1/3 of people diagnosed with ASD struggle with an intellectual disability
- autismspeaks.org What is Autism
- autismspeaks.org What is Autism
Key Window of Diagnosis
Autism has a period of key diagnosis. If a child is diagnosed between the ages of two and three they are able to learn and adapt better. In some cases kids can be diagnosed at 18 months, but this is much less common. It is incredibly important to diagnose a child as soon as you can. Kids learn habits quickly, when they are diagnosed late you often have to work to correct bad habits they have created. According to The Baltimore Sun, "Those lost two years make up a critical window when children's brains are most able to compensate for developmental delays if they receive quality services," (Landrum, M. 2014, April 04). When kids are so young their brains can compensate the differences better than when they are older.
Kids
Reports from the CDC proved that most kids are diagnosed around age 5. This misses the window of key diagnosis (Landrum, M. 2014, April 04). It can be incredibly hard to diagnose a kid with ASD. The signs often don't show until the child is school age, however it can harm the kid if you wait until then to diagnose. Raising Children, Early signs of autism spectrum disorder give some early social, verbal, and relationship signs to look for. They include: smiling, eye contact, gestures, start games (peek-a-boo), respond to their name, and have babbling "conversation." These signs would often be missing and are clearly visible by 18 months. There is a screening called M-CHAT-R™, that screens kids 16-30 months old for their risk of ASD. Autism Speaks reports that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends every child gets screened between the age of 18 and 24 months.
Teens
Autism is a spectrum disorder, because of this individuals affected by it are on a wide range of severity. This is especially prominent in teens. You can easily see it with ASD tin the classroom, while one student may be severely autistic another may appear subtly different. Teens with ASD struggle with things that come easy to us. According to Interactive Autism Network, many people often think that their kids autism is getting worse when they are a teen however it is just normal teen attitude.
Teens with ASD struggle with
Teens with ASD struggle with
- noisy rooms
- crowded hallways
- fluorescent lights
- schedule changes
- understanding rules
- taking hints
- understanding people's feelings
- understanding when someone is bullying them
- eye contact
References:
Autism in the Teen Years: What to Expect, How to Help. (2013, July 23). Retrieved January 16, 2018, from https://iancommunity.org/cs/simons_simplex_community/autism_in_teens
Growing Up Together: Teens with Autism. (2018). [ebook] Bethesda, Maryland, pp.1-4. Available at: https://www.autism-society.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/NEWasa-growing_up-teen-final-rev.pdf [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Landrum, M. (2014, April 04). Early diagnosis can help children with Autism [Commentary]. Retrieved January 16, 2018, from http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-autism-early-detection-20140406-story.html
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R™). (2012, June 19). Retrieved January 16, 2018, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/diagnosis/screen-your-child
Raising Children Network (RCN); jurisdiction=Commonwealth of Australia; sector=non-government. (n.d.). Early signs of autism spectrum disorder. Retrieved January 16, 2018, from http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/autism_spectrum_disorder_early_signs.html/context/917
Raising Children Network (RCN); jurisdiction=Commonwealth of Australia; sector=non-government. (n.d.). Signs of autism spectrum disorder in older children and teenagers. Retrieved January 16, 2018, from http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/autism_spectrum_disorder_signs_teenagers.html
Autism in the Teen Years: What to Expect, How to Help. (2013, July 23). Retrieved January 16, 2018, from https://iancommunity.org/cs/simons_simplex_community/autism_in_teens
Growing Up Together: Teens with Autism. (2018). [ebook] Bethesda, Maryland, pp.1-4. Available at: https://www.autism-society.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/NEWasa-growing_up-teen-final-rev.pdf [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Landrum, M. (2014, April 04). Early diagnosis can help children with Autism [Commentary]. Retrieved January 16, 2018, from http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-autism-early-detection-20140406-story.html
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R™). (2012, June 19). Retrieved January 16, 2018, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/diagnosis/screen-your-child
Raising Children Network (RCN); jurisdiction=Commonwealth of Australia; sector=non-government. (n.d.). Early signs of autism spectrum disorder. Retrieved January 16, 2018, from http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/autism_spectrum_disorder_early_signs.html/context/917
Raising Children Network (RCN); jurisdiction=Commonwealth of Australia; sector=non-government. (n.d.). Signs of autism spectrum disorder in older children and teenagers. Retrieved January 16, 2018, from http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/autism_spectrum_disorder_signs_teenagers.html