What is autism?

I taught 2nd grade for 6 years and never had a child with autism in my class. I don't remember if I learned anything about it in my education classes. A close friend of mine babysat for a family that had an autistic child. What I knew about autism was what I learned from that little girl...until now.

All that said, it's ok that you really don't know what autism is. Sometimes we don't learn about something until it becomes personal. That's definitely our case. I have read many books in the last 6 months (I'll post them later.) that I'm beginning to understand a small bit. There's so much doctors still don't understand.


Here's a definition from the Autism Society of America:
What is Autism?
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first two years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults on the autism spectrum typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.

I think the hardest thing about autism is that EVERY child is different. A therapy that works for one child won't necessarily work for another. Some kids are high functioning, others are severe. Some kids are verbal, others aren't. (EK is verbal, but a lot of her speech is echolalia (repeating what she hears). Most kids with autism don't like change and that's definitely true of my daughter. She loves consistency! A lot of kids with autism have sensory issues: sounds, bright lights, textures (foods, clothing). EK used to have a hard time getting dressed and getting her hair done. It's hard to find a variety of foods that she'll eat, especially now that we're gluten/dairy/egg free.

Anyway, that's a little intro for you. If you have questions, feel free to ask. :)