Choosing a gift for a loved one can be challenging, and this task is even harder for someone with special needs. We take a look at the different things you should keep in mind when choosing a gift for a young autistic person, and share some gift ideas as well.

What To Gift an Autistic Child

Choosing the right gift for someone can sometimes be pretty daunting. This undertaking can be even more difficult for parents, family members, or friends of an autistic person. To help you answer this question and choose a gift that they will love, take a look at our gift-giving advice below.

How to choose a gift for an autistic child or teenager

Regardless of their age, choosing gifts for autistic children or teenagers can be a challenge for various reasons. Some individuals with autism struggle with communication, meaning that if you ask them what gift they want (or don’t want), they may be unable to express their desires effectively. Others may have specific sensory needs that you need to factor in when picking a present. If these examples resonate with you, or there are other possible reasons making gift buying difficult, here are some tips that can help you pick the perfect gift:

When in doubt, ask

Even if the child or teenager you are buying a gift for struggles to communicate their wants, it’s usually a good idea to start by asking them. If this doesn’t work, you can always ask a parent (if they aren’t your child) or someone else who spends a lot of time with them, like a caregiver or a teacher, what they think. They may be able to give you valuable advice on what gift to purchase.

Work with their specific interests

When deciding what is a good gift for an autistic child or teenager, it’s important to have an idea of what their favorite hobbies or activities are. While some autistic children struggle with ADHD, others are hyper-focused on certain interests, sometimes to the detriment of other important things in their lives. Learn what their interests are and choose an appropriate item from that hobby or activity. For example, if the child or teenager has a passion for animals, consider getting them a stuffed toy of their favorite creature. You can make this gift even better by considering a weighted version of the same toy, as weighted items can help regulate their mood.

They may not like surprises

While many children love surprises, many don’t. This includes many young autistic people, who may become anxious or upset when presented with a surprise gift. This may be because they don’t know what is inside or simply because they don’t know how they should react. If you are unsure, ask a parent, family member, or caregiver how they might react. Consider avoiding wrapping the gift so the person receiving it can see exactly what it is.

Be careful to avoid anything that might overload their senses

Children or teens who have autism often struggle with sensory issues, which is why it’s important to carefully consider any gift to avoid picking something that might overwhelm their senses. This may be an audio sensitivity or discomfort brought on by bright lights or certain textures. It may be a combination of these and other sensory issues for some. For example, some may struggle with the sound of a toy car or even the wrapping paper that a gift is wrapped in.

Consider items from specialists

As awareness and education around autism increases, so does the number of specialists offering toys, autism resources and other items specially designed for an autistic child or teenager’s needs. So if you’re ever struggling to decide what to get an autistic child for their birthday or what to get an autistic child for Christmas, check a specialist store to see what it has on offer.

Even a well-thought-out gift may not be well received

Despite your best efforts, sometimes the young person you are giving the gift to may not react with joy upon receiving it. Some may have a neutral reaction, while others may share their disappointment or even unhappiness if it isn’t exactly what they expected. Even if you spent hours researching the perfect gift, you might discover it’s not the right brand or it isn’t right for their collection, which results in this response.

Gift ideas

While it would be nice to simply know what the best gifts are for an autistic 2-year-old, what are perfect gifts for an autistic 4-year-old, or even what you could buy for a teenager with autism that they will undoubtedly love, there’s, unfortunately, no guarantee when it comes to buying gifts for many young autistic people. A young person may be at a developmental stage that differs from their biological age. Moreover, their individual preferences will also play a major role in choosing a gift. This is why it’s so important to do your homework when choosing a gift for someone who has autism. 

That being said, here are some ideas for autistic children and teenagers that you may find useful and that they may enjoy.

For children

Here are some of the best gifts for autistic kids:

• Chew toys – These chewable items are useful for an autistic child to calm down and self-regulate.
  
• Fidget toys – From cubes to spinners to pop-its, there are a wide variety of fidget toys to help keep kids’ hands busy, while also developing their fine motor skills.
  
• Sensory mats – These mats can be used to simulate the range of textures a child would experience in a more natural environment and can be a great way to expose a child to different surfaces and improve their cognitive functions.
  
• Tangle toy – This is another toy that can be used to keep the child busy but can also help relieve stress through repetitive, twisting motions.
  
