I am just interested in how they would be different. I know it varies from child to child but I would just like to know how they might differ. I may be nanny-ing for a 4 year old boy with autism and would like to know how he may be different from a 4 year old without autism. Any help you can give me would be appreciated before I actually meet this boy.
There are varying degrees of autism, so every case is different depending on the individual and the severity, so it’s hard to know exactly what you can expect from this particular boy. Here are some things that are often different about children with autism though:
- he is likely to have some repetitive behaviors or obsessions
- he might not interact much or well with others
- he might have delayed speech development
- he might not make eye contact
- he might have sensory issues (normal light might be painfully strong for him, normal noise might be overwhelming for him, he might taste food completely different than others or dislike being touched etc.)
- he might have poor motor skills for his age
- he might have meltdowns or throw tantrums more than other kids
- he might have a strong need for routine and sameness
- he might come across as in his own world
It would be a good idea to ask the boy’s parents what he’s like and whether you need to do something differently with him than with other kids.
There are varying degrees of autism, so every case is different depending on the individual and the severity, so it’s hard to know exactly what you can expect from this particular boy. Here are some things that are often different about children with autism though:
- he is likely to have some repetitive behaviors or obsessions
- he might not interact much or well with others
- he might have delayed speech development
- he might not make eye contact
- he might have sensory issues (normal light might be painfully strong for him, normal noise might be overwhelming for him, he might taste food completely different than others or dislike being touched etc.)
- he might have poor motor skills for his age
- he might have meltdowns or throw tantrums more than other kids
- he might have a strong need for routine and sameness
- he might come across as in his own world
It would be a good idea to ask the boy’s parents what he’s like and whether you need to do something differently with him than with other kids.
References :
I have a mild form of autism myself.
First off, I would ask what the developmental age is, as it may be younger than 4 or on target. That is the thing with autism, I work with 2 10 year old boys who have Autism. One is verbal, and is pretty typical as far as his intrests cars, playing outside and SpongeBob. Although, he does have some serious social issues. The other is about 3 developmental, he doesn’t have functional language, just alot of echolaila. He does understand everything but doesn’t interact with anyone.
It really depends on the child, no two children with Autism are the same.
He may have color/food intolerances, meaning he may hate the color red and get upset when he sees it. He may have obsessions, like just opening/closing doors, he may spin in circles all the time.
Or he may seem totally “normal” and the tone of his voice may be a bit different.
Good Luck, and if you do end up working with this little guy, above all else be patient.
References :