What is Autism? 

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, social skills, and behavior. According to the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association, it is characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction and the presence of restricted, repetitive behaviors:

  • Social communication deficits may appear in many ways and can include impairments in joint attention (sharing focus on an object with another person) and social reciprocity (successfully interacting with another individual) as well as challenges using verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors for social interaction.
  • Restricted, repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities are manifested by stereotyped (or repetitive) speech, motor movement, or use of objects; strict adherence to routines; restricted interests; and hyper- and/or hypo-sensitivity to sensory input.
Children play outside with a colorful parachute game.
Close up of a small boy's hands as he plays with legos

Signs of Autism

You can often observe signs and symptoms of autism in very young children, but sometimes they are not very noticeable and may not be recognized until school age or even adulthood. Signs and symptoms my change as the person gets older, but there will always be challenges with communication, social skills, and behaviors.

Communication

Communication includes understanding, talking, reading, and writing. A person with autism may have challenges with the following:

  • Understanding and using gestures like pointing or waving
  • Understanding and using words
  • Following directions
  • Learning to read or write—some children with autism read early but do not understand what they read (called hyperlexia)
  • Having conversations

A person with autism may manifest the following symptoms:

  • Lose early words
  • Be hard to understand
  • Repeat words or phrases they just heard or that they heard days or weeks earlier (called echolalia)
  • Use a robotic or singsong speaking voice
  • Talk very little or not at all
  • Use challenging behaviors instead of words or gestures to communicate what they want
Social Skills

A person with autism may have challenges relating to others. It might seem like they are not interested in others or in making friends. A person with autism may have difficulty

  • sharing attention with someone else and focusing on the same object or event;
  • joining in play with others and sharing toys;
  • responding when others invite them to play or talk;
  • understanding how others feel;
  • taking turns in play or in conversation;
  • making and keeping friends.
Behaviors

A person with autism may 

  • repeat certain behaviors, including hand or body movements;
  • cry, laugh, or become angry for unknown reasons;
  • have trouble changing from one activity to the next;
  • get upset by certain sounds, smells, or textures;
  • like only a few foods;
  • choose foods based on look or texture;
  • be interested in only a few objects or topics.
Causes of Autism

Autism is present throughout the person’s lifetime. Sometimes autism runs in families and other times you may not know what caused it. Some possible causes include

  • genetic differences;
  • differences in brain development or in brain function;
  • exposure to harmful materials or chemicals in the environment.
M-CHAT Screen

The M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers ™) is a simple autism screen that can help you determine if a professional should evaluate your child. If the answers suggest your child has a high probability for autism, please consult with your child’s doctor. Likewise, if you have any other concerns about your child’s development, speak to your doctor now about screening your child for autism. 

Close up of a child's hands using an iPad.
A young boy sites at a table and writes in a notebook next to a young girl.

Therapy Options

Speech-language therapy

Speech-language therapy addresses challenges with language and communication and can help people with autism improve their verbal, nonverbal, and social communication skills. The overall goal is to help the person communicate in more useful and functional ways.

Communication and speech-related challenges vary from person to person. Some individuals on the autism spectrum are not able to speak and others love to talk but have difficulty holding a conversation or understanding body language and facial expressions when talking with others.

A speech therapy program begins with an evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) to assess the person’s communication strengths and challenges. From this evaluation, the SLP creates individual goals for therapy. Common goals may include improving spoken language, learning nonverbal skills like signs or gestures, or learning to communicate using an alternative method (such as pictures or technology). 

Examples of the skills that speech therapy may work on include:

  • Strengthening the muscles in the mouth, jaw and neck
  • Making clearer speech sounds
  • Matching emotions with the correct facial expression
  • Understanding body language
  • Responding to questions
  • Matching a picture with its meaning
  • Using a speech app on an iPad to produce the correct word
  • Modulating tone of voice

At Bright Skies, we will get to know your child and his/her specific needs during an evaluation. We will use those results to develop a therapy plan focused on improving the necessary skill(s) and achieving their individual goals.

Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC)

Some people with autism find that using pictures or technology to communicate is more effective than speaking. This is known as Alternative Augmentative Communication or AAC. A speech-language pathologist can help to identify which AAC method (if any) is right for someone with autism and teach him/her how to use that method to communicate.

Examples of AAC methods include:

  • Sign language
  • Picture exchange communication system (PECS)
  • iPads
  • Speech output devices (such as Dynavox)

Learn more about AAC here.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy practitioners are distinctly qualified to enhance quality of life for individuals with autism and their families by supporting productive and meaningful participation in community activities. Because of their expertise in activity and environmental analysis, occupational therapy practitioners are particularly skilled in using evidence-based strategies to address self-regulation and sensory needs, adaptive skills, motor development, mental health, social participation, and daily life skills.

Occupational therapy interventions include: 

  • independent living skills training and modifications 
  • motor development and motor planning skill development 
  • sensory integration and sensory-based strategies 
  • positive mental health strategies 
  • social-emotional development and self-regulation strategies and programs 
  • behavioral approaches, in collaboration with team members to support participation 
  • play and/or leisure participation activities 
  • cognitive-behavioral approaches that support positive behaviors 
  • visual supports such as schedules, timers, and video modeling
  • technology recommendations in education and work activities 
  • strategies to support personal responsibility and self-advocacy skills 
  • approaches and strategies to promote transition to adulthood 
  • work readiness skill development

At Bright Skies, our therapists will assess your child’s physical, sensory, emotional, and cognitive abilities while working closely with you and your child to build a plan that address their specific needs, both now and as they grow. 

Contact us today to schedule an appointment and discover how we might help your child reach their greatest potential.

Sources, and for more information, visit aota.org, autismspeaks.org, and asha.org.