Since 1965, the Autism Society of America has been building a network of resources prioritizing respect, caring, and support for people living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper is pleased to show its support by posting blue ribbons around the Health Sciences Campus in Camden and lighting the hospital blue during the month of April.
Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental disability; signs typically appear during early childhood and affect a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. ASD is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum condition” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness and early diagnosis and intervention and access to appropriate services/supports lead to significantly improved outcomes.
Some behaviors associated with autism include delayed learning of language; difficulty making eye contact or holding a conversation; difficulty with executive functioning, which relates to reasoning and planning; narrow, intense interests; poor motor skills and sensory sensitivities. A person on the spectrum may exhibit many of these behaviors or just a few, or many others besides. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is applied based on analysis of all behaviors and their severity.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.