About 1 in 33 children has been identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the latest figure according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in 2023. Signs of ASD usually begin during early childhood and typically last throughout a person’s life. We are honoured to have the opportunity to interview Dr. Angel Au to learn more about the signs and symptoms of ASD and her professional advice for parents who are in doubts.
Parents should keep in mind that there are differences between ASD and other disorders with certain overlapping symptoms. For example, Speech Delay: children with speech delay usually show good attempts to communicate their wide variety of intents and will interact with others socially using a variety of non-verbal language: e.g. various flexible gestures (e.g. nodding their heads to indicate “yes”, tapping the person to seek their attention, holding their hand with the palm up to ask for an object); whilst pre-verbal children with ASD usually show fewer “social” desires and adopt only a few basic gestures to communicate their needs (e.g. pulling other’s hands, reaching for the item directly or holding their hands out to be carried). Another example is children that are socially anxious. Whilst social anxiety is not uncommon in children with ASD, children who are only socially anxious present clear social connectedness and communicate their thoughts and feelings adequately in more familiar settings with people they feel comfortable with. As such, a formal evaluation is crucial.
The cause of ASD remains unknown. However, there are certain factors that may increase their risk:
Parents should familiarize themselves more with early childhood development, including not only motor and language development but also the milestones of play and social development. I highly recommend the website of Centres for Disease Control and Prevention （www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism）which provides comprehensive information including checklists, videos, and a lot of other useful resources to professionals and parents about early developmental milestones and symptoms of ASD in young children.
If you suspect your child could have ASD or other developmental problems, contact a General Practitioner for referral to a specialist who is trained to perform in-depth diagnostic assessment for childhood disorders as soon as possible. The Hong Kong Department of Health also provides developmental surveillance for young children.
Choi, a 6-year-old boy, has been attending school just like his peers. However, he exhibited challenging behaviors in the classroom, such as throwing objects and hurting others. At school, he had to be separated from his classmates and could not participate in their usual activities. His school teachers recommended that Choi’s father seek support from […]
Parents seeking treatment for their children’s Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are faced with an overwhelming number of treatment options. Cutting through the noise to identify Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as the most effective treatment can be a difficult task. Unfortunately, even for the parents who have discovered that ABA has the most supporting research, the […]
When a child is suspected of having an ASD diagnosis, many parents find themselves navigating a sea of information, from ASD assessments to intervention methods, only leaving them feeling more overwhelmed, anxious, and uncertain. As a team of ABA clincians, we understand these challenges and are here to provide a guiding hand. Our mission is […]
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AP holds the belief that with quality ABA treatment using the Autism Partnership Method (APM), individuals with autism can reach their fullest potential and achieve the greatest degree of independence and highest quality of life possible.
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