2.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability which is caused by differences in the brain. Autism affects approximately 1 in 44 children in the United States. Signs of Autism can be spotted anytime after a child turns 2, however, children can be diagnosed as young as 18 months.

Autism can impact social interaction, communication skills, and even cognitive function.

Autism is a broad spectrum of different characterized challenges. It is also important to realize that not every child with Autism is the same or have all the symptoms of ASD.

We do not provide Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, but can refer you to ABA companies around the area.

It is important to note that not every child is the same and boys and girls typically have different characteristics.

Some common symptoms and comorbidities of Autism are:

Common Symptoms:

avoiding or not making eye contact
unable to respond to name by 9 months
unable to understand feelings of others
delayed language skills
difficulty expressing emotion
trouble speaking or forming individual thoughts at a young age
feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated in noisy or crowded environments
repetitive body movement and or motions
ritualistic behavior
staring at lights or spinning objects.

Comorbidities:

ADHD/ADD
gastrointestinal disorders
anxiety
feeding or eating difficulty
trouble sleeping
Obsessive compulsive Disorder (OCD)
epilepsy

unable to mimic emotions
getting upset when certain sounds, smell, or taste are present
rigid schedule and when disrupted become upset
hard to express themselves
take things very literally