Down In The Valley

As with social skills, persons with autism may have varying degrees of issues in the emotional part of their lives. Here are some sensitivities and emotions experienced: Emotional Aspects or Sensitivities   May be unsettled by changes in their environment, for example objects, new people or places. Emotional upsets can pass very suddenly or can be drawn out for a long period of time. Potentially calmed by external stimulation such as familiar soothing sounds, constant pressure or brushing. Emotional incidents may affect the attitude of  an entire day. May be overwhelmed with more than one verbal direction at a time;  multi-tasking is usually not possible Loud and sudden sounds may cause distress and severe emotional outbursts. Pain tolerance may be extremely high or extremely low. Possible inappropriate touching of self with no discretion. May desire items that bring comfort when upset, such as a stuffed animal, a blanket or a favorite toy...

Autism is different for everyone who has been diagnosed with it. The Autism Spectrum is very wide and vast and includes so many different symptoms. It is such a neat condition that I have thoroughly enjoyed studying and watching first hand. As most of you know, my six year old Josiah has been diagnosed with HFA [high-functioning autism]. I had a really hard time with this at first, mostly because I felt like I was a bad mother for not catching onto it sooner, especially when friends and family around me came out and said they suspected something, just didn't know what to say or do. There is a lot of information I have been collecting and researching and I want to share in several different segments. Josiah is mostly affected in the area of social skills, so I would like to start there. Social Skills affected by autism:    Difficulty answering questions about themselves or things they are not interested in. Difficulty creating and maintaining friendships, especially ...