Does My Child Have Autism? Common Autism Symptoms Explained

Diagnosing High-Functioning Autism may, at times, be an extremely difficult process. While Autism is normally diagnosed early on, when communication challenges become apparent, those with High-Functioning autism may take years to exhibit extreme symptoms. Many times, these symptoms become apparent during puberty, and into the child's teenage years. During this time, stress, along with changes in hormones may bring the child's disability into the light. This article is written to help parents with children approaching their teenage years, questioning if their son or daughter may have Autism or Aspergers. The following are common and easily evident symptoms of these disorders.

1. Talk to your child:

If you are reading this article, you most likely have already noticed your child's lack of ability to verbalize their thoughts, or understand others. He or She may avoid eye contact when speaking, or may have trouble understanding another's point of view. They may be able to go on and on about their own interests, but completely tune out when other's are speaking about themselves. These are very common signs of High-Functioning autism.

2. Observe your child's social activity:

Autistic children have a lot of trouble adapting to social situations. Your child may avoid social situations all together. For example, your child may choose not to attend a family activity, or may not participate in any extracurricular activities. Because those with autism have so much difficulty in social situations, your child may also have much trouble making friends.

3. Keep track of your child's interests:

Those with autism often specialize in a certain subject area, and ignore opportunities that come up outside of that area. Your child may spend hours and hours behind the computer, playing video games, making models, etc. Your child may be captivated, and very good at whatever interests him or her.

4. Pay attention to any complaints your child may have:

Autistic children often have a heightened sensitivity to external stimuli. Your child may often complain that it's too noisy, or that there is too much going on around him or her. They may be very picky about what they eat, or the clothes that they wear. The texture and feel of the fabric may mean a lot more to them than how the clothing looks. Because some autistic children are so frustrated by external stimuli, they, on occasion, may seem to tune out the world around them. They may become unresponsive, or even angry when disturbed.

These symptoms, as stated before, most likely will become much more apparent during puberty. It may cause your child to be unable to cope in a school environment. If your child is exhibiting one or more of these symptoms, call a specialist for more information.

If you found this article helpful, you may also be interested in: How To Teach A Child With Autism Social Skills