What is Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), commonly known as Autism, is the general term for a group of complex disorders of brain development. This is called a “spectrum” as it is characterized by a wide-range of difficulties mainly in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and repetitive behaviours.
For example, one child can have a significant language delay such as merely repeating sounds or echolalia while another can exhibit extreme unusual behaviours such as obsessions on an object or repetitive actions that can last for minutes to hours (i.e. rocking chair, moving something around etc.)
You may know someone with autism or actually care for one right now. However, like most carers and loved ones, you are left with questions on why these unusual and deviant behaviours seem to burst out of nowhere and go out of hand at times. Therefore, an autism assessment is vital in identifying and understanding this disorder so we may receive the correct methods and services our loved ones on the autism spectrum need.