Understanding Autism: Myths, Facts, and the Journey of Empathy
AUTISM and ADHD Intro:
More than half of all individuals who have been diagnosed with (Autism spectrum disorder) ASD also have signs of ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Both ADHD and ASD are neuro developmental disorders (brain development has been affected in some way). That means both conditions affect the central nervous system, which is responsible for movement, language, memory, and social and focusing skills. Most importantly, that includes the brain’s executive functioning, which is responsible for decision making, impulse control, time management, focus, and organization skills. For many children, social skills are also affected. Both ADHD and ASD are more common in boys.
Autism is a developmental disorder with symptoms that appear within the first three years of life. Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The word “spectrum” indicates that each individual with autism experiences their own unique strengths, symptoms, and challenges.
Individuals with autism may present a range of symptoms, such as:
Reduced eye contact
Differences in body language
Lack of facial expressions
Not engaging in imaginative play
Repeating gestures or sounds
Closely focused interests
Indifference to temperature extremes
Here’s a general timeline of what this might look like:
From birth: trouble maintaining eye contact
By 9 months: not responding to their name
By 9 months: not displaying facial expressions reflective of their emotions (like surprise or anger)
By 12 months: not engaging in basic interactive games, like peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake
By 12 months: not using (or only using a few) hand gestures, like hand-waving
By 15 months: not sharing their interests with others (by showing someone a favorite toy, for example)
By 18 months: not pointing or looking where others point
By 24 months: not noticing when others appear sad or hurt
By 30 months: not engaging in “pretend play,” like caring for a baby doll or playing with figurines
By 60 months of age: not playing turn-taking games, like duck-duck goose
ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. The actions of a person with ADHD may seem to indicate that he or she isn’t “trying hard enough” to sit still or concentrate, but in many cases, this person doesn’t have stable neurophysiologic mechanisms necessary for self-regulating behavior.
Most common symptoms include:
having trouble focusing or concentrating on tasks
being forgetful about completing tasks
being easily distracted
having difficulty sitting still
interrupting people while they’re talking
talk excessively
find it hard to wait their turn
interrupt others when they’re speaking, playing, or carrying out a task
make frequent mistakes or miss details when studying or working
lose items frequently
be easily distracted by small things happening around them
There are three sub types of ADHD:
Predominantly inattentive. The majority of symptoms fall under inattention.
Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive. The majority of symptoms are hyperactive and impulsive.
Combined. This is a mix of inattentive symptoms and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms.
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