| It wasn't until the middle of the twentieth century | | | | A number of autistic children are either hyper or |
| was that there a name for a disorder that now | | | | hypo sensitive to light, sound, crowds and other |
| appears to affect an estimated 1 in 150 children, a | | | | external stimulation. Some have both hyper and |
| complex developmental disability that typically | | | | hypo sensitivities. This often results in autistic |
| appears before age three. Autism Spectrum | | | | children covering their ears, avoiding or reacting |
| Disorders (ASD) affects early brain development | | | | negatively to brightly lit areas, or crashing hard |
| by various degrees of impairment in | | | | into sofas and craving strong bear hugs. |
| communication skills, social interactions, and | | | | Using repetitive movements. This can be a |
| restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of | | | | movement like spinning around, or bouncing back |
| behavior. | | | | and forth while sitting. These movements are |
| Autism disorders, range from a severe form, | | | | calming to the autistic child. |
| called autistic disorder, through pervasive | | | | Problems with movement. Some children with |
| development disorder not otherwise specified | | | | autism disorders often have trouble with their |
| (PDD-NOS), to a much milder form, Asperger | | | | coordination skills. They may always be tripping or |
| syndrome. There are also to rare forms of this | | | | stumbling over their own feet. They may take a |
| disorder, Rett syndrome and Childhood | | | | long time to learn how to ride a bike. This often |
| disintegrative disorder. | | | | manifests itself in poor handwriting, difficulty with |
| Social Disorders: | | | | athletic coordination, etc. As a result, when autistic |
| The child may have a hard time talking to other | | | | children get involved with sports, it's usually in |
| kids. They tend to have a hard time going up to | | | | individual, endurance sports such as running and |
| someone and starting a conversation. | | | | swimming. |
| Have trouble understanding when someone is | | | | Personality Disorders: |
| joking, or being sarcastic. Children with Autism | | | | Some children with autism disorders have a hard |
| disorders have a hard time understanding tones | | | | time with changes in their routine. This can be |
| of people's voices. They tend to take everything | | | | hard for a child starting school. They had a routine |
| said seriously. | | | | at home and now that is being changed. The |
| Talking a lot. Children with Aspergers usually talk a | | | | same thing can happen during breaks during the |
| lot. They often say whatever they are thinking | | | | school year. This is a common problem of Autistic |
| whether it is appropriate or not. Most of the | | | | children. |
| conversations they have are one sided. While it | | | | They may have very limited interests. A child |
| looks like the child is talking to you, they are really | | | | with autism may only want to focus on one thing. |
| talking at you. | | | | They may take a liking to puzzles, and only want |
| Problems making friends. Kids with Autism often | | | | to do puzzles all the time. They will often learn |
| have trouble making friends due to their inability | | | | everything they can about one subject. That will |
| to relate to the other children. They sometimes | | | | be all they focus on. |
| try to hard to make friends and scare the other | | | | Problems making friends. The children have trouble |
| kids away. | | | | making friends due to their inability to relate to |
| No eye contact. The Child usually will not look you | | | | the other children. They sometimes try to hard to |
| in the eye when speaking. This is another | | | | make friends and scare the other kids away. |
| common trait of an Autistic child. | | | | Prefer activities that require relatively little verbal |
| Sensory and Motor Symptoms: | | | | interaction. |