• Weighted stuffed toys – Many children love stuffed toys, but weighted toys have an added advantage in helping children with sensory issues better regulate their moods and calm themselves down.

For teenagers

Here are some gift ideas for older kids and teenagers who have autism:

• Board games – Board games are not only fun but are a great way for teenagers to develop their social skills, concentration, and many other faculties.
  
• Crash pads – Crash pads can be a great way for young folks with sensory issues to have fun and develop their sensory awareness.
  
• Hanging cocoon chairs – Apart from being extremely comfortable, hanging cocoon chairs can help teenagers calm themselves by creating a sensory “cocoon” around them.
  
• Noise-canceling ear muffs or headphones – These are beneficial to anyone who is sensitive to specific sounds and can help lower anxiety levels of those who are sensitive to noise.
  
• Sensory lamps – At a glance, these might appear like lava lamps to most people, but these sensory lamps can provide a calming effect on autistic people.

Happy gift shopping!

We hope our advice and gift ideas have provided you with a good starting point to purchase a present for your autistic friend, family member, or loved one.

Autism and Disability Camps and Summer Programs

Below is a compiled list of camps and summer programs all over Indiana that cater to children with autism, as well as children and adults with other disabilities. Click on the links below to visit the website of a camp in your area.

Camp Red Cedar

Close to Leo, Camp Red Cedar is  place that features everything camp has to offer – games, horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, arts and crafts, nature hikes and singing around the campfire. In addition to summer camps, enjoy year-around therapeutic and conventional horseback riding or rent our facilities.  Of course, the entire camp is completely accessible and autism friendly. Discover a whole new world of possibilities within Camp Red Cedar’s 57 acres of meadows, woods, lake and trails.

Camp Millhouse

Inspiring self-discovery in individuals with special needs through a safe, traditional camp experience. Camp Millhouse envisions a world where individuals with special needs are encouraged to realize their full potential and value to make a difference in their communities. 

Noble of Indiana

At our Summer Day Camps, we can tap into the specific interests of each camper by targeting their individual skills and interests. Because we welcome youth with and without disabilities, our inclusive environment encourages everyone to learn, grow and have fun.

Life Compass Camp

Life Compass Camp is 5 day, day camp that offers youth with special needs the chance to experience a more traditional summer camp setting that caters to their individual needs and uses games and activities to teach important life skills.

Jameson Camp

Jameson Camp began in 1928 when the leaders at Marion County Tuberculosis Association came together with the community to meet the need for a summer program that bridged a gap in health and nutrition for children. Since then, Jameson Camp has offered numerous camps especially for children impacted by physical and mental health diagnoses. Today, Jameson Camp is proud to offer a space where any child can feel welcome, safe, and accepted while they discover their strengths, build friendships, and experience nature on over 130 acres of forest, meadow, and streams.

Anderson Woods Camp

Nestled along its namesake, the Anderson River in rural Southern Indiana, Anderson Woods was founded in 1978, and is a private, not-for-profit corporation chartered to provide summer camp experiences, as well as other services, for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Bradford Woods

Bradford Woods is Indiana University’s Outdoor Center. We provide experiential and therapeutic outdoor programs to people of all backgrounds and abilities on our 2,500-acre campus, located between Bloomington and Indianapolis.

Our vision is to be global leaders in delivering inclusive and experiential outdoor programming.

Embracing Abilities Summer Camp

Our annual Summer Camp will consist of fun daily field trips in and around our communities for exploration, vocational skills, physical activities, life skills, creative experiences and more. A monthly calendar will be provided with daily field trips for information, planning and any cost associated.

Autism Community Connection

My Summer Journey is a summer program for teens on the autism spectrum, ages 13-19. Our fun-filled days help keep kids in a routine that can make the transition back to school much easier. The focus of the program is to make new friends along with working on life and social skills.

Camp Crosley YMCA

For over 100 years Camp Crosley YMCA, located in North Webster, Indiana, has been making people feel like they belong through programs like Summer Camp (boys and girls ages 6-15), Group Retreats, School Groups, and Family Events. Located on the shores of Lake Tippecanoe in Northern Indiana, we serve the communities of Muncie, Chicago, Carmel, Fishers, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Valparaiso, and more. Our caring staff want to invite you to experience all that we have to offer.

