| You have just received the news that your child | | | | the child does speak. |
| has been diagnosed with autism. You may not | | | | Autistic children also have no concept of what |
| even know what that means and you will have to | | | | may put them at risk or in danger. Something like |
| ask your doctor to explain it to you. He will tell | | | | fire will do nothing to frighten them or make then |
| you that it is a neurological disorder that strikes | | | | aware that it can harm them. In fact, they are |
| children between the ages of 1 and 3. While some | | | | often given to self injury, and seem to draw |
| children seem to develop normally up to a certain | | | | pleasure from hurting themselves. Hitting one's |
| age, they often regress to the earlier years of | | | | head repeatedly against the wall or the rails of the |
| development. | | | | crib will have no effect on them. It is just another |
| Children with autistic tendencies are often | | | | manifestation of the disease. Parents are |
| withdraw from any types of social interactions | | | | devastated at seeing their child behave this way |
| involving children their own age, siblings, and | | | | and are at a loss as to what to do. |
| parents. They seem to prefer their own | | | | Your child may be completely passive one minute, |
| company, and see no need for communication. | | | | and erupt into a shrieking temper tantrum the |
| They will be content to stare at an object for | | | | next. You will not know what caused it, and in |
| hours on end, and often become quite fixated on | | | | reality, it may have been nothing in particular. This |
| that object. They have no desire to talk, even if | | | | is just the way autism affects some children. |
| the language was developed normally at an earlier | | | | They cannot control their behavior and are not |
| age. | | | | doing this on purpose. It is frightening to you, as a |
| They probably will not respond when you call | | | | parent, and can leave you feeling helpless. Medical |
| them by name or try to interact with them. It's | | | | intervention is often necessary. |
| as if you are invisible to them. They have no | | | | If you observe that your child is not behaving or |
| empathy for others, and in fact may see other | | | | developing at a normal rate, see a specialist. The |
| people as objects. You will find that the autistic | | | | earlier autism is treated the greater the chance is |
| child refuses to make eye contact with you or | | | | of your child being able to function normally. |
| others. They may be given to making repetitive | | | | Physical therapy, speech and occupational |
| movements over and over, such as rocking back | | | | programs have had great success in the ongoing |
| and forth. Certain phrases will seem to get stuck | | | | treatment of autistic children. Help is available if |
| in their memory and you may find yourself | | | | you don't try to push the problem aside. |
| listening to the same set of words all day long, if | | | | |