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Difficulty understanding group interactions.Difficulty reading facial expressions and body language.Aversion to answering questions about themselves.Odd or unnatural posture (e.g., rigid or floppy).Difficulty moving through a space (e.g., bumps into objects or people).Difficulty changing from one floor surface to another (e.g., carpet to wood, sidewalk to grass).Appearance of hearing problems, but hearing has been checked and is fine.Apparent lack of concern for personal hygiene (e.g., hair, teeth, body odor).Resistance or inability to follow directions.Exceptionally high skills in some areas and very low in others.Difficulty with reading comprehension (e.g., can quote an answer, but unable to predict, summarize or find symbolism).Difficulty with fine motor activities (e.g., coloring, printing, using scissors, gluing).Difficulty transitioning from one activity to another in school.=> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Comprehensive Handbook Tends to either tune out or break down when being reprimanded.Sensitivity or lack of sensitivity to sounds, textures, tastes, smells or light.Resists change in the environment (e.g., people, places, objects).May need to be left alone to release tension and frustration.Laughs, cries or throws a tantrum for no apparent reason.Intolerance to certain food textures, colors or the way they are presented on the plate (e.g., one food can’t touch another).Inappropriate touching of self in public situations.Emotions can pass very suddenly or are drawn out for a long period of time.Desires comfort items (e.g., blankets, teddy, rock, string).Calmed by external stimulation (e.g., soothing sound, brushing, rotating object, constant pressure).Becomes overwhelmed with too much verbal direction.
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An emotional incident can determine the mood for the day.Also, the degree (i.e., mild to severe) to which any particular trait is experienced will vary from child to child. However, no child will exhibit all of these traits. Below is a list of common traits among children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's.
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