subject: Intercare Therapy – Signs of Autism [print this page] Intercare Therapy Signs of Autism Intercare Therapy Signs of Autism
As a parent, you never want to believe that your precious bundle has a problem. But when it comes to autism, catching it early makes a huge difference. The younger your child, the greater the impact of treatment on symptoms of autism and other developmental problems.
Children usually acquire developmental skills during a specific time frame. For example: a six-week-old baby smiling, a ten-month-old baby waving bye-bye, or a 12-month-old baby learning to pull up to a stand holding onto furniture. Because children usually acquire developmental milestones or skills during a specific time frame or "window", we can predict when most children will learn different skills. However, each child is an individual and may meet developmental milestones a little earlier or later than his peers may.
Developmental delay occurs when children have not reached age-specific milestones by the expected time period.
Developmental delays can exist in one or more of the following:
v Cognitive Skills
v Communication
v Social Skills and Emotional Skills Functioning
v Behavior and
v Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Recent research shows an estimated 13% of the US pediatric population has developmental delays. Early signs of autism include hyperactivity, tantrums, loss of social skills already acquired, loss of words, loss of language skills already acquired, and delayed speech and communication.
There has been increasing pressure to identify these children at an earlier age, with the current focus being on infants. Part of the reason is that research has demonstrated not only that intervention programs are cost-effective and have lifelong benefits but also that developmental attainment is maximized when intervention is commenced earlier. Consequently, professional societies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advocate the identification of developmentally delayed children before 2 years of age.
If you are concerned about possible signs of autism, your child may benefit from the attention of a therapist experienced in dealing with autism-spectrum disorders. A service provider such as Intercare Therapy, which specializes in Developmental Intervention, Behavioral Intervention and Speech therapies as well as Social Skills training, can address you concerns and help you provide your child with the help he or she needs. For more information, call (323) 866-1880 or email info@intercaretherapy.com.
