Many children with autism develop focused interests. Strong interest in letters and numbers is particularly common. It's important to understand that your son's pursuits may be a source of happiness and pride for him. It may also help him cope with stress and difficult situations.
Hyperlexia II is when children on the autistic spectrum are hyperlexic. They are obsessed with letters and numbers, arranging them endlessly, taking magnetic tablets to bed instead of other toys or stuffed animals.
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.
Autistic children can experience deficits in executive functioning. This can lead to difficulties in math word problem solving as it involves: Organizing information and operations. Flexibly moving between pieces of information.
Autistic children and teenagers can be very intense and focused about favourite toys, activities and topics of conversation. For example, younger children might collect things like twigs or balls or want to know the birthday of everyone they meet.
Research says that autistic children spend more time on screen than children who do not have autism. About 64.2 percent of young adults with ASD spend their free time on TV, and video games and 13.2 percent of young adults with ASD spend time on social media sites, emails, and chatting.
Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. It can be art, music, gardening, animals, postcodes or numbers. For many younger children it's Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs or particular cartoon characters.
Children with ASD may have difficulty developing language skills and understanding what others say to them. They also often have difficulty communicating nonverbally, such as through hand gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions.
ASD begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a person's life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12 months of life. In others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months of age or later.
31% of children with ASD have an intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] <70), 25% are in the borderline range (IQ 71–85), and 44% have IQ scores in the average to above average range (i.e., IQ >85). Autism affects all ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
They're just as smart as other folks, but they have more trouble with social skills. They also tend to have an obsessive focus on one topic or perform the same behaviors again and again.
Children with autism and ASDs (Autism Spectrum Disorders) often struggle with communication, social situations, anxiety and other behaviors. Even so, children with autism and ASDs can thrive in a school setting, some even going on to attend college and secure jobs or volunteer work.
Wodka's team studied 535 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who had “only a few single words at most” at age 4. By age 8, 70 percent had developed phrase or fluent speech, with 47 percent speaking fluently.
Children with High Functioning Autism have a problem maintaining eye contact with the parent or caregiver. They may not respond to caregivers in the way other children do. They may not laugh or play with the same mannerisms.
Epidemiological studies have shown that hormone abnormalities in pregnant women are a significant potential risk factor for autism in offspring and that sex hormones may be part of the cause of autism.
About 1 in 150 Australians has ASD. The characteristics of ASD usually start in infancy. But they may not be noticeable until the age of 2 or 3 years. Sometimes ASD is diagnosed much later in life.
Autism has a wide spectrum and not every individual with autism can find a place in mainstream schools. However, I have had a few success stories where the right support and timely intervention helped. Several students from my schools were able to successfully complete their education from mainstream schools.
Challenges for Families of Autistic People
A child with ASD can be challenging—they may be restless; have trouble sleeping, eating or speaking; experience seizures; or have meltdowns born of frustration or overstimulation. Expectations for a “normal” life may need to be adjusted.
For our patients with autism, we often recommend an elimination diet—eliminating gluten, dairy, sugar, corn, soy, and other categories of potentially allergenic foods for one month.
Science fiction and fantasy are often of great interest to people with autism. Depending on their interest levels and abilities, people on the spectrum may learn every detail of a particular "universe," write their own stories, watch and rewatch movies, read comics, attend conventions, or even make their own costumes.
Avoiding eye contact and being difficult to engage in conversation. Missing verbal or physical cues, such as not looking at where someone is pointing. Having difficulty understanding others' feelings or talking about feelings in general. Reluctance to socialize or a preference for isolation.
The martial arts—karate, judo, taekwondo , aikido , and more—combine the elements of predictability and structure with the challenges of physical interaction with other people. For many kids with autism, martial arts are a wonderful way to build physical skills along with self-esteem.