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Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement
Center for Communication Enhancement
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Home Clinical Services Autism Language Program Evaluation and Treatment Characteristics of Children with Autism
Flower Characteristics of Children with Autism
Autism is a spectrum disorder, and symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Although autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors, children can exhibit any combination of these behaviors in varying degrees of severity.

In our experience, we believe many children with autism exhibit the following strengths:

  • strong visual processing
  • ability to solve puzzles
  • ability to be decode words (often self-taught)
  • Ability to make sense of the world through their visual surroundings (often enhanced by visual materials)
  • fascination with books and magazines
  • extremely interested in electronic screen media (TV, games, monitors)*
* It is interesting to note that in a recent survey, we found many children with autism spend more time with media than they do with all other forms of play combined.
Children with autism may also exhibit a difficulty:
  • in shared interests
  • paying attention to what you want them to
  • understanding language (spoken and written)
  • with social conventions
  • viewing the perspective of another person
  • expressing and interpreting emotion
  • with obsessive and compulsive behavior patterns
It should also be noted that 50% of children with autism do not talk. Most are late talkers, and some often lose previously acquired language skills.

There are, however, many misconceptions about autism. Some believe that if a child does not learn to talk by age 7, they will not talk at all. We do not believe that.

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