Many children on the autism spectrum are fascinated by animals, trains, or other aspects of the real world. Selected TV and videos, such as "Animal Planet" and the "Eye Witness" videos can build on those interests.
Research says that autistic children spend more time on screen than children who do not have autism. About 64.2 percent of young adults with ASD spend their free time on TV, and video games and 13.2 percent of young adults with ASD spend time on social media sites, emails, and chatting.
While some studies suggest that too much screen time can negatively impact the development of young children's language and social skills, watching television can offer valuable tools and lessons and be very beneficial for kids with ASD.
Media use & autism symptoms
A few studies suggest children with ASD develop more excessive media use habits during childhood, and spend more hours playing video games as teens.
Many children on the autism spectrum are fascinated by animals, trains, or other aspects of the real world. Selected TV and videos, such as "Animal Planet" and the "Eye Witness" videos can build on those interests.
But if you have a child on the autism spectrum, they might be very picky about the kinds of movies they like to watch. If your child is anything like me when I was a kid, they prefer animated movies, or at least live-action movies with wild, colorful, often-eccentric characters.
They usually prefer to play alone and have challenges working together with others. Various types of therapy are available to help kids with autism and their families to play together and build relationships.
It's important to note that just because a toddler may exhibit some signs of autism, it does not necessarily mean they have autism. Some toddlers may show delays in communication or socialization due to other factors such as hearing loss, language barriers, or even simply being introverted.
Many children with autism, even those with high-functioning autism, have difficulty learning to engage in everyday human interaction. They may avoid interactions or eye contact or even resist parental attention, hugs, or cuddling.
It is not uncommon to see autistic children giggling to themselves. One reason might be that they are reliving some funny moment, using recorded, stored sensory images. Funny memories triggered by sight, sound, smell, movement, etc. bring bursts of giggling.
They found that although the autistic children did not differ from the younger, typically developing children in the amount of time spent looking at their own faces, but that they did spend a lot more time looking at objects in the mirror, and that their behavior toward their reflections differed from that of either ...
Science fiction and fantasy are often of great interest to autistic people. Depending on their interest levels and abilities, people on the spectrum may learn every detail of a particular "universe," write their own stories, watch and rewatch movies, read comics, attend conventions, or even make their own costumes.
A child with level 1 autism may understand and speak in complete sentences, but have difficulty engaging in back-and-forth conversation. Children with ASD level 1 experience some inflexibility of behavior, like difficulty switching between tasks, staying organized, and planning.
Although the exact cause of autism is still unknown, there is evidence to suggest that genetics play a significant role. Since autism is less prevalent in females, autism was always thought to be passed down from the mother. However, research suggests that autism genes are usually inherited from the father.
Level 1 autism spectrum disorder. The least severe form of autism is level 1, generally considered “mild autism.” Children with level 1 autism may struggle in social situations and raise concerns about restricting or repetitive behaviors, yet require limited assistance to perform their daily activities.
The study brings hope to those parents who worry that children who are not talking by age 4 or 5 are unlikely to develop speech at all. Some children with ASD develop meaningful language after age 5. "There is a burst of kids in the 6- to 7- age range who do get language," Dr. Wodka said.
Early signs of autism can be detected in babies by playing peek-a-boo, research has shown. If their brains respond less than they should to the stimulating game they are more likely to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as toddlers.
A common difficulty for those with autism and ADHD among other special needs is not being able to understand others at times (i.e. mind blindness). The majority of Disney films are family-friendly that allows these individuals to portray different characters with their families and peers alike!
Many children with autism enjoy and benefit from repetition, and by reading the same story again, you can help them pick up important language skills. Choose books that have a lot of repetition of phrases, such as nursery rhymes. Softly clap along to the rhythm together.
By letting your child play with a child on the autism spectrum, you could very well be helping them build life skills that they will carry with them forever. And, finally, consider the impact that something as simple as a play date can have, not only on the autistic child, but on their family as well.