Autism Spectrum Disorder

Current statistics show that approximately 2.2% of the American adult population is autistic. That might sound like a low number, but it equates to one in 45 adults. This means that if you work in an office space of over 50 people, there is a statistical chance that at least one person in your work group has autism. For many people, autism is a vague and hard-to-understand disorder, and even when faced with obvious signs of autism, it is hard to notice. Even the people who live with autism often fail to recognize the signs and get diagnosed late in life. The signs of autism are not always so easy to recognize, whether as an outsider or someone on the spectrum. Being able to recognize and interpret signs of autism helps you to be compassionate and validating of those on the spectrum, whether they are diagnosed or not. In many cases, the most effective way of supporting and accommodating autistic people is to adjust your communication style with them. Beyond that, there are things you can consider doing so that the autistic person in your life feels valued, validated, and catered to. Camouflaged and Unseen From school-going age, people are collectively prescribed a one-size-fits-all template of behavior to follow. This social code of conduct is not explicitly taught anywhere; it is as if we learn it through osmosis. However, it is as if people with a neurological developmental disorder don’t get the memo on how to act, what to do, and what not to do. Autistic people are frequently forced to learn the rules of social conduct by getting into trouble at school, getting disciplined at home, or getting bullied by peers. One of the major reasons we miss the signs of autism in people of any age is [...]

Understanding the complexities of social communication disorder is important because some of its symptoms mimic autism. One of the distinct differences, however, is that the signs of autism can be missed when someone is a child. For a diagnosis of social communication disorder, a child must have shown symptoms from an early age.Social communication disorder is a relatively new diagnosis; previously, children were misdiagnosed as having autism.How to know if it is autism or social communication disorderWhile autism spectrum disorder may include some difficulties with communication, it also includes repetitive patterns. Social communication disorder is marked more by the inability to understand nuanced forms of communication and storytelling.While a diagnosis of SCD must be made by a trained speech and language therapist, autism spectrum disorder must be ruled out first. A child must see a psychologist to ensure the symptoms they are showing are not part of a spectrum disorder.Autism spectrum disorder characteristics differ depending on the person. Some common ones include:Communicating differently than others.Being exceptionally good at problem-solving or finding solutions that others miss.A tendency to grasp structured systems-related understanding easily –  such as computers or the mathematical patterns in music.Challenges with adaptation to change.On the other hand, social communication disorder is primarily characterized by struggles with verbal and nonverbal communication.Someone with SCD may find it difficult:To understand gestures in social contexts.To understand implied meanings that are not explicitly stated.To recognize nonverbal communication or tone in a social setting.To work in a group, especially if the instructions are not clearly communicated verbally or leave some room for interpretation.To tell stories or follow along as someone else tells a story.To share what they know with others.To greet someone appropriately for the social context.To make friends and relate with peers.How do treatments for social communication disorder differ from autism?Therapy for SCD [...]