Defining the Signs of Autism

Today, the world plays host to Autism Awareness Day. Autism is a disorder that greatly affects brain development, causing those with Autism difficulty with social, emotional and physical interaction. At CMH Pediatric Rehabilitation, we work with children who have been diagnosed with the disorder on all points of the Autism spectrum.

The spectrum of disorders defined as Autism is broad and in an effort to raise awareness, we’ve teamed up to bring you the most common 14 signs of Autism:

Your child may…

Avoid eye contact
Prefer to be alone
Echo words or phrases
Have difficulty interacting with others
Spin objects or self
Insist on “sameness”
Have inappropriate attachment to objects
At times have inappropriate laughing or giggling
Not want to cuddle
Have difficulty expressing their needs and instead use gestures
Have inappropriate responses or even no response to sounds they may hear
Have no real fear of danger
Have apparent insensitivity to pain
Take part in sustained, unusual or repetitive play and therefore have uneven physical or verbal skills

If you sense that your child may fall somewhere on the Autism spectrum, please contact your pediatrician immediately and relay your concerns to him or her. Also know that there are other parents and caregivers (even in Polk county) who have children who are (thanks to therapy) functioning at higher social levels than they were prior to therapy. We are here to assist you and your family, as is the CMH community. In fact, our hospital Auxilians make weighted blankets and vests that we give out free of charge.

Please contact us with questions, or to pick up a weighted blanket or vest. We’d so enjoy hearing from you and about your experiences with Autism.

Happy Autism Awareness Month,
Dee Blakemore, OTR & Michelle Parsons, MS, CCC-SLP

417-328-6693