Autism Services
What is Autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that usually manifests by the age of three. It is a spectrum disorder, meaning that the symptoms and characteristics of autistic behavior can appear in a very wide variety of forms, from mild to severe. It affects an individual's understanding of what is seen, heard and sensed. It results in problems with verbal and non-verbal communication skills, reasoning and learning skills, social interactions and abnormal responses to sensations.
What is Aspergers?
Aspergers is a neurobiological disorder, which falls at the 'high end' of the autistic spectrum. Individuals with Aspergers have difficulty in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have great difficulty reading non-verbal cues (body language) and determining proper body space. They have difficulty with sensory (sounds, tastes, smells, lights, touch). A person with Aspergers perceives the world very differently because of their high degree of functionality and their naivet?. Those with Aspergers are often viewed as eccentric or odd. While language development appears normal, individuals with Aspergers often have deficits in pragmatics (social languages) and comprehension skills. They can be extremely literal and have difficulty using language in a social context. IQ is generally at grade level or above.
