Physical Characteristics of Autism

When your child is developing and you think something is wrong, you might look at the physical characteristics of autism. Although not all children with autism have different physical features, some actually do.

Some unique physical characteristics of autism could be as follows: low facial muscle tone, larger eyes, impaired motor skills, which are your fine and gross motor skill,pale skin, ear flapping, and head banging.

As your child develops, you could see some unique physical features. Meaning that your child may roll over, sit up, stand, and even walk later then a child of the same age. If your child has low facial muscle tone, it might impact your child to smile, laugh, give eye contact or socially interact at all.

When I speak about fine motor skills, I refer to using their small motor skills. Small motor skill are using your hands and arms. You use these fine motor skills, to write, scribble, color, draw, paint, cut, manipulate puzzle pieces, or any items where you have to push or squeeze. These can also be part of the physical characteristics of autism that you might see in the lack of development.

Usually if your child has fine motor skill problems, an occupational therapist and or an aba therapist can work on these areas. OT's and aba therapist can also work on sensory problems as well.

Your gross motor skills are your large motor skills, meaning your legs. Your child might have low muscle tone and cannot walk correctly, jump, ride a tricycle, or run. These issues can be helped by a physical therapist and or an aba therapist. Hippo therapy is also great to work on strengthening gross motor.

Things you can do at home to help your child strengthen muscles

I wanted to tell you about some things I have learned and shared with many parents to help their child build muscle, whether its large or small muscle tone. if your child has weak arms like a vegetable, you can set up courses.

A course can consist of having your child gather heavy objects, such as water, laundry detergent, bags of rice, and play grocery store. Set the items up throughout an area. Have your child either push a cart or laundry basket, pick up an item, and push it to the next and so on.

Other ideas are to have you and your child do wheelbarrow walking, do puzzles over exercise balls, squish stress balls, play with theraputty, and put coins into slots of containers.

Physical Characteristics of Autism