But a child with ASD may also do certain mental tasks very well. For example, the child may be able to count or measure better than other children. Children with ASD may do well in art or music, or be able to remember certain things very well.
Children with ASD may perform repetitive or ritualistic behaviors, such as ordering, arranging, counting, or touching/tapping.
Many children with autism develop focused interests. Strong interest in letters and numbers is particularly common.
Symptoms associated with high-functioning autism
Difficulty with social communication including: Expressing their emotions and feelings. Understanding body language. Understanding facial expressions and tone of voice.
Movement: This type of stimming includes things like walking in circles, bouncing up and down, or shaking one's body. Mental: This type of stimming involves repeating certain words or phrases in the mind. Common examples include counting down from 10, reciting the alphabet, or saying the same thing over and over again.
Autistic stimming includes behaviours that interrupt everyday routine which includes specific behaviours like hand- flapping, rocking, spinning, or repetition of words and phrases.
Children suffering from autism flap their hands as self-stimulatory behavior also called 'stims'. Other such behaviors occasionally seen in kids with autism comprise spinning and rocking. These behaviors tend to help autistic children calm themselves or regulate their emotional states.
A child with level 1 autism may understand and speak in complete sentences, but have difficulty engaging in back-and-forth conversation. Children with ASD level 1 experience some inflexibility of behavior, like difficulty switching between tasks, staying organized, and planning.
Some developmental health professionals refer to PDD-NOS as “subthreshold autism." In other words, it's the diagnosis they use for someone who has some but not all characteristics of autism or who has relatively mild symptoms.
Early symptoms often noted by parents include delayed speech, restricted interests, not responding to his or her name, and avoiding eye contact. No two autistic children will have the same symptoms. Warning signs might be easy to see in one person, and virtually invisible in another.
They show other signs of autism, such as withdrawal and isolation, avoidance of eye contact, and are adverse to giving or receiving affection. They are often overly sensitive to sounds or other forms of sensory overload. They too read early; way ahead of expected schedule.
1) Children with autism take comfort in organizing and sorting their toys. While at first their play habits may appear to be similar to those of children with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), children with autism tend to sort, stack, and organize their toys because they find it comforting.
Not All Autistics Are Mathematic Savants, But Many Have Above-Average Math Abilities. It turns out that, despite impressions, most ASD patients may not be any better at math than their counterparts at a particular age or developmental stage.
Anxiety disorders with extreme shyness and social withdrawal can be mistaken for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Social anxiety disorder can cause children to be "shut down" with regard to social interactions.
Seizures. Surprisingly, 1 in 4 children living with autism also has a seizure disorder. These episodes can range from brief spells of staring blankly to full-body convulsions. Fortunately, many seizure disorders respond positively to medical intervention.
You may wonder what it means when you or your child feel compelled to constantly count. This constant counting is a common compulsion of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Counting may be done mentally or out loud.
Borderline autistic children often become obsessive with patterns and repetitive behavior and play. Even though they engage in repetitive behavior, it is less extreme than children with autism. Toddlers that are borderline autistic may have a specific attachment to an odd item such as liking door knobs, keys, lamps…
Early signs of autism can be detected in babies by playing peek-a-boo, research has shown. If their brains respond less than they should to the stimulating game they are more likely to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as toddlers.
It is not uncommon to see autistic children giggling to themselves. One reason might be that they are reliving some funny moment, using recorded, stored sensory images. Funny memories triggered by sight, sound, smell, movement, etc. bring bursts of giggling.
ASD Level 1 – Level 1 ASD is currently the lowest classification.
Meltdowns are overwhelming emotions and quite common in Level 1 Autistic kids. They can be caused by anything from a very minor incident to something more traumatic.
“High-functioning autism” isn't an official medical term or diagnosis. It's an informal one some people use when they talk about people with autism spectrum disorder , or ASD, who can speak, read, write, and handle basic life skills like eating and getting dressed. They can live independently.
Understanding the Response to Affection
For instance, some children with ASD may appear disinterested when engaged in play or in response to affection from loved ones while others may have an overly affectionate child with autism. Individuals with autism can also have an aversion to touch.
For example, children might collect only sticks or play only with cars. For example, children might: make repetitive noises like grunts, throat-clearing or squealing.
In some cases, a child may appear to have clumsiness and awkwardness in doing normal activities like walking and running. Some children also have repetitive behaviors such as hand clapping, twisting, or twirling.