Studies show 1 in 160 Australians have an ASD and that it is more prevalent in boys than girls.The effects of an ASD can often be minimised by early diagnosis and with the right interventions, many children and adults with an ASD show marked improvements.
There are three areas of difficulty which people with an ASD have. They include:
1. Impairment in social interaction
May include:
- Limited use and understanding of non-verbal communication such as eye gaze, facial expression and gesture
- Difficulties forming and sustaining friendships
- Lack of seeking to share enjoyment, interest and activities with other people
- Difficulties with social and emotional responsiveness
May include:
- Delayed language development
- Difficulties initiating and sustaining conversations
- Stereotyped and repetitive use of language such as repeating phrases from television
- Limited imaginative or make-believe play
May include:
- Unusually intense or focused interests
- Stereotyped and repetitive body movements such as hand flapping and spinning
- Repetitive use of objects such as repeatedly flicking a doll’s eyes or lining up toys
- Adherence to non-functional routines such as insisting on travelling the same route home each day
In addition to these main areas of difficulties, individuals with anASD may also have:
- Unusual sensory interests such as sniffing objects or staring intently at moving objects
- Sensory sensitivities including avoidance of everyday sounds and textures such as hair dryers, vacuum cleaners and sand
- Intellectual impairment or learning difficulties
For those people who know us, we have marked out what Riley has difficulties with and hope that you will better understand Riley and why he is like he is
