Autism Spectrum Disorder.

About Autism.

People with autism have challenges with communication and social skills.
They often find it hard to have conversations and may not pick up on social
cues. Some people with autism may not talk at all, and others may talk very
well. But all will have some challenges making friends and communicating
socially.

People with autism also have some type of restricted interest or repetitive
behaviors. They may focus on one topic, like cars or a television show, or they
may be attached to a certain object or activity. A person with autism may not
like changes in their schedule or changes in the way they do something.

Autism can range on a spectrum from mild to severe, depending on how much
these challenges affect everyday life.

Signs and Symptoms of Autism.

You can often observe signs and symptoms of autism in very young children.
But sometimes they are not very noticeable, and they might not be recognized
until school age or even adulthood. Signs and symptoms my change as the
person gets older, but there will always be challenges with communication,
social skills, and behaviors.

Communication

Communication includes understanding, talking, reading, and writing. A

person with autism may have challenges

 understanding and using gestures like pointing or waving;

 understanding and using words;
  following directions;
 learning to read or write—some children with autism read early but do
not understand what they read (called hyperlexia); and
 having conversations.

A person with autism may

 lose early words;

 be hard to understand;
 repeat words or phrases they just heard or that they heard days or weeks
earlier (echolalia);
 use a robotic or singsong speaking voice;
 talk very little or not at all; and
 use challenging behaviors instead of words or gestures to communicate
what they want.

Social Skills

A person with autism may have challenges relating to others. It might seem
like they are not interested in others or in making friends.

It may be hard for a person with autism to

 share attention with someone else and focus on the same object or
event;
 join in play with others and share toys;
 respond when others invite them to play or talk;
 understand how others feel;
 take turns in play or in conversation; and
 make and keep friends.
Behaviors

A person with autism may

 repeat certain behaviors including hand or body movements;

 cry, laugh, or become angry for unknown reasons;
 have trouble changing from one activity to the next;
 get upset by certain sounds, smells, or textures;
 like only a few foods;
 choose foods based on look or texture; and
 be interested in only a few objects or topics.

Causes of Autism

Autism is present throughout the person’s lifetime, and you may not know
what caused it. Sometimes, autism runs in families. Some possible causes
include

 genetic differences;
 differences in brain development or in brain function; and
 exposure to harmful materials or chemicals in the environment.

Seeing a Professional

Testing for Autism

Testing is usually done by a team of individuals who know about autism. The
team may include a medical doctor, a neurologist, a developmental
psychologist, and an SLP. The individual and their family members are
always part of the team. An audiologist also tests the person’s hearing to make
sure they do not have a hearing loss.

SLPs test the person’s communication and social skills. They may talk with
others to learn about the person’s communication in settings like home,
school, or work.

Some people with autism are hard to understand, talk very little, or don’t talk
at all. SLPs test the person’s ability to use augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC) to help them communicate. AAC can include sign
language, gestures, pictures, computer tablets, and other electronic devices.

All people with autism have social communication challenges. But not all
people with social communication challenges have autism. SLPs can help
figure out if a person has autism or a social (pragmatic)
communication disorder. Knowing the diagnosis will help the SLP find the
best treatment.

Treatments for People With Autism

There is no known cure for autism. For young children with autism, it is best
to get help early. Ask about local early intervention and preschool programs.
Adolescents and adults with autism also benefit from treatment to help them
communicate better in school, at work, and in the community.

A variety of specialists might work with a person with autism throughout their
lifetime. These can include SLPs, audiologists, psychologists, special
educators, vocational counselors, and job coaches.

SLPs play an important role in autism treatment. They can help the person
with autism build communication and social skills in various settings like
home, school, and work. SLPs can also help the person learn to use AAC if
they need help communicating. SLPs may work with the person alone or in
small groups. Groups can help the person practice their skills with others.

Depending on the person’s needs, SLPs may work on some of the following
skills:

 Getting along with others in a variety of settings

 Using appropriate communication behaviors
 Taking turns in conversation
 Transitioning from one task or setting to another
 Accepting change and expanding interests, including trying new foods
 Improving reading and writing skills

For people with autism who are transitioning to work, SLPs can also

 help them write cover letters;

 practice interview skills; and
 learn strategies to communicate better at work.
 One of the important diagnostic features in autism is qualitative impairment
in communication. By definition, children with autism show delays and
deficits in the acquisition of language, which range from the almost complete
absence of functional communication to adequate linguistic knowledge, but
impairments in the use of that knowledge in conversation or other discourse
contexts.

Abnormal Speech Patterns In Autism

 One of the major characteristics of autism is abnormal speech patterns.

Children with autism are often non-verbal when initially diagnosed. Any
 present speech is usually highly deviant and of limited communicative
function.
 The speech of many children with autism appears abnormal and is often
described as machine-like, “monotonic,” or “sing-song.” The abnormalities
were even noted in early descriptions of autism. However, their exact
characteristics, underlying mechanisms, consistency, and diagnostic power
had not yet been established.
 Earlier studies on abnormal speech patterns focused on prosody or abnormal
supra-segmental aspects of speech production. However, recent studies
quantified speech abnormalities in autism through objective measures.
However, there was still no clear-cut difference between autistic children and
other children who experience delayed speech development.