Other common symptoms of ASD (not included in the image)
- Hyper or hyposensitivity to sounds, lights, textures or tastes.
- Difficulty adapting to changes or unforeseen events.
- Little facial or emotional expression .
- Difficulty playing symbolically (e.g., pretending a box is a car).
- Preference for being alone.
- Difficulty understanding other people’s emotions (cognitive empathy).
How is it diagnosed?
Diagnosing ASD demands a multidisciplinary evaluation:
🔹 Clinical interviews
🔹 Behavioral observation
🔹 Language and communication development tests
🔹 Evaluation by child psychologists or neurologists
It can be done from 18 months, and the earlier it is detected, the better the intervention tools will be .
Support and treatment
Although there is no cure, early intervention with speech, occupational, sensory, and emotional encourage therapies can make a huge difference in the quality of life for people with ASD.
Some forms of support:
- Prepare clear routines
- ABA Therapy (Applied Behavior Analysis)
- Adapted special education
- Emotional encourage for the family
- Boosting inclusive environments in schools and communities
Conclusion
Autism is not a tragedy. The real tragedy is not spotting it early, not providing support, and not understanding neurological diversity.
