1 month ago
Today it was revealed that children crossed nan UK are waiting up to 4 years to beryllium diagnosed pinch autism.
Ministers slammed nan 'harmful' delays because they tin extremity children 'getting nan thief they request successful different aspects of their lives'.
So what does autism look for illustration successful children?
Some infants show hints successful their first months. In others, behaviours don't go evident until they're toddlers. Some don't show immoderate signs astatine all.
Here, Dr Punit Shah, a professor successful psychology and master successful neurodiversity from nan University of Bath, breaks down immoderate of nan imaginable giveaway signs...
For galore children pinch autism avoiding oculus interaction during a speech helps to trim anxiety, experts say
Avoiding oculus contact
Not giving oculus interaction during a conversion is 1 motion your kid whitethorn person autism.
That's because for galore children pinch autism avoiding oculus interaction helps to trim anxiety, explains Dr Shah, who appeared connected nan first section of nan 2023 BBC docuseries 'Inside Our Autistic Minds' presented by Springwatch big Chris Packham.
'The reasons for why immoderate autistic group debar oculus interaction alteration and not each autistic group do debar it,' he added. 'For immoderate that do, it is to trim anxiety, which helps them to negociate amended successful societal situations.'
It tin besides thief children pinch autism amended understand a societal business by reference nan person's facial expressions.
Dr Shah said: 'For others, it tin thief them process different stimuli better, without nan complexity of nan societal accusation from nan eyes and face.'
Sensory sensitivity
Becoming distressed astatine large noises is 1 sensory quality often noticeable successful children pinch autism.
These sensory sensitivities tin make it difficult to select retired irrelevant noises making it difficult not to go uncomfortable aliases distracted starring to an overwhelming feeling.
'Generally speaking, autistic children person sensory sensitivities to different things,' Dr Shah said.
'This tin often beryllium to predictable things, for illustration agleam lights and large sounds, but besides different colours and patterns.
'It really depends connected nan person.'
Speech difficulty
Echoing words and phrases, not talking arsenic overmuch arsenic different children and talking 'at' others are each signs of autism.
Dr Shah said: 'Speech is mostly a spot delayed successful autistic children, but not always.
'Another motion tin beryllium repetitive sounds aliases reside - sometimes known arsenic echolalia - which tin beryllium a characteristic of autism.'
Taking connection very virtually is besides a connection trouble that autistic children often struggle with, according to nan NHS.
For example, they whitethorn not understand phrases for illustration 'break a leg' and alternatively return it excessively literally.
Communicating what they want tin besides beryllium to beryllium a situation for immoderate autistic children.
Charity Child Autism UK gives nan illustration of taking an big to nan biscuit tin alternatively than asking aliases pointing.
Children pinch autism who for illustration regular and show signs of repetitive behaviour whitethorn play pinch nan a artifact successful nan aforesaid measurement each clip aliases statement items up
It tin beryllium harder for children pinch autism to make friends and they often chose to play alone, according to Child Autism UK
Repetitive behaviour
Preferring a very strict regular daily and getting upset if it changes is simply a motion of autism successful children, nan NHS says.
Dr Shah explains this request for regular tin coming itself successful different ways and tin beryllium idiosyncratic, meaning children will person different habits aliases ways of behaving.
However, this does dangle connected nan individuals interests and needs.
'Typically, this tin return nan shape of needing nan regular daily to beryllium predictable based connected timing of regular activities,' he said.
HOW AUTISM IN GIRLS CAN PRESENT DIFFERENTLY
Autism tin sometimes beryllium different successful boys and girls.
Rates of autism test are up to 5 times higher successful men and boys.
The nonstop logic remains unclear, but immoderate studies propose boys are astatine greater consequence of nan varied familial causes of autism.
Researchers besides judge galore girls whitethorn beryllium 'flying nether nan radar', arsenic they struggle to get a diagnosis, person a test precocious successful life aliases are misdiagnosed pinch conditions different than autism.
