Symptoms And Characteristics Of Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Autism Spectrum spectrum disorders (ASD) have many common characteristics and symptoms, yet each person with ASD has their own set of gifts and struggles which may greatly differ from their peers. Autism spectrum disorders have a wide variety of signs, symptoms, traits and characteristics that can range from mild impairments to severe disabilities. Each person with autism is unique and may have different traits than the person next to them who also has autism. As stated on Ascend, “if you’ve met one person with AS, you’ve met one person with AS” (“Common Characteristics of AS”). Understanding and identifying the characteristics of autism at all age levels will help parents, caregivers and doctors notice delays and non-typical behaviors so the individual can be diagnosed and receive support services.
Autism Spectrum spectrum Disorders disorders have been reevaluated and revamped to clarify and make diagnosing easier. ASD according to the DSM-V, “now encompasses former DSM-IV distinct categories of “classic” Autism, Asperger’s disorder…Pervasive pervasive development disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder” (“Autism Spectrum Disorder DSM-V Diagnosis”). To be diagnosed with ASD a person must have social communication and interaction deficits and repetitive or restricted behaviors (Hyman, Susan). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 68 children have been diagnosed with ASD. It is five times more common in boys that than in girls. ASD also appears in all races and ethnicities. If one child in a family has autism, parents are 2-18% more likely to have a second child that has autism. More than half of children diagnosed with ASD have average to above average intelligences (“Data & Statistics”).
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... have full time supervision to having very successful careers and living independently (“Autism-Symptoms”). Some adults with autism may have a difficult time with small talk, anxiety when things don’t go according to plan, or struggle to maintain a meaningful relationship. Adults with autism may have a hard time making eye contact, expressing their emotions or lack the ability to pick up on body language or facial cues. Many adults with autism also have secondary health issues such as “obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias and anxieties” (Franco, Virginia). Adults with ASD have some positive traits such as average to above average intelligence, great problem solving skills, persistent and diligent when pursuing goals or tasks, and honesty (“Common Characteristics of AS”). Over their lifetime, many adults have had experience with different therapies and treatments.

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