Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that affects approximately 1 in 36 children born today. It is a spectrum disorder that presents differently in every person that it affects with the learning, thinking, and problem solving abilities of people with ASD ranging from gifted to severely challenged. Common characteristics associated with ASD include speech and language delay, poorly developed social skills, heightened or diminished sensory functions, coordination issues, resistance to change, and restricted or repetitive behaviors. Some of the more common interventions used to reduce ASD symptoms and maximize functional skills include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, applied behavior analysis (ABA), social skills groups, and medications.