Takeaway: We now see autism as being a spectrum with a range of subtypes. Asperger’s Syndrome is the old name of the mildest of these subtypes. Children with Asperger’s have a lot of the same characteristics as children with classical autism, but it doesn’t affect their functioning as much. And with the right support, they can live full, meaningful lives. Read More
Takeaway: Children with autism have problems with social interaction, get stuck with repetitive behaviour, and are overloaded by sensory stimuli. But there’s such a variation in autistic behaviour that even doctors misdiagnose it. For example, they might notice your child’s short attention span and assume that her challenge is ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). And once they’ve assumed this, they’ll likely ignore the underlying autism spectrum diagnosis. That’s why it’s important to take your child to an experienced multi-disciplinary team of specialists. Read More