About 1 in 33 children has been identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the latest figure according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in 2023. Signs of ASD usually begin during early childhood and typically last throughout a person’s life. We are honoured to have the opportunity to interview Dr. Angel Au to learn more about the signs and symptoms of ASD and her professional advice for parents who are in doubts.
Parents should keep in mind that there are differences between ASD and other disorders with certain overlapping symptoms. For example, Speech Delay: children with speech delay usually show good attempts to communicate their wide variety of intents and will interact with others socially using a variety of non-verbal language: e.g. various flexible gestures (e.g. nodding their heads to indicate “yes”, tapping the person to seek their attention, holding their hand with the palm up to ask for an object); whilst pre-verbal children with ASD usually show fewer “social” desires and adopt only a few basic gestures to communicate their needs (e.g. pulling other’s hands, reaching for the item directly or holding their hands out to be carried). Another example is children that are socially anxious. Whilst social anxiety is not uncommon in children with ASD, children who are only socially anxious present clear social connectedness and communicate their thoughts and feelings adequately in more familiar settings with people they feel comfortable with. As such, a formal evaluation is crucial.
The cause of ASD remains unknown. However, there are certain factors that may increase their risk:
Parents should familiarize themselves more with early childhood development, including not only motor and language development but also the milestones of play and social development. I highly recommend the website of Centres for Disease Control and Prevention （www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism）which provides comprehensive information including checklists, videos, and a lot of other useful resources to professionals and parents about early developmental milestones and symptoms of ASD in young children.
If you suspect your child could have ASD or other developmental problems, contact a General Practitioner for referral to a specialist who is trained to perform in-depth diagnostic assessment for childhood disorders as soon as possible. The Hong Kong Department of Health also provides developmental surveillance for young children.
For parents who have concerns about their child’s development or would like some advice on what to do to help their child and learn more about our services, AP welcomes any parents to book a FREE 1-hour session with our consultant. We will meet with the family to identify the child’s areas of strength and weakness. We will also provide clinical advice about schooling, priorities of therapy if needed and general guidance about ASD.
When a child is suspected of having an ASD diagnosis, many parents find themselves navigating a sea of information, from ASD assessments to intervention methods, only leaving them feeling more overwhelmed, anxious, and uncertain. As a team of ABA clincians, we understand these challenges and are here to provide a guiding hand. Our mission is […]
Throughout my career, I’ve spoken with many parents who, after learning their child has ASD, find themselves under great pressure and often surrounded by a range of negative emotions. Many struggle with questions like, “Why my child?” “Did I do something wrong?” “Will my child have a meaningful future?” “Could this diagnosis be a mistake?” […]
The APM Educational Program offers a 5-day professional behavior intervention training, provided by AP at no cost, for children with autism. This year, we have invited three 5-6 years old children with ASD to join the APM Educational Project. While the three children each present unique challenging behaviors, a common thread among them is difficulty […]
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