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Calling a Child's Name
Dr. Smith discusses how failing to respond to another person's voice is one of the first symptoms that a parent may notice when a child is at risk for autism. This clip provides several examples of how typically developing children reflexively respond to their name, whereas children with autism often do not respond when someone calls their name despite numerous, varied attempts to gain their attention.
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Response to Name /Eye Contact Therapy
Children with ASD often do not respond to their name consistently. In this clip, the therapist evaluates Quincy's response to his name in an unstructured, stimulating environment, the play room. Once preoccupied by the toys, Quincy rarely reponds to his name though his therapist attempts to encourage this skill by instructing him to look at her and praising him for orienting to her voice.
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Nathan Does Not Look Mom in the Eye
Nathan does not consistently respond to his name, a key risk alert for ASD. Though he eventually walks in her direction after numerous calls, Nathan never orients to the sound of his own name. That is, he does not turn his head and look his mother in the eye when she calls him.
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Christian Communicates
Some chidlren with autism have significant language delays, such that they may use no or only a few words meaningfully and spontaneously. At 5 years old, Christian speaks only a few words, which include "mama," "Keekin" (Christian),"Titi"(his brother) and "mu" (music).
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"Wells...wouldn't stop when they called him."
Children at risk for autism may not consistently respond to their name or check back with their parents. Georgia, Wells' therapist, describes how she taught Wells to not only stop, but to return to his parents when they called him. She did this by breaking down the various components of this command and practicing it in different situations and with other people.
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No Response to Name
Children on the autism spectrum can exhibit deficits such as not responding when their names are called. In this example, Evan's mother, Raquel, tries to get Evan's attention by calling his name. Evan turns to the sound of the toys, but not his name.
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Some Interest in Bubbles 2 (Odd Behavior; Signs for More)
Ethan illustrates odd behavior as he waits for the evaluator, Connor, to blow more bubbles. He hides his face in his hands, possibly imitating a game of Peek a Boo or peering at his fingers, a potential sensory interest. His socail motivation appears limited as he is turned away from both Connor and his mother and only communicates (signs) to request more bubbles.
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No Response to Name (Throws Toy Rabbit)
Many children on the autism spectrum do not respond when a parent calls their name. Lauren, the evaluator, tries to get Evan's attention by calling his name repeatedly without success. Instead, Evan becomes distracted by throwing a toy bunny to the ground multiple times, an example of the inappropriate, seemingly purposeless play seen in some children with autism. He does not respond to his name and rarely makes eye contact with the examiner or his mother.
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No Response to Name
Many children on the autism spectrum do not respond when a parent calls their name. Evan's mother, Raquel, tries to get Evan's attention by calling his name but is not successful. Even after his mother tickles him, Evan does not make eye contact with his mother; rather, he continues to roll a textured block over his tongue, a potential sensory interest.
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No Response to Name
One early warning sign of autism is when children do not respond to their name. Nathan does not appear to recognize or orient to his name when his mother calls him. He also does not respond to the examiner's use of his name.
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Risk Alert Response to Name
Dr. Deborah Fein explains the importance of a child being able to respond to their own name and if a child does not respond, and has no hearing loss, then this may be a sign of possible development of autism.
Social Communication and Social Interaction
Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history
Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.
Non-verbal Communicative Behaviors
Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.
- Flattened affect (lack of facial expressions)10
- Inability to follow a point1
- Lack of attention to voice4
- Lack of expressive language17
- Lack of eye contact16
- Lack of gesturing1
- Lack of pointing to request2
- Lack of pointing to show1
- Lack of receptive language2
- Lack of response to name11
- Unusual Point1
Understanding & Maintaining Relationships
Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.
Restricted and Repetitive Patterns of Behavior
Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history
Stereotyped Motor Movements and Speech
Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypies, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).
Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns or verbal nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat food every day).
Preoccupations -Interests or Objects
Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g, strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interest).
Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g., apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).