Autism

Summary: 

Individuals who have difficulty communicating and understanding basic life skills is one of the key indicators for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism is predominately diagnosed in children and can be detected as young as age three. 

Common Symptoms of Autism include: 

• Delayed learning abilities 
• Difficulty communicating
• Inability to express emotions or understand facial expressions
• Avoiding eye contact
• High sensitivity to their surroundings
• Difficulty adapting to change in routine 

Therapies include behavioral counseling and life skills for both the child and parent/guardian. Children with autism communicate in their own language, and most appear to respond well to a consistent routine schedule. Parents are highly engaged in these services in order to implement some of the recommendations from the comfort of their home. 

In addition, a child’s primary physician may also recommend occupational and speech therapies depending on the severity of the child’s symptoms.