Characteristics

Note: From AtlasforAutism.org.

Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) struggle with sensory processing and may either avoid or seek out sensory input. All their senses may be affected in some way. Thus, a student may have difficulty with touch, for example, through fabrics or tags in their clothes or people touching them. Their sense of smell may be heightened and bothered by something as simple as someone’s deodorant or perfume. Their sense of sight may be affected by bright lights or the flickering of fluorescent lights that other people may be able to filter out. Fluorescent lights may also make a buzzing sound, which may trigger a person with autism. The sense of taste may also be affected, causing some foods to be avoided due to taste, as well as texture. Some people with autism may need specific foods or dietary supplements to eat their food. For example, a student with autism may only eat food if it has ketchup on it.

Students may also have difficulty completing tasks or planning out the steps required for task completion. Tasks that involve many steps may be overwhelming and should be broken down into manageable components. They may also experience social phobia, which is a fear of social interaction. The requirement of social interaction can be overwhelming and may create irrational anxiety. This may cause the student to shut down or have a meltdown.

Students with ASD may also experience excessive worry about current issues or the possibility of future issues. Some people with ASD experience obsessive compulsive disorders that may present as a repetitive twisting of hair until it comes out, repetitive counting before being able to move forward, or any number of repetitive behaviors that interfere with typical daily tasks. Other behaviors experienced by some people with ASD include hypervigilance, avoidance behaviors, and rigid routines with resistance to change.

Dr. Daniel Amen, a physician and psychiatrist specializing in mental health, lists the following as characteristics of someone with autism spectrum disorder:

• Deficits in nonverbal communication such as understanding social cues and reading facial expressions
• Difficulty with reciprocal communication
• Repetitive movements such as rocking or hand flapping
• Rigid adherence to routines and habits
• Repetitive use of objects such as always lining up toys or turning things upside down
• Aversion to change
• Sensory sensitivities
• Having an intense focus on certain things
• Echolalia (repeating the words or sentences that others say)
• Speech delays or significantly impaired language
• Poor eye contact
• Narrow food preferences
• Self-injurious behaviors such as repetitive head-banging, scratching, or biting
• Social isolation, particularly for older people with ASD who live alone

What does ASD look like?

• Possibly non-speaking
• Appear deaf
• Avoid eye contact
• Not respond to their name or verbal commands
• Rock, pace, spin, or hand-flap (stimming), or repeat phrases (echolalia)
• Have unusual fears or obsessions about things such as flashing lights, sirens, K­-9’s
• Need time to process questions or demands
• Try to run away/bolt or hide (elope)
• Appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Dressed improperly for the elements
• Some may exhibit self-injurious behaviors such as head banding, arm biting, and/or skin scratching

Video: Early Signs of Autism Video Tutorial (9:02)