Many children with autism have weakness in the core muscles of the stomach and back. Others have poor body awareness. That is they don't quite sense where their bodies are in space. Any of these issues can produce poor posture, wriggling and discomfort while sitting at the meal table.
Kyphosis (a curved spine), collapsed chest, dropped shoulders and even scoliosis are observed in many of our patients. These myriad of postural issues may result from reduced strength, decreased biomechanical stability, or from a sensory impairment, such as apraxia.
Sensorimotor deficits, including reduced postural control [1,2,3], poor upper and lower limb coordination during reaching [4] and walking [5, 6], and reduced anticipatory control of motor behaviors [7, 8], frequently are seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are considered associated features ...
posturing – for example, holding hands or fingers out at an angle or arching the back while sitting. visual stimulation – for example, looking at something sideways, watching an object spin or fluttering fingers near the eyes. repetitive behaviour – for example, opening and closing doors or flicking switches.
Many autistic people tend to get absorbed by the task they are engaged in and keep going until it is completed. This pattern of behavior may be an expression of intolerance of uncertainty, rather than a task-switching issue per se.
Touch is an important component of many social experiences for many people. Autistic children commonly avoid social touch more than non-autistic peers. It is generally thought that this is due to autistic individuals experiencing hyper- or hyposensitivity of touch.
Sensory Issues
Many people with autism experience sensory processing disorder. This is more commonly known as sensory overload. Noise, crowds, bright lights, strong tastes, smells, and being touched can feel unbearable to someone with HFA. This makes going to restaurants, movies, and shopping malls difficult.
Individuals with autism often have a number of unusual physical characteristics, called dysmorphologies, such as wide-set eyes or broad foreheads. Dysmorphic features may mark a subgroup of individuals who have autism with a distinct underlying genetic cause.
Children with ASD tend to augment their walking stability with a reduced stride length, increased step width and therefore wider base of support, and increased time in the stance phase.
hand and finger mannerisms, like finger-flicking and hand-flapping. rocking the body back and forth while sitting or standing. posturing – holding hands or fingers out at an angle or arching the back while sitting.
Schriber et al[55] investigated personality differences between ASD adults and neurotypical control adults using self-reports of the Big Five personality traits. Individuals with ASD were more neurotic, and less extraverted, agreeable, conscientious and open to experience, than neurotypical controls.
One theory is that it may be related to differences in brain development. Research has shown that the same genes involved in brain development are also involved in the development of facial features. Therefore, it's possible that differences in brain development could lead to differences in facial features.
Memorising and learning information quickly. Thinking and learning in a visual way. Logical thinking ability. May excel (if able) in academic areas such as science, engineering and mathematics as they are technical and logical subjects that do not heavily rely on social interaction.
So-called 'lower-order' repetitive behaviors are movements such as hand-flapping, fidgeting with objects or body rocking, and vocalizations such as grunting or repeating certain phrases. 'Higher-order' repetitive behaviors include autism traits such as routines and rituals, insistence on sameness and intense interests.
Some of the frequent facial features of autism are a broader upper face, shorter middle face, wider eyes, bigger mouth, and the philtrum [19]. The use of facial features as a physical marker to detect autism is one of the most exciting topics in autism research.
High-functioning autism means that a person is able to read, write, speak, and handle daily tasks, such as eating and getting dressed independently. Despite having symptoms of autism, their behavior doesn't interfere too much with their work, school, or, relationships.
Children with autism are often clumsy, physically awkward or uncoordinated.
Walk on by:
The researchers also documented altered gait in young adults with autism. These individuals take longer to take a step or a full stride, and have shorter strides than controls do. This means that they walk more slowly overall.
If your child has autism and has any of the following, flat feet, hypermobile feet, poor balance, low muscle tone, feet roll in. Then it is important to get a biomechanical assessment straight away.
Facial expressions smooth social interactions: A smile may show interest, a frown empathy. People with autism have difficulty making appropriate facial expressions at the right times, according to an analysis of 39 studies1. Instead, they may remain expressionless or produce looks that are difficult to interpret.
Other signs of autism
not understanding social "rules", such as not talking over people. avoiding eye contact. getting too close to other people, or getting very upset if someone touches or gets too close to you. noticing small details, patterns, smells or sounds that others do not.
Signs and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder
People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention.
Low functioning autism refers to children and adults with autism who show the most severe symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder and are diagnosed as having Level 3 ASD. They are usually unable to live independently and require support from a guardian throughout their lives.