{"id":1743,"date":"2023-06-19T11:37:18","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T11:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/?p=1743"},"modified":"2025-12-23T08:46:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T08:46:22","slug":"autism-in-children-understanding-pediatric-autism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/autism-in-children-understanding-pediatric-autism\/","title":{"rendered":"Autism in Children: What Every Parent Needs to Know About Pediatric Autism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now called ASD or autism spectrum disorder (previously autism), the condition can be best defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder. More\u00a0 \u00a0 specifically, it is a developmental disability that&#8217;s caused by several specific differences in a child&#8217;s brain. Kids with autism may interact, behave and learn differently from most people, which may result in trouble during social interactions and with the interpretation and usage of verbal and nonverbal communication.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At <\/span><a href=\"\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Children&#8217;s Medical Center of South Florida<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, our experts offer formalized ASD screening within our <\/span><a href=\"\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/well-child-check\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">well-child checks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at 18 and 24 months. As such, this article will aim to shed more light on what is an autism spectrum disorder and how parents should approach their kids on the spectrum in a way that will ease the possible social inconveniences that might stem from ASD.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1745\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Happy-Autism-Boy-During-Therapy-With-School-Counselor-Learning-and-Having-Fun-Together.jpg\" alt=\"Happy Autism Boy During Therapy With School Counselor Learning And Having Fun\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Happy-Autism-Boy-During-Therapy-With-School-Counselor-Learning-and-Having-Fun-Together-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Happy-Autism-Boy-During-Therapy-With-School-Counselor-Learning-and-Having-Fun-Together-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Happy-Autism-Boy-During-Therapy-With-School-Counselor-Learning-and-Having-Fun-Together-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Happy-Autism-Boy-During-Therapy-With-School-Counselor-Learning-and-Having-Fun-Together-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Happy-Autism-Boy-During-Therapy-With-School-Counselor-Learning-and-Having-Fun-Together-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Happy-Autism-Boy-During-Therapy-With-School-Counselor-Learning-and-Having-Fun-Together-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Happy-Autism-Boy-During-Therapy-With-School-Counselor-Learning-and-Having-Fun-Together.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Autism in children will usually means that the child will have the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Trouble understanding and correctly using nonverbal communication like facial expressions, eye contact, and certain gestures<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Difficulties with interacting with others, or they will interact with others in different ways than the majority<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Absent or delayed language development<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Difficulties in understanding and forming relationships<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unusual or intense interests<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Repetitive motor behaviors, repetitive play, or speech<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Insisting on the same routine and\/or environment<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The extent of how well kids with autism function in everyday life will depend mostly on how severe their symptoms are. ASD varies greatly regarding everyday impairment and symptom severity, meaning that in milder cases, people may not be aware of the child&#8217;s condition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As you may know, the condition was renamed autism spectrum disorder back in 2013. Now, the disorder is used as an umbrella term that covers different levels of the condition. As such, ASD includes more disorders that experts used to consider separate:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Asperger syndrome<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Autism<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pervasive developmental disorder<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to data from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), ASD affects around one in every 44 children, eight years old, developing at least four times more likely in boys than in girls. Experts also believe that ASD may happen early in the brain&#8217;s development as behavioral characteristics can surface typically between the ages of one and a half and three years old.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>ASD Causes and Symptoms<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unfortunately, ASD has no clear-cut causes. Research points to both environmental and genetic factors, but scientists believe that developmental changes that take place are triggered due to a variety of factors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There&#8217;s a consensus about the role of genetics regarding ASD, but only ten to 20 percent of cases have experts identified specific genetic causes. These include particular syndromes (such as fragile X syndrome), which are, by default, closely associated with ASD.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The disease has a hereditary characteristic, meaning that when one child in the family receives a positive diagnosis, their sibling will have around 20% greater risk of developing these changes, and the next child will have approximately 32% greater risk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Furthermore, other risk factors may increase the likelihood of the child developing the condition:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The birthing parent is older than 35<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Low birth weight<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Birth complications<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Premature labor and birth<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thalidomide or valproic acid is used during pregnancy by the birthing parent<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having a sibling with the condition<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having specific genetic and chromosomal conditions<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Furthermore, there is a wide range of mental and physical conditions that come with the disease, which may include the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Poor sleep<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Feeding problems<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gastrointestinal issues<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Depression and anxiety<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Epilepsy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ADHD<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bipolar disorder<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Schizophrenia<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the other hand, symptoms may range from mild to severe, but it&#8217;s different for every individual. Sometimes, it&#8217;s challenging to spot the direct telltale signs, but if your child shows any of the following early symptoms, scheduling a screening with their pediatrician might prove useful:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The child won&#8217;t look at you when calling their name or has problems with responding.