According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website, Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known. Scientists believe there are multiple causes of ASD that act together to change the most common ways people develop. We still have much to learn about these causes and how they impact people with ASD.
People with ASD may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. There is often nothing about how they look that sets them apart from other people. The abilities of people with ASD can vary significantly. For example, some people with ASD may have advanced conversation skills whereas others may be nonverbal. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others can work and live with little to no support.
ASD begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a person’s life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12 months of life. In others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months of age or later. Some children with ASD gain new skills and meet developmental milestones until around 18 to 24 months of age, and then they stop gaining new skills or lose the skills they once had.
As children with ASD become adolescents and young adults, they may have difficulties developing and maintaining friendships, communicating with peers and adults, or understanding what behaviors are expected in school or on the job. They may come to the attention of healthcare providers because they also have conditions such as anxiety, depression, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which occur more often in people with ASD than in people without ASD.
People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention. It is important to note that some people without ASD might also have some of these symptoms. For people with ASD, these characteristics can make life very challenging.
Picture Books Featuring Characters withÂ
Autism or Asperger's (ages 3-6)
A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor
A Manual for Marco by Shaila Abdullah
Crow Boy by Taro Yashima
I See Things Differently by Pat Thomas
Picture Books Featuring Characters withÂ
Autism or Asperger's (ages 6-9)
By Elana Arnold
By Jenn Bailey
By Sally J. Pla
By Daniel Share-Strom
By Julia Cook
By Laurie Lears
By Julia Cook
By Lulu Delacre
By Lesly Ely
By Beverly Bishop
By Julia Cook
By Merriam Sarcia Saunders
By Merriam Sarcia Saunders
By Paula Kluth
By Julia Cook
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca
Too Sticky! by Jen Malia
Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome by Clarabelle van Niekerk and Liezl Venter
Wiggles, Stomps, and Squeezes Calm My Jitters Down by Lindsey Rowe Parker