What is Autism?

That is a very hard question because anyone living with autism or has a family member with autism knows it means something different to everyone. Autism is a developmental spectrum disorder that can affect a variety of areas. To some families it means loss of eye contact. Their child not wanting to be touched or held. To another family it could mean no speech with aggressive behavior and meltdowns. Yet some are only mildly affected and attend school in regular classes. We know this as a community and you are in the right place. For those new to their autism diagnoses we are going to give you the clinical definition. 

Autism is a developmental disorder. It is a spectrum disorder meaning it could be several of the following symptoms.....

Loss of or poor eye contact, not responding when spoken to, difficulty communicating,  language delay, repetitive movements, repeating words, compulsive behavior,  unaware of others feelings, anxiety, aggression, sensitivity to sounds/lights/taste/touch/smell, limited interests, self harm, inappropriate social interaction, food sensitivity or intolerance, picky eating, sensory issues, neurotic behavior/OCD, ADHD, under or over react to pain, does not point at objects, upset at minor changes, avoids physical contact, inappropriate facial expressions, prefers to play alone. Etc.

How is Autism diagnosed?

Autism is usually diagnosed by a specialist who will sit with your child and play a series of age appropriate games (tests) to see what your child can do. The doctor will ask the parents a bunch of developmental questions like "did he/she walk on time"? Did they crawl, turn over, use a fork, spoon, talk on time? Did they use one word, two word, etc? If your child doesn't speak they will ask questions about that also. The doctor will make a diagnosis between what they find and what the parents tell them.

You received a diagnosis of autism. What's next?

Luckily there is alot of information out there today. We will include some very useful links throughout this site that are highly respected and in our opinion have the most to offer as far as information. What we have personally learned in our 13 years is reach out. Dont hide home. Get your child out there in public whether they have meltdowns or not. Let the public see what autism is. A child with autism is not different than any other child you see in public with a tantrum and the sooner you get your child used to dealing with the world the better. Autism doesn't mean your child cant learn it just means they will learn differently and at there own pace. Never put limits on your child. There's no possible way to know their potential is so shoot for the stars. Early intervention is great but if you didnt get it start now. It's never to late for anyone autistic or not to learn. Find a developmental pediatrician,  if needed speech therapy,  occupational therapy, find play groups, find fb support group pages (including our Generation Au-some® support page. A support page is a great way to meet other parents, share ideas and get advice from people who have been there), and above all never be afraid to reach out for help.