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The baby doesn&#8217;t make joyful expressions or smile widely by six months of age.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The babies won&#8217;t babble by 12 months old.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At one year old, they don&#8217;t use gestures such as waving or reaching and won&#8217;t respond to simple back-and-forth games, such as peek-a-boo.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The toddler won&#8217;t say any words by 16 months old.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The child is unable to communicate two-word, meaningful phrases (not including repeating or imitating) by the age of two years old.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is a loss of social skills, speech, or babbling.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Repetitive and restricted behaviors start showing up, such as lining up toys the same way.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The child has obsessive and unusual interests.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Extreme reactions to small routine changes are common.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sensory aversions, picky eating, dislike for the feel or fit of certain clothes, etc., may also be present.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sensory-seeking behaviors like licking or sniffing objects may be noticeable.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Diagnosing ASD<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Autism in children can be challenging to diagnose because there aren&#8217;t any specific methods, such as laboratory tests, to diagnose the disease properly. Still, providers can perform specialized evaluations and screenings, which will usually include the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Developmental screening:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This may include a questionnaire to assess whether there&#8217;s autism present with a series of checklists and questions that compare the child&#8217;s developmental state with children of the same age.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Developmental surveillance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Parents are asked to examine and follow their child&#8217;s behavior and developmental history.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Formal evaluation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This gives the opportunity for a more in-depth look at your child&#8217;s development. Trained experts, like child psychologists and pediatricians specializing in child development and behavior, will observe the child and assess their behavior with a structured autism spectrum test. Parents will also need to fill out specific questionaries, and the results will help experts come to a formal conclusion regarding the diagnosis.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Autism Treatment<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unfortunately, this is a lifelong condition with no cure. Still, the symptoms of the child might subside somewhat as they age.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some therapies help these children develop new skills so that they learn how to cope with some of the core deficits of the condition and reduce some of the symptoms. Autism affects every child differently, and because of this, they will require an individualized treatment plan to address their specific needs. Parents are encouraged to get started with these treatment sessions as soon as possible so that the benefits of the therapy can be more effective as the child ages.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And because many people with ASD can also have other <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autismspeaks.org\/medical-conditions-associated-autism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">medical conditions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, they may need medications along with behavioral therapy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Can ASD Be Prevented?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1746\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Emotion-Emoticons-Used-by-a-Psychologist-During-a-Therapy-Session-With-a-Child-With-an-Autism-Spectrum-Disorder.jpg\" alt=\"Emotion Emoticons Used By A Psychologist During A Therapy Session\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Emotion-Emoticons-Used-by-a-Psychologist-During-a-Therapy-Session-With-a-Child-With-an-Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Emotion-Emoticons-Used-by-a-Psychologist-During-a-Therapy-Session-With-a-Child-With-an-Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Emotion-Emoticons-Used-by-a-Psychologist-During-a-Therapy-Session-With-a-Child-With-an-Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Emotion-Emoticons-Used-by-a-Psychologist-During-a-Therapy-Session-With-a-Child-With-an-Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Emotion-Emoticons-Used-by-a-Psychologist-During-a-Therapy-Session-With-a-Child-With-an-Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Emotion-Emoticons-Used-by-a-Psychologist-During-a-Therapy-Session-With-a-Child-With-an-Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/07\/Emotion-Emoticons-Used-by-a-Psychologist-During-a-Therapy-Session-With-a-Child-With-an-Autism-Spectrum-Disorder.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unfortunately, the disorder can&#8217;t be prevented, but people can lower the risk of having a child with the condition by taking the following steps:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Living a healthy lifestyle, eating a nutritious and balanced diet with regular exercise<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Attending prenatal care and taking the recommended supplements and vitamins<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Making sure to consult your provider about the safety of taking certain medications, especially during pregnancy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoiding alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Getting all provider-recommended vaccinations<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Kids on the Spectrum: Living With ASD<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As mentioned above, in most cases, the symptoms associated with the condition become milder as the child ages. Still, parents and providers should be flexible as the treatment might need to be adjusted to meet the needs of the child.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Children with autism may go on to live typical adult lives, but there might be an additional need for continued support and services as they age, and these will mostly depend on the severity of their symptoms. For the most part, people with ASD may require lifelong, ongoing support.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Still, in the last two decades, researchers have learned a lot about the condition, and there are several ongoing studies aiming to find out more about its causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To learn more about the condition or if you suspect that the condition might be affecting your child, don&#8217;t hesitate to reach out to us to get a timely start on treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now called ASD or autism spectrum disorder (previously autism), the condition can be best defined<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1744,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[81,84,82,80,83],"class_list":["post-1743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-autism-in-children","tag-kids-on-the-spectrum","tag-kids-with-autism","tag-pediatric-autism","tag-what-is-autism-spectrum-disorder"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/childrens-medical-center-south-florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}