In this video I define autism spectrum disorder and specifically focus on the what you can do about the sensory crisis. The way we define autism has changed over the years. It began as infantile autism in 1980 and then in 1987 it became pervasive developmental disorder or PDD. Then in 1994 other subtypes were added like Asperger’s syndrome which was considered a higher functioning level of autism. Then in 2013, all these terms were incorporated into the new term, autism spectrum disorder.

These changes are based on research that increased our understanding of it. ASD is a developmental disorder. Meaning it starts in childhood but we no longer have a cut off for when you need to notice the symptoms. If it’s very severe you may notice it when the child is a baby but if it a milder form or it may not be noticeable until late grade school or early teen years when the demands of socializing exceeds your ability to adapt.