Grant’s House

In line with optimizing the quality of life for individuals with disabilities or special needs, Youth Services fosters a safe space to promote learning, growth, and acceptance among peers while encouraging compassion and friendship.

Early intervention is vital to assisting a child with autism, but this doesn’t only include professional help. Parents play a key role in helping their children in a variety of ways. Join us as we take a look at how.

The Importance of Parental Involvement

At Lighthouse Autism Center we believe in a team approach to helping your child reach their fullest potential. While every member of the team (parents, caregivers, therapists, educators, doctors, advocates) play a part in your child’s success, parental support is arguably the most important.

How Increased Parental Involvement Helps Children with Autism

As a parent, it’s important to understand the key benefits your involvement will have for your child. Research has shown that increased parental involvement will often help a child with autism manage their symptoms or improve any skills they are struggling with. 

A study titled “Parent-mediated social communication therapy for young children with autism (PACT): long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial,” which was completed by the University of Manchester in 2016, has more good news for parents. 

This study has also shown that early intervention from parents offers general improvements in a child with autism’s symptoms and that this reduction is long-lasting, highlighting how beneficial parental intervention is for the child.

How Parents Can Assist Their Children

Here are some ways parents can help their autistic children.

Support Starts from the Beginning

While the causes of autism are still unknown, it is important to start looking for the signs of autism early. Studies have shown that catching the signs of autism early in a child’s life can lead to better outcomes. Some of these early signs include missing various developmental milestones, no babbling, no eye contact, no response to name, and lack of expression (happiness, smiling). If you suspect that your child may be exhibiting these signs, it is important you contact your healthcare provider to determine if your child has autism.

Support Through Therapy

Once a child receives an autism diagnosis, the next question a parent will ask is how to support a child with autism. It is crucial that parents and caregivers seek appropriate therapy services for their child, which may include ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, or a combination of these and other therapies.

Specifically, ABA therapy is the only therapy recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General for the treatment of autism. With individualized treatment plans designed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts and the work of a trained Registered Behavior Technician, we see children achieve great outcomes through this type of therapy. 

Therapy At Home

It is equally important that parents work to provide a child with the autism support they need outside of therapy sessions. This can be achieved by implementing the same skills their child is working on in therapy at home. For example, if a child works on using utensils as part of a therapy program, but parents do not work with the child to use utensils at home, that child may learn they only have to use utensils when they go to therapy but not at home. Consistency and follow-through are key to a child’s success, and that requires the commitment and work of parents and caregivers to follow through at home.

Lighthouse Autism Center

For parents and children at Lighthouse Autism Center, our Board Certified Behavior Analysts provide parent training and often go into a child’s home to assist parents. We want to make sure that parents have the tools and knowledge to follow through at home and help their child achieve their highest potential. We also have various tools for parents to help their children with autism.

To learn more about Lighthouse Autism Center, call 574-387-4313.

What is Applied Behavior Analysis

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy focuses on the principles and techniques of learning theory to help increase or decrease certain behaviors. ABA therapy is a scientifically validated approach to understanding learning and behavior by looking at the function of the behavior and the environment in which it occurs.

Anything a person does is considered a behavior: talking, eating, coloring, tying shoes, etc… ABA Therapy looks at a particular behavior, studies the purpose behind a behavior to understand in what circumstances that behavior occurs, then uses various techniques to change the behavior, teach a new behavior, or a more functional way of doing that behavior.

For children with autism, ABA therapy focuses on three main areas of development: developing new skills, shaping, and refining previously learned skills, and decreasing socially significant problem behavior.

Developing New Skills

ABA therapy is incredibly effective in helping children with autism gain new skills. For example, if a child’s parent and clinical team determine that a goal for a child is to learn to tie their shoes, this would take place over a period of time with several steps. The child may start with going and finding his/her own shoes. Once that is mastered, the child might find them and place them on their feet independently. Following that, the next step might be to cross the strings. This would continue until the child is independently completing all steps of the process. These steps will be different for every child, but the concept is the same, start at the beginning and give the child the building blocks to complete the new skill independently.

Shaping and Refining Previously Learned Skills

Shaping and refining previously learned skills can take many forms. For example, initially a child may engage someone by pulling a caregiver to an item he or she wants. This may be the only way the child may know how to get someone’s attention. With ABA, this communication skills can be shaped into a different and more effective way of communicating. For example, the BCBA might teach the child how to point to an item instead. They might build towards using a picture communication system, using vocal sounds, or an Augmentative Alternative Communication Device. The possibilities are endless! While this is just one example of shaping previously learned skills, in ABA therapy skills can be shaped in a variety of milestones including, play and independent living skills, just to name a few.

