For so many of us it’s a word we have heard but do not understand until it happens to someone you know or love. I want to start by saying for everyone autism can be very different which is why it is referred to as a spectrum. It varies greatly from person to person. Even identical twins can both have autism and be exact opposites.

Autism is a neurological disorder that impacts many aspects of the person's life. Most people believe that is is a social interaction issue but it is so very much more. It has the potential to affect all aspects of a person’s life.

Let’s start with developmental side, Some like my daughter Ryley develop on track and then suddenly stop. She stopped talking only screamed, stopped meeting developmental milestones. For Ryley she also stopped eating and lost a lot of weight. Some people with autism have severe developmental delays meaning they are behind in meeting milestones and struggle in an educational setting. For these children early intervention and special education is key. I will get into these more in an upcoming blog. For some with autism the signs and symptoms are much more mild and they can actually excel at certain subjects. This is why is is referred to as a spectrum.