Therapist working with a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Today, April 18, is Adult Autism Awareness Day. It is a day dedicated to the many people in the United States diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many adults work, study, and practice hobbies while also navigating life with autism. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 1 and 45 adults, or about 2 percent of the population, in the United States have an ASD. This means there are adults in your community affected by ASD.

Autism is a disorder characterized by limited ability to communicate and interact with other people. Autism appears in young children and persists throughout life. Some symptoms may be present in infancy. The condition becomes more noticeable as affected children reach the age when their peers are beginning to speak and participate in social play. Boys are more commonly affected than girls. Health experts refer to autism and related disorders, including pervasive developmental disorder, collectively as autism spectrum disorder.

The American psychiatrist Leo Kanner first described the symptoms in the 1940′s. He chose the name autism, from the Greek word for self. The name refers to the children’s apparent lack of interest in other people.

Autism is diagnosed by a variety of symptoms. The symptoms can occur in different combinations and range from mild to severe. However, diagnosis requires that all cases have symptoms from each of three categories. The categories are abnormal social interaction, abnormal communication, and restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors.

Abnormal social interaction in persons with autism is reflected in such behaviors as failure to seek comfort from a parent and lack of eye contact. People with autism may not respond when their name is called. People with autism may not interact with other people. They may not understand the social behaviors necessary to make friends or work with others. This lack of social contact isolates people with the disorder from many experiences by which most people come to understand the world.

Most children with autism do not develop language as early as others. Some never develop language. Problems with communication extend to gestures and facial expressions, as well as language. People with autism may talk endlessly about a single subject. They may use words in a way that is abnormally precise and literal. Others exhibit a speech pattern called echolalia, where they repeat what is said to them instead of giving their own response.

Some people with autism appear to have only one interest, such as clocks, airplanes, or calendars. They spend their time pursuing that interest, excluding all others. Repetitive movements, such as hand flapping, rocking, or head banging, are common. People with autism may show repetitive behaviors in other ways, such as placing toys in a line rather than playing with them. People with autism often insist on sameness. They can become distressed by changes in their environment or routine.