Jeannie is the answers.com autism category expert writer. This is a compilation of her articles.
Many autistic children remain misunderstood both by the world around them and even by their parents, teachers, and caregivers. Accurately expressing their thoughts and feelings is an inherent problem for those with autism spectrum disorders; therefore, it can be difficult to understand their behaviors. I am not having a tantrum …
Why is it sometime difficult to identify depression in those with autism spectrum disorders? The difficulty may arise as a result of the inability or difficulty autistic individuals have expressing their emotions or communicating feelings of disturbance, anxiety or distress verbally. Depression is often missed until it is so severe …
One characteristic or autistic trait that is commonly seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorders, or Asperger’s Syndrome is a preoccupation with areas of “special interests.” So common is this trait of autism that it is listed as one of the diagnostic criteria of the disorder. Special Interests as a …
Why do some children and adults with Autism have difficulty keeping their feet underneath them, or applying the correct amount of pressure when lifting an object? Why do they seem to walk into a room like an elephant in a china shop, or send the milk container flying across the …
Many autistic children find it difficult to navigate the mainstream classrooms in public schools. They can be distracted easily by all the sensory stimuli that the school environment provides. A child with autism may not be able to listen to fast speech, take notes, and absorb information in the timeframe …
Many adults and children with autism report having frequent nightmares, manifested by fitful, restless sleep, or screaming in the night. These may be difficult to wake, or calm during these episodes. Are they simply being plagued by nightmares, or could it be something else? Night Terrors. Night Terror or Nightmare? …
Why Are Boys Diagnosed with Autism More Often Than Girls? It was first thought that more boys developed autism than girls because of a “flaw” in the male genes, something (unidentified) that makes the male more susceptible to autism spectrum disorders. Research has shown that it is more likely that …
Prosopagnosia, also known as “facial agnosia” or “face-blindness,” is a neurological disorder that makes facial recognition difficult or impossible. Two thirds of autistic children and adults have some degree of face-blindness. Why do people with Autism have trouble recognizing faces? We do not see with our eyes, we “see” with …
There is often talk about ways to eliminate an autistic child from engaging in self-stimulatory behaviors, or “stimming” indicating that these repetitive behaviors and movements are undesirable, or non-functional and should be eradicated. The truth is that stimming is desirable, pleasurable, and necessary to the autistic individual. What is stimming? …
Books about Autism written by men abound, but it is more difficult to find books written from a female perspective—by someone, a woman, with Autism. Statistics show that Autism affects four times more men than women; four times more boys are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) than girls. However, …
