What Is Autism?
6. Signs and Symptoms - Other Behaviors
Individuals with ASD also tend to have an absence of typical responses to physical injury and pain. When there is an injury, the child may have no change in behavior. In some cases, parents are unaware that the child is hurt until they see the wound. When an ASD child has fever, they may have decreased behavioral abnormalities.
Parents may mistake it for “good behavior.” This is important as children with ASD are especially vulnerable to infections and febrile illness. They may also enjoy repeatedly dropping objects from a particular height or lining up objects. There may be fascination with items that are not toys such as rubber bands, pieces of paper, pieces of string, and paper clips. They may also spend hours watching running water, fans, and traffic lights. Children with ASD are also clumsy, have abnormal motor movements, have an awkward gait (walk), hand flapping (when excited or happy), display motor tics, unable to remain still, have self-injurious behavior, and more.
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