Symptoms of Autism

We are all different.  Agreed?  Yes, we may have some similarities, but we are still very different.  The person that I am probably the most like is my best friend, sometimes it's scary how much we think alike.  But, we are still very different.  One big difference is our career paths, I work with kids with autism and she is an accountant.  My sister-in-law is an identical twin, yes her and her sister look very similar, but they are very different.

What does this have to do with the symptoms of autism?  Well, I just want to emphasize that just because two people have the same diagnosis, they are individuals and are most likely very different from one another.  And although two people may have deficits in the area of communication does not mean that their deficits look the same.  It's a spectrum.  The diagnosis of autism is based on observation, and to be diagnosed with autism, the individual does not need to have 100% of the symptoms.

There are 3 common areas that are affected in individuals with autism.  They include social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors.  I will go into more detail about each area in upcoming posts.  If you have any concerns though, please contact your doctor.

Whether your child has a diagnosis or not, the thing that I think is important is that you find out where your child needs the most help and you put your efforts there.  I believe that individualizing the treatment is far more important than saying autism=a specific type of intervention.  There is not yet a cure for autism, BUT there are a lot of interventions that can help an individual improve and gain skills to be able to function more fully in this crazy/wonderful world we all live in.

Joy Mano

Utah PLAY Project Home Consultant

Early Intervention Services for Children with Autism

photo credit: read4thefunofit via 
photo credit: superhua via photopin cc
photopin cc photo credit: jshj via photopin cc

We are all different.  Agreed?  Yes, we may have some similarities, but we are still very different.  The person that I am probably the most like is my best friend, sometimes it's scary how much we think alike.  But, we are still very different.  One big difference is our career paths, I work with kids with autism and she is an accountant.  My sister-in-law is an identical twin, yes her and her sister look very similar, but they are very different.

What does this have to do with the symptoms of autism?  Well, I just want to emphasize that just because two people have the same diagnosis, they are individuals and are most likely very different from one another.  And although two people may have deficits in the area of communication does not mean that their deficits look the same.  It's a spectrum.  The diagnosis of autism is based on observation, and to be diagnosed with autism, the individual does not need to have 100% of the symptoms.

There are 3 common areas that are affected in individuals with autism.  They include social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors.  I will go into more detail about each area in upcoming posts.  If you have any concerns though, please contact your doctor.

Whether your child has a diagnosis or not, the thing that I think is important is that you find out where your child needs the most help and you put your efforts there.  I believe that individualizing the treatment is far more important than saying autism=a specific type of intervention.  There is not yet a cure for autism, BUT there are a lot of interventions that can help an individual improve and gain skills to be able to function more fully in this crazy/wonderful world we all live in.

Joy Mano

Utah PLAY Project Home Consultant

Early Intervention Services for Children with Autism

photo credit: read4thefunofit via 
photo credit: superhua via photopin cc
photopin cc photo credit: jshj via photopin cc