Identifying Autism & Aspergers Syndrome in Teens

Although autism spectrum disorders are generally diagnosed in children that are under the age of 5, there are many times where kids have missed being diagnosed early on, or have even been misdiagnosed with something like bipolar disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If you have any kind of suspicion that you teenager may have some of the following symptoms and/or characteristics then it is a good idea to have them tested by a professional and get the appropriate intervention, as it could mean the difference between them struggling socially and getting the help that they need to gain the skills they will need in their adult life.

Social Awkwardness

Does your teen aged child spend more time alone than most teen aged kids? Does she have a lack of interest in spending time with other kids her age? Does she want to have friends but doesn't quite seem to know what to say to other teens? This social awkwardness is one very strong indicator that your child is on the autism spectrum.

Attention Span Deficit

Does your teenager have a difficult time focusing on any one thing for very long? Do they have a difficult time with retaining what they read for very long? Many of the characteristics of attention Deficit disorder are also symptoms of a child on the autism spectrum.

Repetition

Does your teenager demonstrate repetitive behaviors? Does he repeat the same things over and over? Does he show any self-stimulating behaviors (Also known as Stimming) such as rocking back and forth, repeated foot or finger tapping? This is a characteristic that is extremely common in people on the autism spectrum, particularly if they are not treated.

Over reacting

Does your teen tend to get overly excited when something upsets them or makes them happy? When they get upset do they tend to over-react by shouting or throwing things? When they are happy do they laugh inappropriately? These are characteristics of teens on the autism spectrum.

Avoiding Eye Contact

Eye contact can be extremely uncomfortable for a person who is on the autism spectrum. It often becomes most notable when a child reaches her teen years. Have you noticed your child regularly avoiding eye contact with most or all people? This is an important clue.

Obsessive

Does your teenager become hyper-focused, even obsessive about things that they find interesting to the exclusion of most everything else? Do they become so fixated on one or a few subjects to the point that they are unwilling or unable to talk about or focus on anything else? This is a very classically autistic behavior.

Sensory Issues

Many autistic teens will have issues with focusing in a large group, as the background sounds can sound to them as prominent as the loudest sound in the room. Teens with this particular issue tend to do a lot better academically in much smaller classroom settings. Does she have a hard time sitting in a movie theatre because the sounds are too uncomfortable for her? Do bright lights bother her eyes? These are some of the sensory issues that teens on the autism spectrum experience.

These, and many other symptoms can show up during a child's growing-up years and can cause them great discomfort in both learning and in social situations. Getting your teenager diagnosed so they can get the proper treatment, and be put into an appropriate learning environment can change their life.

Resources:

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/conditions/mental-behavioral-health/autism/symptoms/symptoms?section=section_01

http://www.disability-resource.com/autism/autism-and-the-teenage-years.html