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Autism Among Teens
Introduction
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a name used to describe a wide range of neurodevelopmental conditions that can be observed through certain behaviours, communication techniques, and styles of social interactions.
Very much like children, autism can also develop to the teen ages.
You can rest assured that at Skooc, you and your family are in good hands.
Symptoms
Signs of autism in teenagers and older children sometimes become noticeable at school. These include difficulties with new social situations and skills at school. This is because the school environment can be overwhelming and might trigger autism signs or make them more obvious.
Keep a lookout for some of the following signs of ASD in your teenager:
Verbal – make repetitive noises – for example, grunts, throat-clearing or squealing.
Social – make less eye contact, do not read body language, have difficulty adjusting their behaviour in different social situations, have trouble taking turns in conversations, have trouble reading nonverbal cues, like body language or tone of voice (e.g.: anger, sarcasm)forming friendships – prefer to spend time on their own, rather than with their peers,
Gestural – repeat body movements or have unusual body movements, like hand-flapping or rocking
Sensory – might be easily upset by certain sounds or uncomfortable clothes, or eat only foods with a certain texture, seek sensory stimulation like deep pressure
Interests – hyperfocus on certain topics of personal interest, obsessions, have an unusual attachment to objects, unusual, intense interests in specific topics or activities
Behavioural – find it hard to follow instructions with more than one or two steps, be easily upset by change and like to follow routines
If you notice recurring instances of a few of these symptoms in your teenager, we at Skooc recommend a formal evaluation.
Diagnosis
At Skooc, we help you better understand what you and your teenager are going through. A formal diagnosis might involve one or more experts in the field of autism, such as developmental paediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists. The diagnostic procedures can include an interview with a parent or caregiver, actual observation of all interactions with others, a physical exam to rule out other medical conditions, and developmental screening.
The results of a formal evaluation at Skooc determine the kind of intervention or treatment the child will need.
Click here to take an assessment.
Next Steps and Intervention
Our team of professional psychologists at Skooc can help you and your family by providing the necessary interventions. At Skooc, treatment for teens with autism can include:
Social skills training – Teaches teens how to deal with social situations and respond appropriately. Participants are taught to read non-verbal cues (body language, eye contact, facial expressions), solve social problems, and understand relationship rules.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy – This is a collaborative therapy seeking to improve mental health by helping people find new ways to behave by changing thought patterns. It focuses on changing unhelpful attitudes and thoughts.
Modelling – Involves showing someone how to do something. This approach can be used to teach how to act in social situations like greeting someone or saying goodbye. The participant can also learn basic hygiene and self-care tasks.
Self-management techniques – Aims to help people with autism become independent as they navigate their daily tasks. Teens with autism can perform this technique on their own.
Developmental Assesments, Therapy and Counselling Sessions at Narayana Clinic, Sarjapura Road, Bengaluru.
