What is autism?

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Autism

If you think your child has autism, or you have a new diagnosis for your child, know you aren't alone. There are supports available for your child, and for your family.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder. Autism affects at least 1 in 70 people, and is more prevalent in males than females. Evidence shows early intervention (delivered within a program that meets the 2012 Australian Guidelines for Good Practice) makes a difference to a child's development, helping them to develop important skills and encourage independence, the ability to communicate and opportunities for inclusion. We don't want to 'fix' autism; we want to help children overcome the disabling aspects of autism to live their best lives.

Autism is part of a spectrum that is often referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism affects everyone differently; while some people are able to live relatively typical lives, others may require ongoing specialist support and care.

However, people with autism experience challenges in two main areas:

Social interaction and social communication, including decoding body language and verbal communication, reciprocal conversation, emotional and social reciprocity, and managing structured parts of the day
Restrictive and repetitive patterns of behaviours or interests, including rituals and routines, and experiencing hyper- or hypo-sensitivity to sensory input

If you’re concerned your child isn’t developing typically, it’s important to investigate this with a trusted medical or health professional. If your child does have autism, working towards a diagnosis early will ensure your child and family can access appropriate supports, giving your child the best chance to develop essential life skills and live their best lives.

Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder

National Guidelines for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Australia highlight that ASD can be diagnosed by any trained health professionals who observes an individual for specific behaviours relating to social communication and restricted / repetitive behaviours and interests.

Most commonly, children are assessed by a paediatrician on referral from a general practitioner (GP). Children can be assessed and diagnosed from a very early age—sometimes even under the age of two. Generally, expected developmental milestones will guide when parents choose to consult with a GP.

No doubt you’ll have many questions, and it can be a daunting task to research the various interventions that are available and decide on the right approach for your family. Call our friendly team on 1300 273 435 if you’d like advice on what your next steps should be if you suspect a diagnosis of autism, to access a plan and funding for your child, or if you would simply like more information about AEIOU's service.

Characteristics of autism

Communication

People with autism have difficulties with both verbal and non-verbal language.

People with autism may experience challenges in interpreting:

Facial expressions or tone of voice
Gestures
Jokes and sarcasm
Common phrases and sayings (For example, 'Pull your socks up' is taken literally instead of its intended meaning of 'improve your performance'.)

Some people with autism may have limited speech or be completely non-verbal. Alternative communication techniques, such as sign language or visual symbols, may be a preferred option.

Others will have verbal communication skills, but may need some time to process what has been communicated. At times, they may repeat what the person has just said; this is known as 'echolalia'. A person with autism may also talk at length about their interests and may not recognise the turn taking nature of conversations or when the other person becomes disinterested.

A person with autism may:

Have limited or no speech and/or experience challenges decoding or expressing communicative gestures (e.g. non-verbal gestures)
Use speech but exhibit non-verbal behaviours when confused or stressed
Speak in whole sentences but struggle to participate in or maintain a two-way conversation
Lead an adult by the hand to a desired item rather than ask
Repeat sounds or particular questions
Have a varied vocal quality when compared to others (tone, pitch, speed of speaking)
Reverse pronouns (e.g. saying "you" instead of "I")
Find consistently following verbal directions challenging
Show a literal and concrete comprehension of language

Social Interaction

People with autism generally find socialisation confronting. They are often unable to identify, express or understand emotions, which can make interaction and 'fitting in' difficult.

A person with autism may experience the following social behaviours:

Appearing to be insensitive, because they haven't been able to detect someone else's spoken or unspoken feelings
Difficulty with sharing with peers or turn taking
Challenges differentiating between familiar and unfamiliar people
Preferring to be alone rather than actively seeking out the company of other people
Finding it difficult to seek comfort from others when needed
Feeling emotions such as anxiety or traits of low self-esteem
Challenges in expressing their feelings, emotions or needs, which may lead to self-harming or harmful behaviours
Being unintentionally aggressive in an attempt to be social
Challenges with following those unwritten social rules (e.g. standing close to another person when social convention would call for more personal space, or engaging in conversation that may be deemed inappropriate for the audience or social context)

Social Imagination

Social imagination allows us to understand and predict the behaviour of other people. It also helps us to make sense of abstract ideas and to imagine situations outside our immediate daily routine. People with autism tend to follow routines rigidly and favour predictability.

