Indicators of Autism

Information adapted from APA, National Autism Society and Cleveland Clinic

Autism

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by:

• social impairments

• communication difficulties

• repetitive behaviors

• sensory processing difficulties

• cognitive impairments (other learning differences are often present along with ASD)

Social and communication challenges can include:

• • Delayed or absent language development.

  • Difficulties interacting with other people or differences in how they interact with others

  • Decreased sharing of interests with others

  • Difficulty appreciating their own & others' emotions

  • Trouble using and understanding nonverbal communication, like eye contact, gestures and facial expressions.

  • Aversion to maintaining eye contact

  • Stilted or scripted speech

  • Interpreting abstract ideas literally

  • Difficulty making friends or keeping them

Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors may include:

• • Inflexibility of behavior, extreme difficulty coping with change

  • Repetitive motor behaviors, like flapping arms, body rocking or repetitive speech or play

  • Being overly focused on niche subjects to the exclusion of others

  • Expecting others to be equally interested in those subjects

  • Insistence on sameness in environment or routine and therefore difficulty tolerating changes in routine and environment

  • Arranging things, often toys, in a very particular manner or play with toys the same way every time

Sensory processing difficulties may include: 

• • Sensory hypersensitivity, e.g., aversion to loud noises or sensory-seeking behaviours e.g. always wanting to use the swing on the playground 

  • Stereotypical movements such as hand flapping, rocking, spinning

If you have concerns about your student potentially having autism, you can use the checklist below as an initial assessment of need. Click on the top right corner to download a PDF copy.