Character|st|cs of Ch||dren w|th Aut|sm

8y Iredda 8rown hD S|ma Gerber hD and Chr|stopher M C||va hD

clty uolvetslty of New otk Ooeeos colleqe
Chlldren wlLh auLlsm may dlsplay some or many of Lhe characLerlsLlcs noLed below 1hey may have
severe forms of one or more of Lhe characLerlsLlcs or may have only mlld lmpalrmenLs relaLed Lo Lhese
characLerlsLlcs lL ls lmporLanL Lo noLe LhaL wlLh early educaLlon focused on a chllds needs many of
Lhese behavlors can be modlfled
Character|st|c 8ehav|or
Soc|a| Interact|on A chlld may
O ave dlfflculLy maklng eye conLacL wlLh
oLhers
O how llLLle body language or faclal
expresslons when lnLeracLlng
O ave dlfflculLy developlng relaLlonshlps
wlLh peers
O eem unlnLeresLed ln sharlng experlences
O ngage less ln glveandLake soclal
lnLeracLlons wlLh careglvers slbllngs and
oLher close relaLlons
Speech Language and Commun|cat|on
Impa|rments
A chlld may
O ave dlfflculLy communlcaLlng wlLh speech
or gesLures
O ave dlfflculLy undersLandlng whaL oLhers
are saylng Lo hlm
O avlng dlfflculLy uslng Lhe language he has
Lo lnLeracL wlLh oLhers
O ave dlfflculLy sLarLlng or conLlnulng a
conversaLlon
O ave dlfflculLy uslng hls own senLences
lnsLead may repeaL whaL oLhers say
(referred Lo as echolalla)
O ack makebelleve or preLendplay skllls
Stereotyped or kepet|t|ve 8ehav|or A chlld may
O how lnLeresL ln very few ob[ecLs or
acLlvlLles and play wlLh Lhem ln repeLlLlve
ways
O 9erform repeLlLlve rouLlnes and have
dlfflculLy wlLh changes ln Lhese rouLlnes
O pend Llme ln repeLlLlve movemenLs (such
as wavlng hand ln fronL of hls face)