So what is autism?

Autism is an incredibly confusing disorder. It really is true that no two kids with autism are alike. Before you are able to understand Waylon, you need to understand these basic autism facts:

The word "autism" is really a short version of "Autism Spectrum Disorder." Think of the autism spectrum as an umbrella, and underneath it are 5 developmental disorders.

People with Autism Spectrum Disorders have a neurological impairment in the parts of the brain that control social interaction and communication.

You may have seen some people with autism who can speak normally but still have social delays; these people have Asperger's Disorder. Because Waylon is unable to speak and has social delays, he has Autistic Disorder.

I know using the words "social delay" sounds strange, but think of it like this- Even when a baby is just a few months old, they know that their mommy's face makes them smile, and they are social. A toddler can say words to get what they want, and like to be read to or sang to- they are being social. A typical four-year old is excited to tell you all about their day, and likes to play games with or even just chase around their brothers and sisters- they are being social.

These are all milestones that Waylon has missed because he is socially delayed. People with autism have difficulty learning how to reciprocate feelings and have trouble understanding social rules.

Kids with autism can also have:

• problems with dramatic play (playing kitchen, pretending to play house, etc.)
• problems understanding the typical use for toys (spinning the wheels on a car or lining them up instead of using them to race.)
• strange obsessions- (You might have noticed some of Waylon's obsessions are really long things and water.)
• severe tantrums or "melt-downs" (Thankfully this is not really a problem for Waylon.)
• behaviors like flapping their arms, spinning, or rocking back and forth. This is called "stimming."
• repetitive behaviors, or problems doing things outside of the normal routine.
• problems with sleep
• Sensory Processing Disorder (or Sensory Integration Dysfunction)- we'll talk about this another day.

Waylon and I were playing in his room a few weeks ago working on dramatic play with Woody and Buzz. I grabbed the camera quickly because this is one of the first times we have ever seen him actually stand up the characters and play with them! As silly as it sounds, this was a pretty exciting day!