The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) defines autism as a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder, which affects social communication, social interaction and sensory processing. Many autistic people prefer the use of autistic or neurodiversity affirming language, seeing autism as a difference, not a disorder. Every autistic person will experience these differences in their own unique way and may need varying levels of support throughout their lifetime. 

Although referred to as a spectrum, autism is not a straight line with a high and low end. No autistic person is more or less autistic than another. Often autistic people will hide their autistic traits to try to "fit in". This is referred to as "masking" or "camouflaging" and can be damaging to the person's mental health and well-being. Autism is not an illness or a disease, it is a way of processing information that is different than a neurotypical (non-autistic) person. 

There is nothing wrong with being autistic. Autistic people are a part of every ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation and gender identity. Neurodiversity is an important part of the overall diversity in the world, which can foster innovation, creativity and empathy. 

No one knows what causes autism.

There have been hundreds of studies done which show that there is a strong genetic component with over 800 predisposition genes involved. https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pd.4942

(The above link is an overview that was compiled using 318 studies. Each of the studies used are cited as references within the overview.)

Research is currently being done worldwide to look at environmental factors which may increase the likelihood that a person is born with autism. This does not mean that something in the environment causes autism, only that it may increase the possibility of being born with autism.

What autism is not:

• NOT caused by vaccines (below are 4 links to journal articles, but there are many, many more!)

  • https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/M18-2101

  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264410X14006367

  • https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01425.x

  • https://www.bmj.com/content/324/7334/393.short

• NOT a childhood condition

• NOT a disease and can NOT be cured

• NOT all autistic people have a special talent

• NOT all autistic people have a learning disability/intellectual disability

Autistic people can also have co-occurring health conditions such as:

• Epilepsy

  • symptoms may include:

    • seizures (shaking and collapsing

    • staring blankly into space

    • tingling in the arms or legs

• Sleep Disorders

  • symptoms may include:

    • difficulty falling asleep

    • waking up several times during the night

    • waking up early and not being able to go back to sleep

• Digestive Issues

  • symptoms may include:

    • persistent diarrhea or persistent constipation

    • abdominal pain

• Joint Problems (could be caused by Ehler's-Danlos syndrome or joint hypermobility syndrome)

  • symptoms may include:

    • hyperflexible or painful joints

    • very stretchy skin

    • skin that bruises easily

• Intellectual Disability/Learning Disability

  • can affect cognitive functioning such as:

    • learning

    • problem solving

    • judgement

  • can affect adaptive functioning such as:

    • communication skills

    • social skills

Autistic people can also have co-occurring conditions which can affect their mental health such as:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Autistic traits are different for every single autistic person and can change for that person over time. Below are some of the possible traits that autistic people may have at different ages. This list is not meant as a diagnostic tool. If you have any concerns about your child's development or if you wish to have an autism assessment done for any reason, please contact your paediatrician or family doctor.

Autistic traits in infants up to 12 months:

• not smiling back at you

• lack of eye contact

• not responding to their name

• more interested in objects than people

• playing with toys in an unusual way

• little or no babbling

• repetitive movements 

Autistic traits in children:

• limited or lack of interest in other children

• self-injurious behaviour

• repeating words or phrases (echolalia)

• delayed speech or have above average language skills

• sensitive to different foods, lights, sounds or smells

• resistant to touch or seek out deep pressure

• lack of or reduced eye contact

• repetitive movements

Autistic traits at any age:

• reduced or discomfort with eye contact 

• reduced or excessive sensitivity to:

  • lights

  • sounds

  • smells

  • touch

  • foods

• intense specific interests

• repeating words or phrases (echolalia)

• repetitive movements

• difficulty with changes in routine or environment

• becoming upset at demands/requests

• difficulty making friends or maintaining friendships

• literal thinking

• difficulty describing how they feel

• copying other people, often to mask/hide autistic traits

• need extra time to process information

• act in socially atypical ways

• difficulty understanding social cues

• lack of danger awareness

• difficulty self-regulating which can lead to meltdowns or shutdowns

• difficulty with fine motor skills

This is not an exhaustive list. It represents some of the more common characteristics described both clinically and by the autistic community.

For Children:

Getting an autism assessment would usually start with making an appointment with your family doctor or paediatrician. An assessment can only be done by qualified professionals who specialize in understanding autism, such as a developmental paediatrician.

