According to CDC studies, an average of one of every 150 children may have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As the name implies, ASD represents a wide range of disorders with similar characteristics. In general, most children on the autism spectrum have difficulty with communication and social interaction.

Most children with autism have a very specific range of interests and may seem to be obsessed with one or very few objects or activities. An obsession with trains is common. They may engage in repetitive movements such as spinning or flapping their arms. Many children who are autistic also have difficulty with tactile or sensory input.

Autism

A child with the severest form of autism will have difficulty talking about even basic things that she needs or wants. This difficulty with communication and the tendency to act impulsively impacts social behavior. Instead of asking for a drink of water, she may simply take a drink from the bottle that is sitting on a desk.

Flapping, spinning, and other repetitive movements are common with this level of autism. Repeating certain words or phrases is also typical. Some children recite certain lines (or even scenes) from a favorite movie.

Asperger Syndrome

Children with Asperger syndrome are able to function more successfully in academic and social situations than other children on the autism spectrum. However, children with Asperger syndrome do have very distinct special needs.

They are resistant to changes in routine, including changes that involve the people in their lives, such as even a short-term absence of a parent or having a substitute teacher at school. They want things to be the same. They want items to be arranged the same way on a table or desk and furniture to remain in its usual place.

Children with Asperger syndrome have difficulty with social communication. Often they avoid eye contact. The typical give and take of conversations is difficult, and they do not pick up on the social cues of body language. They interpret things that are said very concretely. For example, the expression “to have something up your sleeve” might be interpreted as something (other than the child's arm) is indeed inside his sleeve and is cause for concern.

PDD

A child who has extreme difficulty with social conversation (the back and forth exchange of ideas and eye contact) may be diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD). A child with PDD will often have obsessive interests like other children on the autism spectrum.

Tactile Defensiveness

More and more children are diagnosed with special needs involving sensory integration dysfunction. Sensory integration is the ability to tolerate or process the input acquired from the senses.

Most children on the autism spectrum have some level of tactile defensiveness. For some children, touching things with unusual textures is a challenge. They may not like to touch things that are sticky (glue or certain foods) or slimy. They may not like to wash their hands. Even the tag on the back of clothing may be extremely uncomfortable for them.

When a child has extreme tactile defensiveness, combined with a need for things to be familiar, eating difficulties can result. A child with this level of oral tactile defensiveness may have only a few foods in his diet. If the child's diet does not include needed nutritional variety, other health issues can follow. Sometimes children avoid crunchy foods, which can result in dental concerns.