Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people communicate, relate to others, and respond in everyday situations.
Get a sensory assessment to look for the signs!
It also impacts how children learn, behave, and develop socially.
Visual
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people communicate, relate to others, and respond in everyday situations.
It also impacts how children learn, behave, and develop socially.
Visual – Is the child able to recognize shapes, colors, numbers, letters, or patterns?
Auditory – Does the child hear sounds clearly?
Olfactory – Does the child notice smells?
Tactile – Does the child feel textures?
Gustatory – Does the child taste things well?
Somatosensory – Does the child notice temperature changes?
Auditory
Auditory refers to hearing the world around us.
If you suspect your child has an auditory processing disorder, there are several ways to test them.
One method involves having them listen to a series of tones while you ask questions about what they heard.
Another method involves playing a recording of speech and asking the child to repeat words or phrases.
The first step in diagnosing an auditory processing disorder is to determine if the child hears sounds at all.
To do this, parents should play a series of tones (such as a beep, tone, or whistle) and ask the child to identify each sound.
For example, say “beep” and then “boop” and then ” bop”.
If the child responds correctly, he or she is hearing the sounds.
Next, parents should play a recording of speech and ask the child to repeat words and phrases.
For example, say the word “dog” and then ask the child to repeat the word.
If the child repeats the word correctly, he or she has normal hearing.
Tactile
Tactile – Are they able to distinguish between textures like smooth vs rough surfaces?Auditory – Do they hear sounds clearly?
Visual – Is their vision clear?
Olfactory – Does their sense of smell work well?
Gustatory – Do they taste things well?
Somatosensory – Do they feel pain well?
Olfactory
Olfactory – Does the child have an interest in smells?
If a child has an interest in smells, then he/she will likely enjoy smelling scented items such as lotions, soaps, perfumes, etc.
This is a good opportunity to introduce these items to them.
You can also use aromatherapy oils to help calm them down when they are having a meltdown.
The olfactory sense is one of our most powerful senses.
Children who have an interest in smells often develop a strong desire to explore the world around them.
When children smell something new, they tend to become excited and curious.
For example, if a child likes to play outside, she might be interested in exploring the outdoors and discovering what different smells there are.
She might want to sniff flowers, grass, leaves, dirt, and other things.
Gaze
Gaze – Do they look at faces?
Eye contact is one of the first things children learn.
It helps them understand what others are thinking and feeling.
Children who do not make eye contact often struggle socially.
They may avoid looking people directly in the eyes because they feel uncomfortable.
The gaze test is a simple tool used to assess whether a child has difficulty making eye contact.
It involves having the child look into the eyes of a person standing across from him or her.
If the child does not look at the other person’s face, then he or she is likely experiencing social anxiety.
Autism 101 Series
New Diagnosis Notebook
Printable Autism Checklist for Parents
