Understanding Autism
Build your foundation. Learn what autism actually is, what the spectrum means, and how to understand your child's unique experience.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
A developmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, interaction, and behavior. It's called a 'spectrum' because it affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.
Key Points:
- Affects communication and social interaction
- May include repetitive behaviors or intense interests
- Symptoms typically appear in early childhood
- Each person with autism is unique in their strengths and challenges
The Autism Spectrum
The range of symptoms, skills, and levels of support needs that people with autism may have. No two people with autism are exactly alike.
Key Points:
- Includes varying levels of support needs
- Encompasses different communication styles
- Ranges from highly independent to needing significant support
- Recognizes the diversity within the autism community
Neurodiversity
The concept that neurological differences like autism are natural variations of the human brain, not disorders to be cured.
Key Points:
- Celebrates different ways of thinking and processing
- Focuses on strengths and abilities
- Promotes acceptance and inclusion
- Recognizes autism as a different, not lesser, way of being
Stimming
Self-stimulatory behaviors that help individuals with autism regulate their sensory input and emotions.
Key Points:
- Can include hand flapping, rocking, or spinning
- Serves important self-regulation functions
- Not necessarily harmful or problematic
- May increase during stress or excitement
Sensory Processing
How autistic children experience sensory input differently, from hypersensitivity to sounds to seeking deep pressure, and what parents can do to help.
Key Points:
- Sensory differences affect how children experience everyday environments
- Both over- and under-sensitivity are common
- Sensory accommodations can reduce stress and improve daily function
- Occupational therapists can assess and support sensory needs
Masking and Camouflaging
When autistic children hide their differences to fit in, the short-term benefit often comes at a long-term cost to their wellbeing and sense of identity.
Key Points:
- Masking is effortful and exhausting, especially for girls
- Can delay diagnosis and hide the need for support
- Associated with higher rates of anxiety and burnout
- Creating safe spaces reduces the need to mask
Executive Function
The set of mental skills that help with planning, starting tasks, managing time, and handling transitions, all of which are commonly affected in autism.
Key Points:
- Affects task initiation, planning, and flexibility
- Not a reflection of intelligence or effort
- Predictable routines and visual supports help significantly
- Strategies can be taught and built over time
Autism in Girls
Autistic girls are frequently missed or misdiagnosed because autism often presents differently in them, with more social masking and subtler outward signs.
Key Points:
- Girls are diagnosed later on average than boys
- Social mimicry can mask significant underlying difficulties
- Diagnostic criteria were largely developed based on male presentations
- Late diagnosis leaves girls without support during critical years
Interoception
The often-overlooked eighth sense that tells us what is happening inside our bodies. When it is unreliable, children struggle to recognize hunger, pain, emotions, and more.
Key Points:
- Affects ability to recognize hunger, thirst, pain, and emotions
- Connected to toileting challenges and emotional regulation
- Can be developed with targeted practice and support
- Often missed in standard evaluations
Co-Occurring Conditions
Autism rarely travels alone. Anxiety, ADHD, epilepsy, and sleep disorders are among the conditions that commonly co-occur and shape a child's overall support needs.
Key Points:
- Majority of autistic individuals have at least one co-occurring condition
- Co-occurring conditions can overshadow or complicate autism diagnosis
- Treating co-occurring conditions often improves overall functioning
- Comprehensive evaluation looks beyond autism alone
All Understanding Autism Articles(10)
Co-Occurring Conditions in Autism: What Parents Should Know
Autism rarely comes alone. Understanding common co-occurring conditions helps parents advocate for comprehensive care and the right supports.
Interoception and Autism: The Hidden Sense That Affects Everything
Interoception is the sense that tells us what our body feels. For many autistic children, this signal is quiet or unreliable, and that changes daily life.
Autism in Girls: Why So Many Are Missed and What to Watch For
Autistic girls are often diagnosed late or not at all because autism presents differently in them. Here is what parents need to know.
Executive Function and Autism: Why Simple Tasks Can Feel Impossible
Executive function differences explain why bright autistic kids struggle with everyday tasks. Learn what is happening and how to help.
Masking and Camouflaging in Autism: What Every Parent Should Know
Masking helps many autistic children blend in, but the hidden cost can be exhaustion, anxiety, and identity loss. Here is what parents need to understand.
Sensory Processing in Autism: Understanding Your Child's Unique World
Learn how sensory processing differences shape daily life for autistic children and what parents can do to create a more comfortable environment.
Stimming: The Language of Self-Regulation in Autism
Stimming behaviors like hand-flapping and rocking serve an important regulatory purpose. Learn what stimming is and how to respond supportively.
Neurodiversity Explained: What It Is and Why It Matters
Neurodiversity frames autism as a natural brain variation. Learn how this perspective helps families move from fear toward acceptance and support.
What does it mean to be “On the Spectrum”? Is it a scale?
The autism spectrum is not a scale from mild to severe. Learn what it means and why every autistic person has a unique profile of traits and strengths.
What is Autism?
A parent guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder. Learn what ASD means, how it presents, and what to expect after your child receives an autism diagnosis.