What is it?  Autism is a developmental disability that affects a person's verbal & non-verbal communication, understanding of language, and socialization with peers.  Other characteristics include: engagement in repetitive activities, resistance to environmental change, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.  The range of severity can be from extremely mild to severe.  Autism is a behavioral disorder, NOT an illness or disease.  It typically appears by age three and is a lifelong condition.  There is no known cure.  Although autism affects the functions of the brain, the specific cause is not known. 

What are the warning signs/ symptoms? 

Autism Symptoms
The severity, frequency, and grouping of the following symptoms will determine where (if at all) an individual will fall on the autism spectrum 

• Repetitive behaviors (may want to watch the same DVD or video over and over again) 
• Unresponsive to commands or questions ("in their own world") 
• Lack of imitation of others or imaginative play 
• Indifferent to the feelings of others
• Hypersensitivity to light & sound (covers ears when music is played or covers eyes when going outside) 
• Self-stimulatory behaviors (e.g., rocking, jumping up and down, hand flapping)  
• Echolalia (Repetition or echoing of a word or phrase just spoken by another person)
• Unusual emotional responses (inappropriate laughing or crying)
• Frequent temper tantrums (described by many parents as "meltdowns") 
• Responds adversely to physical affection, hugs, kisses, etc. 
• Shows no interest in making friends 
• Does not initiate conversation
• Very poor diet (may eat only starches)

• Frequently walks on tip-toes as a toddler 
• Socially withdrawn or socially awkward 
• Shows little expressive language
• Clumsiness (falls or trips often) 
• Delayed speech & language development 
• Improper use of pronouns, statements, and questions 
• Unusual tone or rhythm of speech 
• Self Injurious Behavior (head banging, scratching/biting self) 
• Frequently makes irrelevant remarks 
• Difficulty with abstract language and concepts
• Be preoccupied with one or only a few narrow interests
• Need for sameness (adheres to routines) 
• Severe tantrums when routines are disrupted 
• Shows an attachment to unusual objects such as car parts, branches, leaves, etc. 
• Fascination with spinning objects or spinning one's self 
• Very good at rote memory tasks such as repeating lists of items or facts

Here is a checklist that you can print off if you would like and take to your dr.  The evaluation paper work is very intensive. So is this check list but it will help you.   

http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/about/e2.pdf

This is an assessment scale/screening questionnaire This is one of the ones that I used:

http://www.childbrain.com/pddassess.html

Here is a great site that talks about heavy metals Must read Very interesting!

http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C15891.html#G605

Here is another great site to learn about Autism

http://www.autism.org/

Then after I did the quizzes and tests and everything else to decide if she should see a DAN! Dr. I did all the research that I could about Autism.  I also bought a few books that were very helpful the school staff even borrowed them to educate themselves.  Please check back for the titles! The titles are on the tips page on the left hand side going down the page.

What is it like to live in the life of an autistic person? here are some examples:

Your in a store (walmart super store): Lights are flashing, people are yelling, music is blaring, kids screaming, registers beeping, carts squealing, freezers and refrigerators are running, meat slicer is going, things are falling (dropped), doors opening and closing, people whistling,  warm in 1 part cold in another plus, peoples smelly perfume and colane and much much more. 

You and I can ignore these types of things, others can't (kids with Autism).  When the brain wont let you ignore these things and filter them out, you get frustrated and angry cause you want it to stop but you cant get it to stop.  Since it is hard to ignore all these things going on at once I may have a meltdown, and I may throw a fit....  This is not fun at all.  Sensory overload is the main reason why I have a melt down.....

Below is an activity that I would like you to try.  This is how some people with ASD see things sometimes, these could be animated just slightly they may also not be. You make the choice and decision.