2. It is important to remember that each person with Autistic Spectrum
Disorder is unique4.
Having ASD means having some or many of the different characteristics
or symptoms associated with the disorder, the severity of these
symptoms varies widely from one person to the next4.
The main characteristics associated with ASD are;
Social, Behavioural and Developmental5.
3. Social
• May make inappropriate comments
• Due to an inability to gauge the feelings of others
• May make inappropriate comments
• Due to an inability to gauge the feelings of others4
• Difficulty understanding what others says
• Some people with ADS often have trouble identifying and understanding
social cues, jokes or sarcasm
4. • Unaware of other’s personal space
• May not be able to gauge appropriate space between themselves and others5
• Inability to read the facial expressions and body language of others
• This makes it difficult to engage with others
• Difficulty maintaining eye contact
• May be misinterpreted as rudeness which
can compound social difficulties
• Feeling uncomfortable with physical affection
• This trait can be difficult for loved ones of
people with ADS6
Social
5. Behavioural
• Preoccupation with a certain object or topic
• May only be interested in conversation on a certain topic
• Repetitive behaviours, noises or movements
• Such as hand flapping, tapping, sniffing or licking things4
• May compulsively fix or rearrange objects
• Can be perfectionists or also have obsessive compulsive tendencies
• Obsession with routine, keeping things the same
• May escalate to frustration and anger if aspects of regular routines change5
6. Behavioural
• Difficulty following directions
• May make classroom activities or disciplining difficult
• Aversion or sensitivity to certain textures
• This can lead to fussy or limited eating
• Becomes easily frustrated
• Seemingly for no reason
• Play is often repetitive
• People with ADS may find comfort in repetition6
7. Developmental
• Communication difficulties
• Some may have limited speech whilst others may have an extensive
vocabulary4
• Short attention span
• Some may have trouble concentrating at school4
• Difficulty with reading and comprehension
• Some may have difficulty understanding the symbolism of stories, morals or
hidden messages6
8. Developmental
• Exceptionally high skill level in certain areas
• Many people with ADS have a very high level of intelligence, memory and
information recall and consequently, often excel in certain areas5
• Gross motor skill development may be
behind peers
• E.g. riding a bike, running, skipping
• Fine motor skill development may be
behind peers
• E.g. gluing, cutting and colouring in6
9. Remember…
People with ADS have the same emotions and feelings as everyone
else; they just may express them differently.
They still need love, support, friendship and compassion4.
