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Spoiler:That's why the diagnoses are so hard to make. It can vary from individual to individual.
Courtesy Autism.about.org-
Language-related symptoms.
A majority of autistic people are either hyper or hypo sensitive to light, sound, crowds and other external stimulation. Some have both hyper and hypo sensitivities. This often results in autistic people covering their ears, avoiding or reacting negatively to brightly lit areas, or -- on the other hand -- crashing hard into sofas and craving strong bear hugs. While it's unusual to find an autistic person who is obviously physically disabled as a result of the disorder, most autistic people do have some level of fine and gross motor difficulty. This often manifests itself in poor handwriting, difficulty with athletic coordination, etc. As a result, when autistic people get involved with sports, it's usually in individual, endurance sports such as running and swimming.
- Delayed or unusual speech patterns (many autistic children, for example, memorize video scripts and repeat them word for word with the precise intonation as the TV characters)
- High pitched or flat intonation
- Lack of slang or "kidspeak"
- Difficulty understanding tone of voice and body language as a way of expressing sarcasm, humor, irony, etc.
- Lack of eye contact
- Inability to take another's perspective (to imagine oneself in someone else's shoes)
Personality Differences
- Physical Therapy and Autism: The Basics
- Occupational Therapy and Autism: The Basics
- Sensory Integration Therapy
While autistic people do differ from one another radically, it is fairly typical for people on the spectrum to:
It also seems to be the case -- for as-yet-undetermined reasons -- that certain interests are of particular interest to many people on the autism spectrum. For example, an enormous number of young children with ASD's are fascinated by trains (and the Thomas the Tank Engine toy), while a great many older children and adults on the spectrum are interested in computers, science, technology, and animals.
- Engage in repetitive behaviors and ritualized activities, ranging from lining up items to following a rigid routine,
- Have one or a few passionate interests,
- Have difficulty in making and keeping multiple friends,
- Prefer activities that require relatively little verbal interaction.
comparing these symptoms to some of the traits of the autistic children i work with, i remembered one of the autistic boys in my group has a conspicuous lazy eye and i wonder if it has any relation to his autism...>o>
so i looked up some physical symptoms:
i didn't find anything that mentioned the lazy eye, but my findings did answer some other distinguishing mannerisms i've been curious about, most notably the information about different walking manners. i work with an autistic boy and autistic girl that have always walked on their toes.
- Abnormal Walking Behavior: An autistic child may may walk only on her toes, or more slowly and with short steps. She also may bump into objects because she does not have appropriate awareness of her environment.
- Hypersensitivity: Many autistic children are hypersensitive to sensory stimulation, and may become very upset when touched, or when encountering bright lights or loud sounds.
- Repetitive Behavior: Another physical symptom of autism is repetitive behavior such as rocking, hand flapping or twirling. The child may rhythmically bang his head or grind his teeth.
- Chronic Gastrointestinal Ailments: According to the Autism Research Institute (ARI), many autistic children have chronic diarrhea, constipation, gastritis or colitis. The organization says evidence indicates many autistic children have lactose or gluten allergies or sensitivities, which may be causing the gastrointestinal problems.
- Low Sulfate Levels: GI endoscopy results in autistic children with gastrointestinal problems show that over 90 percent have very low sulfate levels, according to the ARI, which can cause significant problems in natural detoxification processes.
- Co-Existing Disorders: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) finds that autistic children have a higher risk for co-existing disorders such as tuberous sclerosis and Tourette syndrome. Additionally, up to 30 percent of autistic children develop epilepsy.
courtesy of ehow