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.
People with autism may show their love by: sharing their special interest. allowing someone into their space. using alternative forms of communication.
Hyperlexia is an extreme focus and obsession with letters, numbers, words, and reading. If your child is young and not yet talking but can read or say letters or numbers, they may be hyperlexic.
Love and affection may be felt but expressed differently
They may show love, for example, through a practical act, and tidy up for you, or iron your shirt, rather than through a more neurotypical way of looking at you and telling you or using physical affection.
People with autism may get easily attached to people, leading them to become over-friendly. It can be difficult to understand other people's perceptions of situations, therefore what they feel is appropriate, may be considered as socially unacceptable.
While many children with autism feel averse to hugging, some children with autism like to be hugged. Some children can swing the opposite way and want so many hugs that they feel hug deprived when they aren't getting enough.
Some children with ASD know their alphabet letters at a very young age. However, they may lack other important early literacy skills, such as understanding why people read and write, or understanding the characters' actions or intentions in a story.
Hyperlexia is when a child starts reading early and surprisingly beyond their expected ability. It's often accompanied by an obsessive interest in letters and numbers, which develops as an infant. Hyperlexia is often, but not always, part of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Many kids and teens with autism make frequent sounds and noises when excited or anxious. These vocalizations — which can sound loud or quiet, high-pitched or low-pitched, happy or upset — are often a form of self-stimulatory behavior (stimming).
Autistic children love their parents
You may have to learn to see how your child expresses affection and not take it personally if your child doesn't show affection in the way that typical children do.
Children with ASD often need a hug, just like other children. Sometimes they need this much more than other children. But some children don't like to be touched. Respect their personal space.
Children with autism seek sensory input in a myriad of ways. Some enjoy the physical touch of loved ones through hugs, tickles, cuddles, and kisses. While on the other hand, others find more enjoyment in the sensory input from the physical environment in which we live.
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.
Many children on the autism spectrum use echolalia, which means they repeat others' words or sentences. They might repeat the words of familiar people (parents, teachers), or they might repeat sentences from their favourite video. When children repeat words right after they hear them, it's known as immediate echolalia.
Fixations or Intense Interests. Most common in high-functioning people with autism, fixations often manifest as intense focus surrounding a certain topic or area of interest. For example, a person with autism may obsessively practice a particular skill, or may read every book and article written about a certain subject ...
Autism and giftedness can go hand in hand. Twice-exceptional kids have great ability, but they also face certain challenges. Giftedness and autism share some qualities, like intellectual excitability and sensory differences. Some kids have these qualities because they're both gifted and autistic.
ASD level 3 is characterized by severe challenges in social communication as well as extremely inflexible behavior. Children with level 3 autism will be nonverbal or have the use of only a few words of intelligible speech. Initiation of social interaction is very limited, as well as response to others.
Children with autism can be silent or chatty, bright or intellectually challenged. Their behaviors can range from quirky to aggressive. They may do well academically or face serious learning disabilities. All that said, though, children with autism do have certain qualities in common.
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.
Individuals with autism can also have an aversion to touch. Touch can cause a lack of emotional response or may even cause emotional stress and turmoil. Touch aversion in autism can feel uncomfortable for friends and family who are unfamiliar with this common response.
It's a common misconception that autistic people are unaware of their condition. The truth is, many autistic people are very much aware of their autism and how it affects them. In fact, some say that it's through understanding and acceptance of their autism that they've been able to lead fulfilling lives.