Author: Anzah Khan

What is Autism? 

We often hear about autism and many people around us are diagnosed with autism. To begin here is a simple definition of Autism. Autism Spectrum Disorders also commonly knowns as ASD's are a group of conditions which affect how a person thinks, interacts with others, and experiences the world. People who have ASD's can have different ways of communicating and behaving compared to those who are consider neurotypical (which means they develop in typical ways). Since ASD's can vary from person to person the levels are referred to as a ''spectrum.'' According to research there are three levels of autism and each have their own characteristics (Yaacob et al., 2022). The first level is referred to as High Functioning Autism which is when the patient needs support and their repetitive behaviors, communication, and social skills are only noticeable without support. Those who are considered at level one are also often labeled as having ''Aspergers Syndrome.'' The second level is referred to as Autism and this when the patient requires substantial support, their communication and behavior skills, behaviors are obvious to observers even with support. The final level is three which is referred to as Severe Autism. This is when the patient requires substantial support and their communication/social skills, and repetitive behaviors severely impair their day to day life.  

Day to Day Life for Children with Autism V.S.  Children who function Neurotypically

In a study conducted on adolescents with Autism mothers were asked to complete questionnaires and time diaries of their kids who are on the spectrum. These mothers were then interviewed about their adolescents communication and social skills. Through this study it was discovered that children who are on the spectrum whose come from families with higher incomes tend to spend more time with their fathers on a daily basis, they also tend to participate in discretionary activities such as watching TV, computer use, and listening to the radio more often than others. The study highlights that children with High Functioning ASD participated less in social activities compared to children who develop typically (Orsmond & Kuo, 2011). In the video below there is a family who shows real life examples of how different level of Autism look in daily lived of their children and they also compare it to their child who are neurotypical. In the video we can see how the children with Autism are not as responsive when asked the same question as the child who is neurotypical. On a day to day basis we see that the children with autism require more support but they are able to function with the right support. 

Articles and Studies with More Information on Autism 

A Journey towards Resilience: Coping Strategies Adopted by Parents with Children Having Autism Spectrum Disorder in Northeast Malaysia

The neuroanatomy of autism – a developmental perspective

The daily lives of adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder:

Signs of Mild Autism, Severe Autism, No Autism | Compared

Reference List 

Orsmond, G. I., & Kuo, H.-Y. (2011). The daily lives of adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 15(5), 579–599. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361310386503   

Yaacob, W. N. W., Yaacob, L. H., Zulkifli, M. M., & Muhamad, R. (2022). A Journey towards Resilience: Coping Strategies Adopted by Parents with Children Having Autism Spectrum Disorder in Northeast Malaysia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4), 2458. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042458 

Yaaco