Decreasing Problem Behaviors

Some of the first signs a child may have autism may come in the form of socially significant problem behavior such as, intense tantrums, inappropriate behavior, flopping, etc.

For example, if a child typically has tantrums during lunch, ABA therapy could help in many ways. First, the clinicians would evaluate the environment in which that behavior is taking place. Does this only happen when the child is eating at home? Or when the child is eating at a restaurant? Perhaps it happens while eating in a lunchroom setting, but not at home or while eating at a restaurant. What can the environment in which that screaming is taking place tell us about the behavior?

Once the root cause of the behavior, whether environmental, or something else, is identified, the next step is giving the child the tools to appropriately communicate their wants, needs, or what they do not like about the environment. Perhaps they are upset because they see other peers eating something they want. Maybe the lunchroom feels too loud or overwhelming. Whatever it is, we help give that child the tools to be able to tolerate that environment and appropriately express themselves.

Navigating the Holiday with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Holidays in general can be overwhelming and overstimulating for children with autism. The 4^th of July Holiday can be one of the more overstimulating holidays consisting of large social gatherings, fireworks, parades, festivals and more! Preparing for these upcoming activities is crucial.

There are various ways to ensure that the holiday is safe and memorable for children with autism. Here are a few tips for families and caregivers of children with Autism:

Prepare your child in advance

Prepare your child in advance by telling them what is going to happen at the fireworks display or celebration. Focus on the fun aspect and let your child know that you are excited for these upcoming activities. Engage your child in the excitement and get them excited! Tell them about the holiday and stories of the good food, friends, and activities.  You can read your child books about similar celebrations or show them videos online or even take them to the location beforehand to introduce and bring familiarity to the situation. Create a plan for activities including timing, location, safety, and helpful supplies. Have a plan B. It is important to understand your child’s limits.

Determine a location and create a safe space

Choose a location where your child can retreat easily, such as at home with a view of fireworks, where a quiet room is available if they need a break from the noise and lights or watch by distance from inside your vehicle. You can also create a special space for your child to make them feel more comfortable by bringing their favorite comfort items such as a pillow and blanket or a chair.  It is important that your child feels comfortable and safe and has a space to prevent overstimulation. Create an escape plan if your child becomes too overstimulated. Events like community fireworks can become hectic, fast. As the crowd’s swell, noise grows, and children on the autism spectrum become prone to meltdowns. That is why identifying an escape route to a quiet place is important.

Bring helpful supplies and favorite items

Pack a bag ahead of time with sensory toys, games, and familiar snacks. Also consider headphones for children who are sensitive to loud sounds. As we all know, fireworks can pack a lot of sensory stimulation. Sensory items and snacks can provide a crucial distraction if your child gets antsy while waiting for activities to start.

Make safety a priority

Put a strong focus on safety around fireworks. Wandering and accidents can happen at any time.  However, being in an unfamiliar environment can increase the risk.

Ask for help

Be clear with other adults around you about how they can help make the event comfortable for your child with autism. Make sure your child knows how to ask for help and how to ask for a break from the party or noise. If your child is verbal, they may only need a reminder.  However, many children on the autism spectrum do best with a visual aid. For example, provide your child with a special card to hand to you when they need a break from the stimulation.

Follow us on Facebook for more great content: https://www.facebook.com/LighthouseAutismCenter

The Top 9 Signs Your Infant May Have Autism

We take a look at the most common autism symptoms in babies and toddlers, and the importance of getting children diagnosed as early as possible.

The signs and symptoms of autism are unique to every individual, and they vary in intensity from person to person. It’s a difficult disorder to pick up when children are young, but an early diagnosis can significantly impact a child’s quality of life and shape their development. Having an awareness of autism symptoms in babies and toddlers is critical.

Common Autism Characteristics

Although it’s specific to each individual, there are some more common autism characteristics that indicate a child could be autistic. 

1.) Lack of smiling

Working With Autism Spectrum Disorder

DUBLIN—Some employers increasingly are viewing autism as an asset and not a deficiency in the workplace.

A Germany-based software company has been actively seeking people with autism for jobs, not because of charitable outreach but because it believes features of autism may make some individuals better at certain jobs than those without autism.

It’s a worthy initiative, according to disability experts, since 85% of adults with autism are estimated to be unemployed.

Piloted in Germany, India and Ireland, the program is also launching in four North

SAP aims to have up to 1% of its workforce—about 650 people—be employees with autism by 2020, according to Jose Velasco, head of the autism initiative at SAP in the U.S.

People with autism spectrum disorder—characterized by social deficits and repetitive behavior—tend to pay great attention to detail, which may make them well suited as software testers or debuggers, according to Mr. Velasco, who has two children with the condition.

In addition, these people bring a different perspective to the workplace, which may help with efficiency and creativity as well, he said.

“They have a very structured nature” and like nonambiguous, precise outcomes, Mr. Velasco said. “We’re looking at those strengths and looking at where those traits would be of value to the organization.”

Autistic employees at SAP take on roles such as identifying software problems, and assigning customer-service queries to members of the team for troubleshooting.

SAP is also considering other positions, such as writing manuals to give clients very precise instructions on how to install software.

Individuals with autism might excel at going step by step, without skipping details that others may miss, said Mr. Velasco. The business procurement process, such as getting invoices or managing the supply chain, is another area in which an individual with autism might shine, he said.

SAP isn’t the only company to have such a program. In the U.S., mortgage lenderFreddie Mac FMCC -1.12% has offered career-track internships since 2012, including in IT, finance and research.

The lender hired its first full-time employee from the program in January, according to a Freddie Mac spokeswoman. In IT, the company has found that interns often perform well in testing and data-modeling jobs that require great attention to detail and focus as well as a way of seeing things that might not have been anticipated by the developers.

“Harnessing the unique skills of people on the autism spectrum has the potential to strengthen our business and make us more competitive,” according to the lender’s policy.

To be sure, as with any group, people with autism have a range of interests and abilities. SAP is working with a Danish autism-focused training and consultancy firm, Specialisterne, which carefully screens and interviews the candidates to find the appropriate matches before sending them to SAP to evaluate.

Patrick Brophy, 29 years old, has a bachelor’s degree in computer science in software systems and a master’s in multimedia systems, which includes website development and editing. Mr. Brophy says he has Asperger’s, a term commonly used to describe a milder form of autism spectrum disorder.

He had been looking for full-tine work for a few years but said that in the handful of interviews he went to, he would sometimes stutter or misinterpret questions, which he felt reflected poorly on him in the interviews.

When he arrived at SAP for the screening day, however, he had the technical qualifications and he appeared to have skills to work in a corporate setting, according to Peter Brabazon, Specialisterne program manager. Mr. Brophy was hired by the quality assurance department in July, where he identifies glitches in software prior to it being issued to clients.

“Four weeks before joining, I was steadily more and more nervous,” said Mr. Brophy, who worried about his adjustment to a new environment. “Within a month, [the work] was second nature. I had found myself.”

Mr. Brophy said there have been challenges with his job, particularly when he has to revamp how he does a certain task.

From a social standpoint, he found it easy to integrate into his team, said both Mr. Brophy and David Sweeney, a colleague assigned to be his mentor.

About 1% of the population in the U.S.—or some three million people—is thought to have an autism-spectrum disorder. The latest figures issued Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that one in 68 children have been identified with an autism-spectrum disorder.

Their lifetime employment rate is extremely low even though many want to work, said disability experts. Among young adults between 21 and 25 years old, only half have ever held a paid job outside the home, according to a study published last year in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Though many people with autism go on to higher education and are qualified for employment, they may have trouble getting in the door of a workplace because of difficulties with networking or interviews, according to Wendy Harbour, executive director of the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education, at Syracuse University.

There are a number of companies and outreach efforts that aim to hire people with autism, seeking to tailor work to their abilities.

But SAP and employers like Freddie Mac said their effort is specifically a business decision to take advantage of what they see as unique skill sets.

SAP said that individuals being considered to work there usually have had at least some higher education.

In Dublin, the candidates arrive at the company’s software design center, dubbed the “AppHaus,” which features open spaces, movable desks and whimsical furniture. They are asked to work in pairs on a task building a motorized robot. Candidates are given the instruction manual and brief instructions.

