What is Autism Spectrum Disorder ('ASD')?

Autism spectrum disorder ('ASD') is a complex neurodevelopment disorder that affects behaviour, communication and social functioning. It is estimated that 1 in 59 children will be diagnosed with ASD, of those children diagnosed 1 in 5 will be boys, whereas 1 in 58 will be girls. The reason girls are harder to diagnose is that they are good at mimicking behaviour which contributes to their diagnosis being later in life.

As ASD has the term "spectrum" within it, ASD symptoms exist along a continuum. Some people with ASD are able to succeed in mainstream schools, hold jobs and perform functions of daily living with varying levels of support. While there are some people who will have ASD in addition to other conditions and may have significant intellectual impairments which will need extensive support and assistance throughout their lives.

Now let's break this down a little bit more:

It means that normal brain development is disrupted. Now, the keyword here is disrupted, not broken.  Experts claim that a child with ASD will go on to live independent, productive and fulfilling lives despite it being a lifelong condition. All experts suggest that if diagnosed early and the child receives the right early intervention strategies, their long-term outcomes can be improved. So this means there is no cure, but it can be managed. This is why it is important that you apply for early intervention assistance through the National Disability Insurance Scheme ('NDIS') as soon as you can. In order to get early intervention funding, you do not need a diagnosed condition, but the child should be under the age of seven (7).

In the meantime, visit the BC Kids Learning Center for some tangible tools to help you until your appointment.

Experts do not clearly understand what causes ASD.  However, it is thought that genetics and environmental factors contribute to its cause. However, there is a higher risk of receiving a diagnosis of ASD if there is already a family member with the condition. It is not a cause of bad parenting.

What Is This High-Functioning Autism?

High-functioning Autism started out as a shorthand to describe diagnosed autistic individuals who could nevertheless speak and carry on with many day-to-day activities like eating and dressing independently. It is a common misconception that it implies that the child has a high IQ and or genius mindset. Educational institutions are guilty of wrongly labelling students this way.

What Are Some Common Signs and Symptoms of ASD?

Some commons signs and symptoms of ASD could include the child:

• Not responding to his/her name by 12 months of age
• Not pointing at objects to show interest by 14 months
• Not playing "pretend" games by 18 months
• Avoiding eye contact or preferring to be alone
• Getting upset by minor changes
• Flapping their hands, rocking their body or spinning in circles
• Having unusual and sometimes intense reactions to the way things smell, taste, feel and/or look.
• Having a meltdown if their routine suddenly changes.

How Is ASD Diagnosed?

Most children are diagnosed at 4.5 years, however they can be diagnosed as early as 15 or 18 months of age. Research has shown that the earlier the child is diagnosed, the sooner they get intensive early intervention, the better the outcome for the child. This is why, if you are worried you should get it checked out as soon as you can.

The child should be diagnosed by "a specialist multi-disciplinary team. A paediatrician, psychiatrist or clinical psychologist experienced in the assessment of Pervasive Development Disorders, and assessed using the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)", according to the NDIS. 

You can do this privately or with the assistance of medicare. If you are concerned, visit your local GP, and they can direct you.

Parents can expect the assessment to include:

• Patient interviews;
• Observations of the patient's behaviour;
• Tests of cognitive and language abilities;
• Medical tests to rule out other conditions;
• Interviews with parents, teachers or other adults who can answer questions about the patient's social, emotional and behavioural development.

How can you help a family member dealing with the condition?

Learn as much as you can about the condition. There is a lot to learn.  So stay tuned, make sure you sign up to our newsletter as each month new information will be posted keeping families on top of all issues relevant to education, health and lifestyle.

Who is BC Kids, and what does it stand for?

You may have heard the saying, if you have met one kid with ASD, you have met ONE kid with ASD. Our children are Beyond Comparison (the BC of 'BC Kids'), so there should never be a program or plan that claims to be a one-size-fits-all.  

After receiving our diagnosis, I thought it was odd that my child are described by his medical condition and not something as fantastic as he is. The schools and the media portray kids with ASD quite negatively, which is typical if you don't know much about the condition. After all the research I did, ASD means that our kids think and see the world differently. So, throw away any idea that the child lacks discipline, or is defiant, naughty or spoilt. There are many talented and gifted people with ASD. It is not something to fear, it is something to embrace. We could all learn a lot from a BC Kid and many of the methods used to help BC Kids can help others too.