You will be asked to fill out questionnaires to help gain an understanding of the child's current behaviour as well as behaviour from early childhood.

An appointment will be set where a team of professionals (developmental paediatrician, speech and language pathologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist) will do activities with your child and observe your child's behaviour. The team will then meet privately to discuss their findings and a report will be given to you with the assessment results.

For Adults:

As an adult you can also make an appointment with your family doctor to discuss getting an autism assessment. Your family doctor will then refer you to either a psychiatrist or psychologist who works in a public healthcare setting.

You can also self-refer to a psychologist who is a private practitioner for an assessment. The cost of the assessment would be out of pocket or potentially covered by your private insurance plan.

In Ontario, assessments may be covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), if the referral was made through your family doctor.

Many autistic individuals have reported difficulty in obtaining an autism assessment in adulthood. It is important to do your own research to make informed decisions. We do not endorse any particular individual, therapy or avenue of assessment.

Autism is diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). 

As a child:

Often parents are hesitant to tell their children about an autism diagnosis. The general consensus in the autism community is to absolutely tell your child, not that they have autism, but that they are autistic. Autism shouldn't be treated as something you have, but rather a part of who you are and how your brain works. As a parent, you set the tone for how the child will view themselves.

At some point your child will start to understand that they are different, explaining to them that they are autistic helps them to understand why. This understanding will give them insight into their challenges and help them to accept themselves.

As an adult:

Getting a late diagnosis is so validating! Everything just makes sense. There can also be a sense of loss for many people after the initial relief. It is a process that is different for everyone.

A big question for autistic adults is whether or not to share their diagnosis with others. This is a deeply personal decision and can be frightening. Many people find it important to tell the people closest to them to foster understanding and support. There is nothing shameful about being autistic. You are the same person you have always been, you simply have a better understanding of yourself.

The way we teach can greatly influence how children absorb and process information. It's not just about the content, but also about the methods, the environment, and the interactions that promote learning. 

Engaging teaching methods, supportive environments, and positive relationships can make a big difference in how effectively children learn and how much they retain. 

Our values and beliefs, a child's interests and most importantly their developmental level greatly influence our teaching strategies. 

A few foundational strategies to enhance skill learning include:

Learning style

Recognizing and understanding your child's learning style can significantly improve your child's learning. All learners activate several Multiple Intelligences to learn, therefore understanding your child's strongest learning intelligence style enhances your child's learning through meaningful engagement and reinforces a positive learning experience. 

Here are the 9 Multiple Intelligences:

Linguistic: Word Strong

Logical-Mathematical: Logic Strong

Naturalistic: Nature Strong

Visual-Spatial: Picture Strong

Bodily-Kinesthetic: Movement Strong

Musical: Music Strong

Interpersonal: People Strong

Intrapersonal: Self Strong

Existential: Thinking Strong

Modeling

Modeling is one of the most effective teaching strategies that you can use for teaching any new skill in any environment. The key to implementing this strategy is explicit instruction while engaging your child's strongest learning intelligence. Mastering this teaching strategy will provide the platform for learning how to scaffold learning and take your child's learning to a whole new level. 

The Meaning of No

Teaching “The meaning of No”. This is a difficult skill for anyone to master as there are many external factors that influence this concept. Often cultural, economic and environmental factors dictate the learning of this skill, however, the one exception to learning this skill is “safety and behaviour”. Teaching your child the concept of the meaning of “no” provides them the opportunity to develop self-regulating skills, set clear safety boundaries and build stronger relationships based on mutual respect that is obtainable and sustainable. The mastery of this skill at a young age allows you to scaffold the learning of emotional intelligence and additional foundational skills. We dive into “The Meaning of No” in our fourth podcast of the same name.

Learning about autism can be very overwhelming! There's a lot of information out there and an entirely new vocabulary to learn. We've put together a list of definitions to help navigating and understanding a little easier.

Accommodations

• Changes, in an education or work environment, that help an individual be successful. Examples may include specialized equipment, extra time to complete tasks, and modified assignments.

Alexithymia

• Difficulty identifying and describing emotions that you are feeling.

Allistic

• Refers to people who are not autistic.

Antecedent

• The events, actions, or circumstances that occur immediately before a behaviour.

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)

• ABA is the science of changing behaviour. The goal of ABA is to promote learning and skill development.

