In this week's video blog.
I'd like to go back to the basics and cover what autism is and how to tell if a young
child has autism.
Hi, I’m Dr Mary Barbera, autism mom board certified behavior analyst and bestselling
author of the verbal behavior approach.
I've been doing weekly video blogs for over 2 and a half years now and I just realized
that I didn't have a video called what is autism or some of the most basic content
that I should have.
I am assuming that a lot of you already know what autism is, but there you may be new to
the channel.
I hope you are, I hope you found your way to me and if you haven't subscribed to my
youtube channel to join those other 20,000 parents and professionals, I hope you'll do
that now.
Previously I have done video blogs on the topic.
I've done a video blog on called can you prevent autism?
Another one, is it autism or speech delay, autism or ADHD.
And I also highly recommend a blog I did a few months ago on using the MCHAT, the modified
checklist for autism in toddlers that would really be helpful as a supplement to this
blog.
You might be new to the autism world or to me or you're worried about a young child or
you might be with me for a long time and like me, my son was diagnosed 20 years ago and
your child may be older but things have changed.
Things have changed since 1999 when Lucas was diagnosed, we used to use the DSM 4 for
diagnosis purposes and now we use the DSM 5.
For instance, there have been changes and the even just the rate increase is a lot more
than in the past.
So if you want to get more up to date on the latest diagnostic information, I hope to be
able to provide some basics right here today.
So autism is a spectrum known as autism spectrum disorders, but the DSM 4 back when Lucas was
diagnosed included things like PDD-NOS, pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified.
It included Asperger syndrome and autistic disorder, which were part of the autism spectrum.
And now with the DSM 5, that's all eliminated.
So now everyone is known or thought to be having autism spectrum disorder.
Now if you were, if you have a child that was previously diagnosed with Asperger syndrome
or PDD-NOS, no one's going to, you know, make you stop using that term.
It's just not a diagnostic category anymore.
So autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder, which with symptoms appearing usually
by the age of 3, although diagnoses can come much later.
And a lot of times when kids are diagnosed or even adults are diagnosed, a lot of times
you have to look back at was there a speech delay.
Was there a repetitive interests and all that stuff from the early on phase.
But we're going to just assume that you're worried about your child or some child in
your life.
If it's a client, if it's a neighbor or a friend, a relative, these are some of the
signs in young children that might indicate that they're uh, they have autism.
So the big area of deficit is social language deficits.
So that is language that you need for um, social engagement.
Um, even before expressive language starts, um, when a young child is even a baby or a
toddler, even if they don't have any expressive language, they should still have joint attention
skills that start even as a baby.
So they should be when early on they should be smiling at an adult and kind of babbling
and cooing back and forth.
When they get to over a year, they should be pointing with their index finger pointing
to show you things pointing to indicate interest.
Pointing was, is a big red flag.
Failure to point to show you things and to want things and it was a red flag for Lucas,
but I didn't know that that was a problem.
I did do a video blog on pointing, so you may want to check that out.
Also in addition to failure to point, it's it's low or lack of eye contact, lack of bringing
you things to share or show you and it doesn't have to be zero.
It could just be very rarely does a child point or very rarely do they share and show
usually a lack of following directions and expressive languages almost always delayed
or abnormal too.
They might like Lucas taken adult's hand and and put that adults hand on the item they
want.
That's called hand leading and that could be a red flag for autism as well.
And also, and uh verbal reaction, uh, to like spilling water, spilling milk.
I'm a typically developing child, young child, toddler will, you know, kind of like look
at the adult, look at the mess, kind of like what are we supposed to do about it, where
a child with autism may just smash in the, in the liquids and just play with it.
I also have done videos where I've used a screening tool for autism and two year olds
and um, handed kids, little kids, like two olds bubbles with the lid tightly closed and
I hand it to them and they're handing it back to my hand.
But they're not looking at me like, hey, could you, could you help me out?
Could you open these bubbles?
They're not babbling.
They're not engaging in any eye contact.
So, and social language, even without expressive language, the lack of pointing and nonverbal
communication skills is, is usually the first sign.
There's also impairments, usually in imitation and play.
Pretend play is very delayed.
An interest, you know, in peers, very delayed like other kids of 3, 4 year olds are playing
and pretend playing and negotiating language back and forth where a child with autism is
often severely delayed with their, their ability to navigate the whole system and to share
and to play with other children.
In addition to the language and social odd deficits, children with autism spectrum disorder
also have restricted or repetitive behaviors.
Um, this could mean flapping their hands in front of their face.
Um, it could be lining things up, spinning of toys or spinning their whole body, obsession
with certain items.
I’ve had clients who would, you know, wanted all these little figurines and they wanted
to carry them around and hoard them.
Um, insistence on sameness, like going to the same, uh, the same way to the store or
when you're in the mall going in the exact same order.
Um, because they, they, they like that.
They like the sameness.
They don't, uh, like all the changes that come every day.
Children with autism can also be over or under reactive to sensory input covering their ears
tantrumming uh, with change or when different foods are presented, different looking foods,
they don't even have to taste them.
They just don't like different foods.
Now I'm saying all of these can be signs that can be red flags, but it doesn't mean that
if your child has delays in any of these areas that it's definitely autism but they are red
flags and it's always a good idea to be on top of it so that you're not like I did sticking
your head in the sand and being in denial because that's really not going to help the
situation.
The DSM 5 which categorizes autism also has 3 levels of diagnosis of autism with level
1 needing just a little support and level 3 being being severe autism with very significant
needs.
But these 3 levels are pretty subjective and they definitely can change over time.
Um, I've done some video blogs in the past on high functioning versus low functioning.
I also did a video blog on can you predict how a 2 year old will do when he's older?
And the truth is is that you can’t, so I know plenty of kids who started out looking
like very low functioning, barely very severely affected and they are doing really well now.
Some of my previous clients are learning to drive and go to college and all those great
things.
And so we can't really predict how they're going to do.
And I wouldn’t rest on your laurels and not treat it aggressively because every child,
I want every child to reach his or her fullest potential and that's really the goal.
So what can you do if you think your child, grandchild, client, neighbor, friend, might
have autism?
One of the things you can do is download a free, 3 step guide, which is called, “Is
it autism, ADHD, or typical toddler tantrums?”
And you can get that at marybarbera.com/toddler.
I'll give you the 3 steps right now.
They are knowing your developmental milestones.
Know when your child's supposed to sit up, when they're supposed to point, when they're
supposed to be putting two words together.
If there's any discrepancies, I would uh, encourage you to make an appointment with
your child's pediatrician and get a free or very low cost early intervention evaluation.
If you're in the United States, you can Google your area for early intervention evaluations
and you probably can find the number to call.
You'll also want to get on a wait list for an evaluation by a developmental pediatrician
or other physician or healthcare provider who can diagnose or evaluate autism.
And then the third thing I'd recommend is learn all you can about ABA.
So while you wait for a diagnosis or more aggressive therapy, you could join my online
courses and community.
And, uh, if you just download the, the free guide at marybarbera.com/toddler you'll also
have the opportunity to watch a free online workshop.
If you liked this video, I hope that you'll share it, comment, give me a thumbs up and
share it with others who might benefit and I'll see you here next week.