Those who experience challenges with social imagination may find it difficult to:

Interpret and determine other people's thoughts, feelings and actions
Identify hazards
Foresee what will or might occur next from a particular action
Engage in imaginative play and activities—though some may enjoy some imaginative play but have a strong preference to act out familiar scenes
Prepare for change and plan for the future
Approach new or unfamiliar situations, and manage the stress they experience in these situations
Appreciate other people may not be interested in their topic of interest or obsession
Attempt a task if they feel they are unable to complete it to a standard of 'perfection'

Difficulties with social imagination should not be mistaken for a lack of imagination. Many people with autism are very creative and go on to become accomplished artists, musicians or writers.

Sensory Processing

People with autism may struggle to process information that comes to them through their senses. Even though the sensory organs themselves are working correctly, the information is not processed in the typical manner in the brain.

A sensory information processing challenge may look like:

Sensitivity to surrounding environments and a challenge in categorising stimuli from relevant to irrelevant
A varying capacity and capabilities to respond to stimulus on different days
Ignoring some sounds but feeling hypersensitive to others
Playing with, seeking out or reacting selectively to particular sounds
Actively avoiding eye contact, and using peripheral vision rather than central vision (giving the appearance of not giving eye contact or looking)
Focusing intently on small visual details of walls, furniture, objects, prints, pictures or body parts, while not seeing the whole picture
Displaying an intense interest in light or in shiny reflective surfaces (e.g. may be absorbed by filtered light through fingers, stare at lights or reflections in glasses, watch water going down the plughole)
Seeking out vibrations
Chewing or eating things that are not food—smelling or mouthing objects, people and surfaces as a way to explore the world
Eating preferences (or challenges) that could be related to the smell, texture or flavour of food
Demonstrating high thresholds to pain
An inability to feel extremes of temperature
Partaking in repetitive movements to stimulate sensation, to help with balance and posture, or to deal with stress (such as rocking, bouncing, flapping arms and hands, or spinning intensely)
Difficulty identifying where their body is in space and planning motor movements, or moving hands or body in unusual (often rigid) postures
Walking on tiptoes
Experiencing sleep disturbances or disturbed sleep patterns
Having difficulty taking to toilet training

At AEIOU Foundation, we support children in our centres by using strategies and practices that are shown to be effective through research. As a result, we assist children and their sensory needs as part of our program.

What causes autism?

There is no single known cause for autism. Genetics are thought to play a role, but autism may also occur spontaneously, or due to other causes; all this is yet to be determined.

What we do know:

Autism is a complex disorder and affects each individual differently.
Vaccinations do not cause autism.
There is no cure for autism.
Early intervention (through a program based on evidence-based practices) can make a significant difference to a child's ability to develop essential life skills and live their best life.

While autism is a lifelong condition, with early intervention, many children can develop the ability to communicate, learn self-help and academic skills, and improve fine and gross motor skills which enables them to find a place within the community.

At AEIOU, we don't want to 'fix' autism. But after just one year at AEIOU, over 95% of children saw improvements in their early learning skills, 98.5% improved their overall communication, and 96.9% of children improved their fine motor skills. Studies have shown children who complete the AEIOU program experience a reduction in autism symptoms. Each child develops new skills and AEIOU supports every individual with a plan that is based on their unique strengths and needs.

What next?

If you think your child has autism, or if you suspect they may not be developing typically, it's important to speak to a trusted medical professional. A paediatrician or clinical psychologist can assess and diagnose your child, upon a referral from your general practitioner.

Early intervention is essential and will give your child the best opportunity to develop the skills they need to live their best life. Once you have a diagnosis, you should choose a service provider which can offer your family the support you need. This is an important and personal choice that should consider the individual needs of your child. Feel free to view our Autism: The Early Years video series if you would like more information about early intervention and the services available.

What about AEIOU?

AEIOU provides therapeutic, early intervention services for children with autism aged two to six. Our focus is on helping children to develop essential skills so they can live their best lives, achieve their goals and participate meaningfully in the community.

As a registered NDIS service provider, we can also help you register as a participant of the Scheme and access funding supports. AEIOU employs dedicated NDIS Support Coordinators. You can click here to learn more about them and how they can help.