Assessors from Specialisterne look to see if the candidates listen to instructions and pick up on cues, and how they react to challenges such as how the colors of the pieces to the robot look different from the instruction manual. “I want to see how they work together and their technical skills,” said Debbie Merrigan, one of the assessors for Specialisterne.

She wants them to be meticulous, she says. If they aren’t it doesn’t mean they aren’t employable, but they may not be a good fit for working at SAP. Sometimes candidates get overwhelmed and simply leave.

After Specialisterne identifies a candidate as being a good fit, SAP then conducts further interviews, as they would with any other applicant, says Kristen Doran, a program manager in human resources at SAP Dublin. At this facility, 15 candidates were screened and interviewed in order to hire the three who are currently placed as contractors. Mr. Brophy works in the quality assurance department while the other two individuals are in the troubleshooting division.

The candidates are paid market rate and if they succeed on the job, they will be hired as full-time employees after a year, said Liam Ryan, managing director of SAP Labs Ireland.

Difficulties with social interaction and inflexibility can sometimes pose significant problems for individuals with autism, and SAP has a mentoring system and in some cases has made changes to the work schedule to accommodate these new employees. The company also conducts a month of employee-adaptation training to increase employees’ comfort level at working with the team as well as another month or more of job training.

“It’s hard to go into a corporate space if you prefer order to disorder,” says Thorkil Sonne, founder of Specialisterne. “Our biggest effort is to work with them…to define and strengthen their comfort zone,” said Mr. Sonne, who has a son with autism.

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Boys Verses Girls

According to the CDC, boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls.

But does this mean that boys are more likely to have autism or does this mean that girls are just being underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed? Signs of autism in girls can be easily missed, especially in cases of high-functioning autism. The signs and characteristics displayed by children with autism is more easily recognizable with severe and problematic symptoms, often observed among boys. Therefore, boys get referred for diagnostic testing and treatment services earlier in development than girls typically do and are more often diagnosed. Autism in girls and autism in boys do not always look the same. In fact, recent research suggests that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may look quite different in girls—so different, that it can be difficult to diagnose. It may not get noticed in girls until later teen or pre-teen years, when it becomes harder for a child to “cover up” their autism-related characteristics. As the gender differences among children with autism get more closely examined, many experts are beginning to observe that girls may be better at imitating socially appropriate behaviors and have fewer behavior problems than boys. This creates a masking of autism symptoms for girls that prevent them from being referred for services.

Some of the differences in girls with autism verses boys with autism based on resent research are:

• Boys with autism often have very repetitive and limited areas of play. Girls with autism are less repetitive and have broader areas of play.
• Girls with autism are more likely than boys to be able to respond to non-verbal communication such as pointing or gaze following. They are also somewhat more focused and less prone to distraction.
• While boys’ social communication issues become challenging very early in their lives, girls may be able to manage the social demands of early childhood but run into difficulties as they enter early adolescence.
• According to the Kennedy Krieger report, Boys with ASD may tend to engage in disruptive behavior to gain objects, while girls with ASD may tend to engage in disruptive behavior to get attention.
• Girls with autism are more likely than boys to also suffer from anxiety and/or depression.
• While girls with autism do have perseverative interests, they are more likely to choose interests (such as TV stars or music) that appear more typical than, for example, many boys’ perseverative interests in schedules, statistics, or transportation.
• Girls with autism are less likely to behave aggressively and more likely to be passive or withdrawn.
• It is fairly common for girls with autism to appear socially competent as youngsters because they are “taken under the wings” of other girls who enjoy mentoring their peers. These mentors often fade out of the picture as they enter adolescence and find other interests or groups of friends.

Is There a Gendered Difference on the Autism Spectrum?

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined as the broad range of conditions that include challenges with communication skills, social skills, motor skills, daily living skills and more. In the most recent study performed by the CDC, 1 in every 44 children are diagnosed with autism. Furthermore, boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls.

How to Identify Signs of Autism and Evaluating Your Child

Having a child tested for autism spectrum disorder is only something that a qualified professional will be able to do. However, knowing the signs of autism can help you decide whether or not to seek further evaluation for your child. The easiest way to be able to determine if a child should have further evaluation for autism spectrum disorder is to know the signs.

Getting an early diagnosis of ASD is key for proper treatment and early intervention. With that in mind, what are the characteristics of autism?

Sources: