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https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352928

The Mayo Clinic Website describes what Autism Spectrum Disorder is, the symptoms children are most likely to have, and when parents should take their child to see a doctor. This is informative and important for parents and caregivers to know since symptoms can start early in development and show before and at the two year mark.

Autism Spectrum Disorder also known as ASD, is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others. This causes problems in social interactions and communication. ASD can also include limited and repetitive patterns in behavior. In terms of the spectrum, it is a reference to the wide range of symptoms and severity.

The symptoms of ASD being in early childhood. Children usually show symptoms within their first year but there are a small among of children that show signs during a regression period that happens at 18 to 24 months of age.

The symptoms shown in infancy are reduced eye contact, lack of response to their name, and indifference to caregivers.

Signs are normally shown by age 2 because the child can develop normally and then regress and become withdrawn and aggressive.

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Overview

Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term "spectrum" in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity.

Autism spectrum disorder includes conditions that were previously considered separate - autism, Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and an unspecified form of pervasive developmental disorder. Some people still use the term "Asperger's syndrome," which is generally thought to be at the mild end of autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder begins in early childhood and eventually causes problems functioning in society - socially, in school and at work, for example. Often children show symptoms of autism within the first year. A small number of children appear to develop normally in the first year, and then go through a period of regression between 18 and 24 months of age when they develop autism symptoms.

While there is no cure for autism spectrum disorder, intensive, early treatment can make a big difference in the lives of many children.

Symptoms

Some children show signs of autism spectrum disorder in early infancy, such as reduced eye contact, lack of response to their name or indifference to caregivers. Other children may develop normally for the first few months or years of life, but then suddenly become withdrawn or aggressive or lose language skills they've already acquired. Signs usually are seen by age 2 years.

Each child with autism spectrum disorder is likely to have a unique pattern of behavior and level of severity - from low functioning to high functioning.

Some children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty learning, and some have signs of lower than normal intelligence. Other children with the disorder have normal to high intelligence - they learn quickly, yet have trouble communicating and applying what they know in everyday life and adjusting to social situations.

Because of the unique mixture of symptoms in each child, severity can sometimes be difficult to determine. It's generally based on the level of impairments and how they impact the ability to function.

Below are some common signs shown by people who have autism spectrum disorder.

Social communication and interaction

A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have problems with social interaction and communication skills, including any of these signs:

Fails to respond to his or her name or appears not to hear you at times

Resists cuddling and holding, and seems to prefer playing alone, retreating into his or her own world

Has poor eye contact and lacks facial expression

Doesn't speak or has delayed speech, or loses previous ability to say words or sentences

Can't start a conversation or keep one going, or only starts one to make requests or label items

Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm and may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech

Repeats words or phrases verbatim, but doesn't understand how to use them

Doesn't appear to understand simple questions or directions

Doesn't express emotions or feelings and appears unaware of others' feelings

Doesn't point at or bring objects to share interest

Inappropriately approaches a social interaction by being passive, aggressive or disruptive

Has difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, such as interpreting other people's facial expressions, body postures or tone of voice

Patterns of behavior

A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have limited, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities, including any of these signs:

Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand flapping

Performs activities that could cause self-harm, such as biting or head-banging

Develops specific routines or rituals and becomes disturbed at the slightest change

Has problems with coordination or has odd movement patterns, such as clumsiness or walking on toes, and has odd, stiff or exaggerated body language

Is fascinated by details of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car, but doesn't understand the overall purpose or function of the object

Is unusually sensitive to light, sound or touch, yet may be indifferent to pain or temperature

Doesn't engage in imitative or make-believe play

Fixates on an object or activity with abnormal intensity or focus

Has specific food preferences, such as eating only a few foods, or refusing foods with a certain texture

As they mature, some children with autism spectrum disorder become more engaged with others and show fewer disturbances in behavior. Some, usually those with the least severe problems, eventually may lead normal or near-normal lives. Others, however, continue to have difficulty with language or social skills, and the teen years can bring worse behavioral and emotional problems.

When to see a doctor

Babies develop at their own pace, and many don't follow exact timelines found in some parenting books. But children with autism spectrum disorder usually show some signs of delayed development before age 2 years.

If you're concerned about your child's development or you suspect that your child may have autism spectrum disorder, discuss your concerns with your doctor. The symptoms associated with the disorder can also be linked with other developmental disorders.

Signs of autism spectrum disorder often appear early in development when there are obvious delays in language skills and social interactions. Your doctor may recommend developmental tests to identify if your child has delays in cognitive, language and social skills, if your child:

Doesn't respond with a smile or happy expression by 6 months

Doesn't mimic sounds or facial expressions by 9 months

Doesn't babble or coo by 12 months

Doesn't gesture - such as point or wave - by 14 months

Doesn't say single words by 16 months

Doesn't play "make-believe" or pretend by 18 months

Doesn't say two-word phrases by 24 months

Loses language skills or social skills at any age

Causes

Autism spectrum disorder has no single known cause. Given the complexity of the disorder, and the fact that symptoms and severity vary, there are probably many causes. Both genetics and environment may play a role.

Genetics. Several different genes appear to be involved in autism spectrum disorder. For some children, autism spectrum disorder can be associated with a genetic disorder, such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome. For other children, genetic changes (mutations) may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder. Still other genes may affect brain development or the way that brain cells communicate, or they may determine the severity of symptoms. Some genetic mutations seem to be inherited, while others occur spontaneously.

Environmental factors. Researchers are currently exploring whether factors such as viral infections, medications or complications during pregnancy, or air pollutants play a role in triggering autism spectrum disorder.

No link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder

One of the greatest controversies in autism spectrum disorder centers on whether a link exists between the disorder and childhood vaccines. Despite extensive research, no reliable study has shown a link between autism spectrum disorder and any vaccines. In fact, the original study that ignited the debate years ago has been retracted due to poor design and questionable research methods.

Avoiding childhood vaccinations can place your child and others in danger of catching and spreading serious diseases, including whooping cough (pertussis), measles or mumps.

Risk factors

The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is rising. It's not clear whether this is due to better detection and reporting or a real increase in the number of cases, or both.

Autism spectrum disorder affects children of all races and nationalities, but certain factors increase a child's risk. These may include:

Your child's sex. Boys are about four times more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder than girls are.

Family history. Families who have one child with autism spectrum disorder have an increased risk of having another child with the disorder. It's also not uncommon for parents or relatives of a child with autism spectrum disorder to have minor problems with social or communication skills themselves or to engage in certain behaviors typical of the disorder.

Other disorders. Children with certain medical conditions have a higher than normal risk of autism spectrum disorder or autism-like symptoms. Examples include fragile X syndrome, an inherited disorder that causes intellectual problems; tuberous sclerosis, a condition in which benign tumors develop in the brain; and Rett syndrome, a genetic condition occurring almost exclusively in girls, which causes slowing of head growth, intellectual disability and loss of purposeful hand use.

Extremely preterm babies. Babies born before 26 weeks of gestation may have a greater risk of autism spectrum disorder.

Parents' ages. There may be a connection between children born to older parents and autism spectrum disorder, but more research is necessary to establish this link.

Complications

Problems with social interactions, communication and behavior can lead to:

Problems in school and with successful learning

Employment problems

Inability to live independently

Social isolation

Stress within the family

Victimization and being bullied

Prevention

There's no way to prevent autism spectrum disorder, but there are treatment options. Early diagnosis and intervention is most helpful and can improve behavior, skills and language development. However, intervention is helpful at any age. Though children usually don't outgrow autism spectrum disorder symptoms, they may learn to function well.

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Autism spectrum disorder - Symptoms and causes

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Autism spectrum disorder is a serious condition related to brain development that impairs the ability to communicate and interact with others.

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Children that are high functioning on the spectrum may learn quickly and have a normal to high intelligence. These children and adults may have trouble communicating, applying what they know in every day life, and adjusting to social situations.

Children that are low functioning on the spectrum may have trouble learning and have signs of lower intelligence.

In each case, it is difficult to to determine the severity. Each child has their own symptoms that are a different blend than other individuals.

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Some common symptoms of Autism Spectrum disorder are in communication and interactions along with patterns. There are symptoms that are not as common.

Communication and Interactions

-failure to respond to their name and appears to not hear you at times.

-resists physical contact such as cuddling and holding.

-prefers to play with themselves instead of other people.

-poor eye contact and facial expression.

-delayed speech, inability to speak, lost the ability to say words or sentences.

-difficulty starting and keeping a conversation.

-initiating conversation for requests and to label items.

-abnormal tone while speaking, monotone, sounding like a robot, or using a singing voice.

-Repetition of words and phrases that they do not know how to use properly.

-appears to not understand simple questions or directions.

-doesn't express emotions and feelings.

-Doesn't point at objects or bring them to you.

-Passive aggression and disruptiveness towards social interactions.

-difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice.

Patterns of Behavior

-preforming repetitive movements like rocking, spinning, and hand flapping.

-preforms activities that can harm them such as biting and head banging.

-Develops specific routines and becomes disturbed with the slightest changes.

-Has odd movements and/or difficulty with coordination like walking on their toes, clumsiness, and exaggerated body movements.

-Fascination of toys but does not understand the function of those.

-Unusually sensitive to light, sound, touch but may be indifferent to temperature and pain.

-fixation on objects or activities with abnormal intensity and focus.

-Has specific food preferences.

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Babies will develop at their own pace so you do not have to follow the exact timeline in parenting books. Children with ASD show signs developmental delay before they are two years old. If parents believe that their child may show signs of Autism, they should speak to a doctor. Some signs may be linked with other developmental disorders. The signs of ASD are early in development when there are clear delays in social interaction and language skills. The doctor may requests tests to see if your child has delays in cognitive, language, and social skills if your child has the signs down below.

-Doesn't respond with a smile or happy face by six months.

-Doesn't mimic sounds or facial expressions by nine months.

-Doesn't babble or coo by 12 months.

-Doesn't gesture by 14 months.

-Doesn't say single words by 16 months.

-Doesn't play make believe or pretend by 18 months.

-Doesn't say two-word phrases by 24 months.

-If the child loses language skills or social skills at any age.

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https://autismsociety.org/resources/education/

The Autism Society Website gives parents knowledge on IDEA, IEP's, and Post Secondary Planning. This is essential for parents to know during their child's education. Each individual with Autism has their own symptoms and challenges. These educational rights go in depth with the plans for your child's education.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a federal law that guarantees a free and appropriate education in a least restrictive environment. If your child has ASD, they will have an Individualized Education Plan. The IEP will have a written document that outlines your child's education. This document will outline the child's needs, accommodations, learning objectives, and the child's special education goal. There will be an IEP meeting with the child's team members, the child, and parents. These are held annually but can be held more often. They will discuss the childs goals, if they met those goals, accommodations, and the educational needs and performance. The IEP is made for the individual specifically to get the best education for that child.

While planning for education for students with Autism, it will address skill development such as education, communication, language, and social skills, self-help skills, behavioral issues, self advocacy, and self leisure related skills.

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Every child in the United States has a right to a public education, this includes children with Autism and other disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is the federal law that guarantees a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for every student with a disability. The law's 2004 reauthorization (P.L. 108-446) further defined children's rights to educational services and strengthened the role of parents/care providers in their children's educational planning process. This means that the education for students enrolled in public school should come at no cost and should be appropriate for their age, ability, and developmental level.

The law specifies that educational placement should be on an individual basis, not solely on the diagnosis or category of disability.

Parents/care providers have a voice in the educational process. But keep in mind that IDEA requires that an appropriate educational program be provided, but not necessarily the one that is "ideal" for every child. It is important that parents/care providers work with the school to get the educational support and services the student needs.

Educational planning for students with Autism often addresses a wide range of skill development, including academics, communication and language, social skills, self-help skills, behavioral issues, self-advocacy, and leisure-related skills. It's important to consult with professionals trained specifically in Autism to help a child benefit from their school program. Obtaining a range of opinions is also useful.

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written document that outlines a child's education. As the name implies, the education program should be tailored to the individual student to provide the maximum benefit. The keyword is individual . A program that is appropriate for one child with Autism may not be right for another.

The IEP is the cornerstone for the education of a child with a disability. It should identify the services a child needs so that he/she will meet their learning objectives during the school year. It is also a legal document that outlines:

The child's special education plan (goals for the school year)

Services needed to help the child meet those goals

A method for evaluating the student's progress

The objectives, goals, and selected services are not just a collection of ideas on how the school may educate a child; the school district must educate your child in accordance with the IEP.

To develop an IEP, the local education agency officials and others involved in the child's educational program meet to discuss education-related goals. By law, the following people must be invited to attend the IEP meeting:

One or both of the child's parents/care providers

The child's teacher or prospective teacher

A representative of the public agency (local education agency), other than the child's teacher, who is qualified to provide or supervise the provision of special education

The child, if appropriate

Other individuals at the discretion of the parent(s)/care provider(s) or agency (e.g. a physician, advocate, or neighbor)

IEP meetings must be held at least once annually, but may be held more often if needed. Parents/care providers may request a review or revision of the IEP at any time. While teachers and school personnel may come prepared for the meeting with an outline of goals and objectives, the IEP is not complete until it has been thoroughly discussed and all parties agree to the terms of the written document. Parents/care providers are entitled to participate in the IEP meeting as equal participants with suggestions and opinions regarding their child's education. They may bring a list of suggested goals and objectives as well as additional information that may be pertinent to the IEP meeting.

The local education agency (LEA) must attempt to schedule the IEP meeting at a time and place agreeable to both school staff and parents/care providers. School districts must notify parents/care providers in a timely manner so that they will have an opportunity to attend. The notification must indicate the purpose of the meeting (i.e., to discuss transition services, behavior problems interfering with learning, academic growth).
Learn more about:

After an evaluation has been done, the IEP meeting will be scheduled. Parents/care providers are entitled by law to attend and participate in this meeting, and must be given ample notification of the time and place. Parents/care providers should also request a copy of the evaluation results prior to the meeting so you have time to review them.

When preparing for your IEP meeting, consider the following:

What is your vision for your child - for the future as well as the next school year?

What are your child's strengths, needs, and interests?

What are your major concerns about his/her education?

What has and has not worked in your child's education thus far?

Does the evaluation fit with what you know about your child?

Are there any special factors to consider, such as communication needs or a positive behavioral intervention plan?

While the IEP meeting is meant to develop an education plan for the student, it is also an opportunity for families to share information about their child and their expectations and what techniques have worked at home. If for some reason parents/care providers disagree with the proposed IEP, there is recourse.

Content of the IEP

The IEP should address all areas in which a child needs educational assistance. These can include academic and non-academic goals if the services to be provided will result in educational benefit for the child. All areas of projected need, such as social skills (playing with other children, responding to questions), functional skills (dressing, crossing the street), and related services (occupational, speech, or physical therapy) can also be included in the IEP.

The IEP (see statute text) should list the setting in which the services will be provided and the professionals who will provide the service. Content of an IEP must include the following:

A statement of the child's present level of educational performance. This should include both academic and nonacademic aspects of his/her performance.

A statement of specific, well-defined goals that the student may reasonably accomplish within the next 12 months. These goals should directly relate to a student's disability-related needs, and include baseline data supported by the student's present level of academic and functional performance. It must be clear how goal progress will be monitored and reported

If your child takes an alternative assessment aligned with alternate achievement standards (ex: Common Core Essential Elements), their IEP goals must include a description of short-term benchmarks or objectives. These objectives help parents/caregivers and educators know whether a student is progressing, or is in need of additional support.

A description of all specific special education and related services, including individualized instruction and related support and services to be provided (e.g., occupational, physical, and speech therapy; transportation; recreation). This includes the extent to which the child will participate in regular educational programs.

The initiation date and duration of each of the services, as determined above, to be provided (this can include extended school year services). You may include the person who will be responsible for implementing each service.

If your child is 16 years of age or older, the IEP must include a description of transition services (a coordinated set of activities to assist the student in movement from school to post-secondary education, employment, or other activities).

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Every child in the United States has a right to a public education, this includes children with Autism and other disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is the federal law that guarantees a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for every student with a disability.

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https://autismtreatmentcenter.org/autism-therapy-programs-services/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzMi_BhACEiwAX4YZUNmFOsoqFDdbsU9Z6NKha31gip_-VchxFUjkfxrWqQ5sOYJKrdHTpRoCfCEQAvD_BwE

It is important for families to get the right resources for Autism Therapy Programs. In every case, it is hard to find the right fit. In this website, there are programs that help and support families with capabilities and confidence for success. These programs enhance daily efficiency and interactions along with communication, behavior, and social skills. The website provides a number for parents to call in order to speak to a program advisor. There is also success stories through videos as well. Therapy programs give the parent, child, and siblings support when needed.

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If parents and caregivers ever find themselves in need for an advocate, this website has a link to find an advocate. The personal advocate can also train parents and caregivers to becoming an even stronger advocate for your child. This website is Autism Connection of Pennsylvania. The website also has resources for education, seminars, support groups, and workplace training. As well as support for getting a new diagnosis, work, housing, insurance, and medical issues. The website is geared to families and understands your perspective. These are all resources that can help multiple families and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in any stage of life.

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Our mission is to be a lifeline and hub for families and adults, providing support, information, and advocacy.

Founded in 1996, the Autism Connection of Pennsylvania serves thousands of families, professionals, and adults seeking help for autism questions and concerns. Autism Connection staff understand your perspective. They provide email and telephone support, autism news, sensory-friendly activities, and training for parents, professionals, educators, and first responders, and the organization sponsors support groups across Pennsylvania.

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Autism Connection of Pennsylvania - Autism Connection of Pennsylvania is a lifeline for families and individuals affected by autism providing education, advocacy and support.

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Our mission is to be a lifeline and hub for families and adults, providing support, information, and advocacy. Founded in 1996, the Autism Connection of Pennsylvania serves thousands of families, professionals, and adults seeking help for autism questions and concerns. Autism Connection staff understand your perspective.