When dealing with children who have autism, it’s critical to understand that the autism spectrum for children represents a broad range of symptoms and conditions. On the one side of the spectrum, you have a more severe form of the disorder, and on the other end, you have a milder case. Then you have varying degrees of the condition in the middle. However, no matter where the child is on the spectrum, they will share some similar traits and characteristics. It’s helpful to know as much information about children and autism if you have a child with this condition. Contact EMIT Therapeutics today at 844.983.0240 for more information about this disorder and the autism treatment programs we offer.
Communication and Social Interactions
When looking at the autism spectrum for children, you will see a considerable variation in how children communicate and interact with others. For the child who is on the far end of the autism spectrum, communication is limited to hand gestures, grunts, and some babbling. With proper therapies, such as speech therapy and more, the child may learn to communicate with some phrases and sentences over time. This disconnect doesn’t mean the child doesn’t understand what you’re saying. In fact, in most cases, they understand just as well as a child their age, but they have difficulties expressing it verbally.
On the other side of the spectrum, you have high-functioning autism, often referred to as Asperger’s disorder. These children are highly verbal and have excellent vocabulary usage. However, they may speak in a pedantic, stiff, monotone voice. They struggle with social interactions when they communicate due to their extreme literal interpretation of words and situations. Also, they tend to want to talk about whatever their interests are, without heeding social cues from others that it’s time to change the topic.
Rigidity
Children with autism are also rigid in their thinking and desire for their world to have a sense of sameness about it. They resist change strongly. If you try to change their plans suddenly, without any forewarning, you might see them meltdown. You need to ease into “good” changes because of this rigid type of view they have. For example, if you are going to change their room to all new decorations, colors, curtains, and so on, it would be best to do it a little bit at a time and with their input and help.
Repetitive Movements or Actions
You’ll find that wherever children and autism are, you’ll also find some repetitive motions. For some children, it can be more exaggerated than with others. For example, one child may continually rock their body back and forth or flap their arms around and around, while another child may repeat a phrase over and over. Some children change from one repetitive movement to another one, while others stay with the same one. As they get older, they may try to stop themselves from doing it as much as they become more socially aware. However, the repetitive motions could switch to something more subtle, like picking their skin over and over.
Treatment for Children with Autism at EMIT Therapeutics
At EMIT Therapeutics, we work with the autism spectrum for children in a compassionate, professional manner. Your autistic child will receive evidence-based therapies when participating in our program. Some of these programs include:
- Applied behavioral analysis
- Early intervention program
- Telehealth treatment program
Parents and children will work together to learn effective communication strategies at home. In addition, your child will discover greater self-confidence as they develop their skills for life.
Learn more about the autism spectrum for children by reaching out to a case coordinator today. Contact EMIT Therapeutics at 844.983.0240 for more information.
