Learning Delays Part 2: Autism

I have already wrote about three of the things to look for learning disabilities. The first one was lack of eye contact. Babies as young as 3 months of enjoy looking people in the eyes. The second one was sensory issues. This could be from foods, clothing, visual stimulation, and noises. The third one that I wrote about was delays in school work. It is sometimes hard to look at where your child is and compare it to where they should be. These behaviors on their own, could be certain disorders or delays. Yet, if you combine them, they could point towards Autism. It effects 1 in 110 children. Or 1 in 70 boys. It is likely that some one you know is effect by Autism. I'd like to go over some other behaviors that are associated with it.

Here is a list of behaviors that you can look for:

• Insistence of the sameness of routines


• Aloof manner apparent to strangers and family members


• Low frustration tolerance and tantrums


• Difficulty starting conversations with others


• Uncomfortable with physical affection (ex: hug) Or the opposite like Luke where he wants to touch everyone


• Pretending can be difficult. (Ex: A banana is a fruit, not a phone. A broom is used to clean, not to fly. Objects are used for their purpose, not for pretending/imaginative play.)


• Over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain


• Impaired fine or gross motor skills


• Non-responsive to verbal instructions (can tone you out)


• Happy not playing with friends but sitting (by themselves or with you) and watching. Luke enjoys playing with his friends but also needs to just sit and 'chill out' too more than other children.


• Odd motor mannerisms

So, what can that look like in a child? When Luke was younger, he would have meltdowns or fits frequently because of minor changes in plans. He would fall on the floor crying because I said we had to leave now. (I learned to give him warnings before making changes) Luke used to have terrible handwriting. It took 6 years of occupational therapy but he now has one of the best in his classes! The last one "odd motor mannerisms" could be what people think of with a child flicking their hands back and forth. It could also be just the way the hold their hand or, as for Luke, the way he holds his head. The low frusteration level means many things for Luke. It could be not winning a game (bowling the other day - close to meltdown). It could mean school work getting hard so he tones you out. It could also mean Faith singing a song in the car could annoy him. It varies day to day. Oh, and Luke with pain...wow! He used to do a head butt that could bring tears to your eyes! (he would laugh!) Even now, he has a such a high pain tolerance that he has had several ear infections without us knowing. Yet, if I pop a zit ~ you would think I was killing him. So weird this autism thing is.

To have autism, you don't have to have everything on the list. Every child is different. Luke is so high functioning that others couldn't see that he has it. One of the books I read on autism told about a young man that didn't get diagnosed until high school! If any of these behaviors remind you of a child in your life, please just keep loving them and they will teach you many things through life. There are many books at the library and book stores to learn more. These kids ~ they are worth it!