A person diagnosed with autism may experience challenges in social skills, language development, and repetitive behaviors. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder. It tends to fuse between 2 and 3 years of age. Approximately 1 in 68 American children are diagnosed with autism. It is more common in boys than in girls. It has been documented that Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has proven to be the most successful.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the full name. There are mild, moderate, and severe symptoms, making it a spectrum disorder. Behavior analysis is a field within psychology that focuses on understanding behavior and how it is affected by the environment. The use of scientifically validated teaching techniques to achieve significant and positive change in behavior is known as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). The positive change is to correct the symptoms of ASD.

Positive changes in behavior are: (among others)

1. Increase socialization
2. Increase communication skills
3. Decrease problematic and repetitive behaviors

Some of the common repetitive behaviors displayed by people with ASD are aggression, self-harm, strange speech, and hand flapping.

Although autism is typically a lifelong condition, it is beneficial for people to receive interventions and therapies. It becomes a concern when people do not reach certain developmental milestones. Learning to talk, walk, eat independently, and play with others are things a person should start learning between the ages of birth and 3 years. In general, autism means that the person is developmentally delayed in some way.

Someone with autism may need more support to develop certain skills. Earlier interventions are better. Interventions can start as young as 18 months (with some agencies) to as young as 2 or 3 years. Individuals with Autism with different abilities and limitations. It is important that each individual is treated accordingly and has the best interventions and therapies for her needs.

Genetic disorders, sleep disorders, seizure disorders, and sensory processing are other problems that can occur in people with autism. Although it does not occur in all people with autism, in some there are genetic conditions that affect brain development. Some may have seizure disorders such as epilepsy. The seizures themselves can range from mild to severe as well. It is more common to experience sleep problems as a child than as an adult. With sensory issues, the individual will have trouble processing information. Pica is also something that someone with autism can experience. Pica is when someone eats things that are edible. As you can see, it’s really a spectrum disorder. It is important to locate a professional who can evaluate the individual by diagnosing her with autism if she has it and identifying her strengths and weaknesses.