April is National Autism Awareness Month

Brownwood News – Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that may affect the way that a person perceives things around them, make it more difficult to communicate or relate to others, create difficulty in transitioning from one activity to another or cause a person to fixate on specific items or activities that they enjoy. 

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Though autism is normally detectable earlier in childhood, most diagnoses are made by a person’s 8th birthday.  However, there are times that the disorder isn’t detected until later in life. Though there is no “cure” for autism, there is a portion of the population that may “recover” from Autism; the disorder does not go away, but the symptoms can be managed well enough that they no longer display symptoms that warrant the diagnosis.  One of the important factors in recovery is the age at which a child is diagnosed and begins to receive treatment. 

Applied behavior analysis is one of the best evidenced treatments for the symptoms that are associated with autism. As some people may have severe language delays, it focuses on observable changes in a person’s behavior rather than using subjective measures that primarily rely on a person’s verbal response. It is particularly effective when reducing challenging behavior, teaching skills (including language/verbal skills), and improving interpersonal communication. 

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According to Autism Speaks, an advocacy and research organization, some of the key signs of autism early in life include: 

• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
• No babbling by 12 months
• No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months
• No words by 16 months
• No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24 months
• Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age

If you see any of these signs, share your concerns with your pediatrician and if necessary, follow up with any referrals to specialists if needed. 

Center for Life Resources currently provides Applied Behavior Analysis treatment for children ages 3-15 years old, and also has Early Childhood Intervention available for some children 0-3 that meet certain criteria. Also, monthly autism support groups are held at the Center for families, caregivers, and other interested parties. For more information, contact Center for Life Resources at 325-646-9547.