Asperger's 

• Asperger Syndrome is a term that was removed from the official diagnostic criteria in 2013. It was used to describe autistic people who had lower support needs. While no longer used today, some autistic people who were diagnosed prior to 2013 may still wish to use the term to self identify.

Burnout

• An involuntary chronic or long-term response to overwhelming situations/stimuli. Often characterized by exhaustion, decreased functioning, and increased sensitivity to stimuli. 

Comorbidity

• When two or more conditions are present in an individual at the same time.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)

• The official guide used by qualified medical professionals in the diagnosis of mental disorders, including autism.

Echolalia

• The repetition of words, sentences or sounds.

Echopraxia

• The unintentional imitation of another person's movements or facial expressions.

Equality

• The state of being the same

Equity

• Being fair and impartial

Executive Function

• Refers to a set of mental skills:

  • adaptable/flexible thinking: ability to think about a subject in more than one way

  • attention: the ability to focus and respond

  • organization: arranging your thoughts or environment

  • planning: setting a goal, thinking about the steps to achieve it, and prioritizing those steps

  • self control: the ability to manage your own emotions and actions

  • self monitoring: to recognize and evaluate your own behaviour

  • working memory: holding on to small amounts of information for a short period of time

Expressive Language

• The ability to communicate our thoughts, wants, and needs in verbal or non-verbal ways.

High Functioning/Low Functioning

• These are unofficial terms that refer to an autistic person's support/ability level. They are now considered to be unhelpful and even harmful because they do not recognize the strengths and difficulties that each autistic individual experiences uniquely.

Individual Education Plan (IEP)

• A written plan that describes special education programs, accommodations and services that a school board will provide for a student. IEPs are based on a thorough assessment of a student’s strengths, needs, and ability to learn and demonstrate learning.

Levels (1, 2 and 3)

• Autism is diagnosed using three levels. Level 3 requires the most support, Level 2 requires moderate support, Level 1 requires the least amount of support.

Masking (Camouflaging)

• a conscious or unconscious coping strategy used to hide aspects of yourself in order to blend in or avoid harm in society.

Meltdown

• An intense and involuntary physical and/or verbal response to an overwhelming situation/stimuli.

Modeling

• Physically, visually or verbally demonstrating a behaviour or skill.

Neurodiversity

• An inclusive way to refer to the differences in how the brain functions for neurotypical (non-autistic/non-ADHD) and neurodivergent (autistic/ADHD) people.

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

• An alternative communication system that uses picture symbols. It is taught in six phases starting with a simple exchange of a picture symbol for a desired item. Individuals learn to use picture symbols to construct complete sentences, initiate communication, and answer direct questions.

Prompt

• A cue or instruction (can be physical, visual or verbal) to encourage a desired response.

Receptive Language

• Our ability to understand and interpret verbal and non-verbal communication.

Shutdown

• An intense and involuntary internal response to an overwhelming situation/stimuli. 

Stimming

• Self-stimulatory behaviour. Repetitive sounds or movements (body, objects) used in self-regulation. 

Still waiting on information......

Here is a helpful list of documents that you may wish to have accessible to a trusted person in case you pass away or are incapacitated in some way.

I am NOT a lawyer.

This does NOT constitute legal advice.

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

• Account numbers and contact information:

  • Bank accounts

  • Investments

  • Credit cards

  • Insurance (home, vehicle)

  • Vehicle information will also include

    • Ownership

    • Any finance/leasing information

    • Maintenance records/where you take it to be serviced

  • Tax returns

  • Mortgage documents

  • Rental agreement

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

• Birth certificate

• Passport

• Drivers licence

• Health card

• Will

• Social insurance number card

• Life insurance

• Marriage certificate

• Divorce papers

HOUSEHOLD/PERSONAL DOCUMENTS/INFORMATION

• Utility provider accounts

• List of important contacts

  • Work

  • Doctor

  • Dentist

  • Most people have these in their phones

    • Phone password

    • Computer password

    • Tablet password

• List of usernames and passwords for any subscriptions that need to be canceled

You may also wish to add your child(ren)'s important documents as well.

Which would include any or all of the above, plus:

• Individualized Education Plans

• Any assessments

• Official Diagnosis

• List of service and health care providers and their contact information

  • Speech and Language Pathologist

  • Occupational Therapist

  • Physiotherapist

  • Behaviour Therapist

  • Doctor/Paediatrician

  • Dentist

  • Specialists