologist determines the child’s social abilities, developmental delays, and behaviours. Knowing your child’s unique challenges guides the types of treatment and accommodations they need. The earlier the intervention, the better.
Autism treatment typically includes interventions to improve social skills, language, communication, and any secondary concerns such as anxiety or behavioural problems. Applied Behavioural Analysis, or ABA therapy, is a common treatment for autism. In ABA therapy, children with autism learn appropriate skills and behaviours based on a gradual approach of prompting, modeling, planning. For example, a child may learn how to brush their teeth by first learning how to unscrew the toothpaste. Once this is mastered, they can move onto learning how to squeeze the toothpaste onto the brush, and so on. Providing positive reinforcement such as high fives and stickers ensures the desired behaviours are repeated.
