May 18, 2017

by: Emily Hastings

Disability Spotlight: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Each month we will feature a different disability represented at UCP of Greater Cleveland. Because of our name, many people think we only serve people with cerebral palsy, but we hope this series will help to dispel that myth. This month we are featuring autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

 

  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a bio-neurological developmental disability that usually appears before age 3 and can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.
  • Individuals with ASD may have difficulties with communication (verbal and non-verbal) and social interactions and activities. Some examples include avoiding eye contact, not picking up on social cues, difficulty reading facial expressions, trouble understanding others’ perspectives (ability to empathize), difficulty with change, avoiding physical contact, having obsessive interests and having “unusual” reactions to things relating to the five senses (sensitivity to sensory stimulus and the body’s ability to process sensory information).
  • However, it is important to realize that not everyone with ASD experiences the same symptoms. There’s a common saying, “when you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism,” because the autism spectrum is so wide and autism varies from person to person.
  • ASD can be difficult to diagnose because there is no medical test, such as a blood test. Instead, doctors look at the child’s behavior and development to determine whether a child is showing signs of ASD.
  • ASD affects 1 in 68 children and is one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the United States.
  • ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
  • Boys are 4.5 times more likely than girls to have ASD.
  • Like many other developmental disabilities, there is no cure for ASD, but early intervention and therapy can help.                                                                                                                      

Sources:


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *