Autism is one of the most well-known developmental disorders, next to ADHD. Sometimes, the term autism is used very loosely, so what exactly is autism? And, also important: what are the characteristics of autism? This article describes what the characteristics of autism are, and also sums up the possible treatment types. Furthermore, there also are other psychological mechanisms which might have an influence ont he symptoms of autism. These are also described in this article.
Characteristics autism: symptoms of autism
As a main characteristic, autism is characterized by a lower IQ. To speak of a lower IQ, we consider an IQ of 80 or lower. Without this symptom, autism is not at plat. It thus is an important symptom. Furthermore, people with autism have a lot of problems with communication. They find it difficult to talk to new people, or to be surrounded by many people. People with autism namely have difficulties with rules in conversations or to keep their impulsivity in check. For example, they might not understand that, when the teacher asks something, they are not allowed to answer right away. They ask something, so why would I not be allowed to answer? When the teacher then tells them to be quiet, they find it difficult to stop right in the middle of their explanation. This leads us to another symptom of autism. They have issues with flexibility. So, when you are stopped by the teacher, it is difficult to stop in the middle of what you were saying. Except for issues with some rules, they have problems with flexibility, which can sometimes make the daily life of people with autism difficult.
Characteristics autism: treatment
Oftentimes, stress can worsen characteristics of autism. For example, having a conversation with someone new. If you have stress, this can make it so that the conversation becomes even more difficult or that you say even more wrong things. 15 Minutes 4 Me developed an online self-help program which helps you in treating stress, depression, and anxiety. It can thus help you in treating stress in autism, and thereby help to reduce your symptoms.
Characteristics autism: take the stress test
If you want to know to what extent stress can influence your characteristics, you can take the free stress test! This test will tell you what your level of stress is. After filling out the test, you will immediately receive your personal scores!