Signs of autism successful girls that could beryllium different to boys include:
- Hiding signs of autism by copying really different children behave and play
- Withdraw successful situations they find difficult
- Appear to header amended pinch societal situations
- Show less signs of repetitive behaviours
Source: NHS
Children pinch autism who for illustration regular and show signs of repetitive behaviour whitethorn play pinch nan a artifact successful nan aforesaid measurement each clip aliases statement items up, according to Child Autism UK.
The kindness highlights that signs tin besides see 'being restrictive astir definite activities specified arsenic eating only yellowish food, watching nan aforesaid programme complete and complete aliases only wearing a favourite jumper'.
Repetitive movements
It's not conscionable a repetitive routine, children pinch autism tin besides do nan aforesaid movements connected repeat.
In young children this could coming itself arsenic flapping their hands, flicking their fingers aliases rocking their body, nan NHS says.
However, children whitethorn besides want to activity retired circumstantial ocular aliases auditory experiences, Child Autism UK says.
The kindness suggests this could beryllium comparative actions specified as spinning wheels connected a artifact train, looking astatine nan bars of a fence, aliases listening to nan themes tunes of favourite programmes.
Misunderstanding emotion
It tin beryllium harder for children pinch autism to make friends and they often chose to play alone, according to Child Autism UK.
Some children whitethorn besides struggle to opportunity really they consciousness and sometimes do not understand what others are feeling, nan NHS says.
However, misunderstanding emotion and not seeming to understand what others are reasoning aliases emotion tin beryllium a motion of respective conditions.
Dr Shah said: 'This really depends connected nan personification and tin often beryllium related to conditions that overlap pinch autism, specified arsenic alexithymia (or affectional blindness) alternatively than autism itself.'
This tin besides coming itself otherwise successful young girls pinch autism arsenic they may hide immoderate signs of autism by copying really different children behave and play, nan NHS says.
Many girls pinch autism besides look to header amended pinch societal situations, but this could beryllium because they are copying different children.
'Although we cognize location are activity differences successful autism, these are not good understood,' Professor Shah said.
'Because nan very diagnostic criteria of autism person been shaped mostly by objective study of boys, we are still very overmuch learning what autism "looks like" successful girls. This will return time.
WHAT IS AUTISM?
Autism is simply a life-long developmental disability, which affects really group enactment connected a wide-ranging spectrum.
According to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autistic group tin person problem pinch social, affectional and connection skills.
Others tin find agleam lights aliases large noises overwhelming and stressful, aliases show repetitive behaviours.
Autism is not an unwellness aliases disease.
How communal is it?
It is estimated that astir 700,000 people, including adults and children, successful nan UK person an autism diagnosis.
According to a Newcastle University study published successful 2021, astir 1 successful 57 (1.76 per cent) children successful nan UK is connected nan spectrum.
In nan US, nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate 5.4million adults, immoderate 2.2 per cent of nan population, are autistic.
People from each nationalities and cultural, belief and societal backgrounds tin person autism.
Rates are up to 5 times higher successful men and boys, though.
The nonstop logic remains unclear, but immoderate studies propose boys are astatine greater consequence of nan varied familial causes of autism.
Researchers besides judge galore girls whitethorn beryllium 'flying nether nan radar', arsenic they struggle to get a diagnosis, person a test precocious successful life aliases are misdiagnosed pinch conditions different than autism.
Are location different types?
Previously, autism was surgery down into different diagnoses, including Asperger's syndrome, autistic disorder, Kanner's syndrome, puerility autism, atypical autism and pervasive improvement upset not different specified (PDD-NOS).
As each test shared characteristics of autism, they were replaced pinch autism spectrum disorder, which is now nan umbrella word for nan group.
However, immoderate group pinch a test of Asperger's still take to usage nan term.
According to nan National Autistic Society, group pinch Asperger's do not person nan learning disabilities that galore autistic group have. The NHS says that immoderate group telephone this 'high-functioning autism'.
What causes it?
Despite years of research, scientists do not cognize what causes autism.
Instead, studies person suggested it whitethorn create from a operation of familial and biology influences.
Concerns astir a imaginable nexus betwixt MMR vaccines and autism were raised successful nan precocious 1990s.
But galore technological studies person since shown that location is nary nexus astatine each betwixt vaccines — aliases immoderate of their ingredients — and autism.
Bad parenting is besides not a cause.
