a handbook for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders

INTRODUCTION
Developmental delays can take on many different forms. Autism and
the various Autism Spectrum Disorders are forms of developmental
delay. Autism is a neurobiological disorder. Children who have Autism
show impairment in social skills, communication skills, and play, as
well as evidence of restricted, repetitive, and stereotypical behaviors.
These impairments can range from mild to severe, which is why they
are often referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Determining whether a child may have special needs can be difficult
and overwhelming. This handbook was developed to help parents
and caregivers navigate the Pennsylvania mental health system and
answer many of the questions that often arise when children receive
initial evaluations or begin to receive services. It was written from a
parent’s perspective and was designed to provide basic information
for parents about the behavioral health services available to their
children and how to access these services.
While there is a great deal of information included in this handbook,
parents or caregivers should use the guide in any way that they
choose. We hope that this handbook will make it easier for parents
and caregivers to understand both the nature of available services
and the processes involved in accessing these services.
Autism Spectrum
Disorders (ASDs)
are a group of
developmental
disabilities
that can cause
significant social,
communication,
and behavioral
challenges. People
with ASDs handle
information in their
brain differently than
other people.
“Autism itself is not the enemy... the barriers to
development that are included with Autism are the
enemy. The retardation that springs from a lack of
development is the enemy. The sensory problems that
are often themselves the barriers are the enemy. These
things are not part of who the child is... they are barriers
to who the child is meant to be, according to the
developmental blueprint. Work with the child’s strengths
to overcome the weaknesses, and work within the
Autism, not against it, to overcome the developmental
barriers.”
—A person with Autism