This is a really important topic to talk about. Most of us know someone or is touched by someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but do we fully understand as a community what this means? The difficult thing to grasp when it comes to ASD is that it manifests differently with each individual so we can't always pin it down to specific details. However, autism can be broadly defined by difficulty with social and emotional signalling. This can mean problems with self-expression, interpreting others social cues such as facial expression and socially accepted norms. Often, children with autism also have a degree of sensory processing disorder, so this can mean their interpretation of information via the senses. Senses may be more acute or more desensitised than average. So think about this, all of the above may manifest itself as a child who is confused by well-accepted social practices, may require more or less sensory stimulation which may result in repetitive movements, noises and cuddling or not being able to cuddle. With autism may come anxiety, digestive disorders, self-harm and so forth. You can perhaps see now how the symptoms can fan out and become confusing to those around them who perhaps don't understand where they originate from. By getting to know the signs and symptoms of autism, you can perhaps identify traits in your own child, be a better support for a parent or friend with autism and even help your child to understand how we are all different. See this link for more information https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html and watch out for more information from me about how nutrition may help children and adults with ASD to cope in this ever confusing world!
Autism Awareness Week, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorders, Helping you to help them.
Please comment if you found this useful or if you have any questions. For more autism resources you might like to visit: http://www.autism.org.uk/helpline, http://www.autismlinks.co.uk/support-groups?region=West%20Midlands, https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/nutrition-and-autism,
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