Difficulty with social skills (including use of language) Struggles with emotional regulation Stimming Need for routine Unusual eye contact May seem calmer when alone Avoiding affection Listless or sad appearance Self-esteem issues (not inherent to autism, but autistic children are often treated as though they are worthless)
Affection: Children with RAD avoid or indiscriminately seek affection for emotional reasons. [3] X Research source Some autistic children are uncomfortable with the physical/sensory aspects, i. e. , it overwhelms them. An autistic child may be comfortable with sensory-friendly affection (e. g. hugs instead of wet kisses), and some autistic children have no problems with affection. Trust: Children with RAD do not value or trust their caregivers due to bad experiences. [4] X Research source Autistic children love their caregivers and are predisposed to trust them, even if they show it differently. (However, autistic children are more likely to experience abuse, which may cause trust issues. ) In both cases, therapy and positive interaction can improve relationships with caregivers.
Autistic children may avoid certain foods due to texture or taste. How the food is organized (for example, if the chicken is touching the salad dressing) and how it fits into the daily routine may also be a factor. Children with RAD care more about who is offering the food, and may act differently based on who is feeding them. They may throw or give away food, or hide food and wrappers.
Autistic children may use echolalia, and repeat words or phrases because they like the sound. They may ask repetitive questions. Children with RAD create scripts to deal with stressful situations, such as saying the same words whenever a loved one leaves. Their repetition sounds similar to what a younger child would do.
Autistic children may collect items that they like, and refuse to throw or give them away. An autistic child usually knows exactly where their favorite thing is, and can tell if someone moves it. A child with RAD may lose things easily. Children with RAD may break things accidentally, or on purpose if they are upset. Autistic children usually prefer familiar things, while children with RAD are more open to new ones.
Autistic children are likely to study, talk about, and enforce rules. They may think it is unfair if they start out as winning but eventually lose. Children with RAD may try to bend the rules in their favor. If they lose, they may blame other people or the equipment, due to their fragile self-esteem. Autistic children usually prefer parallel or solitary play. Children with RAD want to play with others, so their peers can see them win. Autistic children prefer mechanical toys (such as trains or Legos) and toys they can examine and organize.
Autistic children tend towards solitary play, treating toys as objects instead of characters, and playing with ordinary objects like sticks. They tend to organize their toys (such as lining them up by size or building the infrastructure of a doll society). They can play alone for long periods of time. Children with RAD seek play with others more. They might not be able to play alone for long due to poor concentration. Their stories may include difficulties from their own experiences.
Children with RAD may not have much of a conscience. [11] X Research source Autistic children may have an over-active conscience, particularly with regards to rule-following. When corrected, an autistic child will strive to behave the “correct” way in the future. A child with RAD may not.
Autistic children might not realize that fiction and role-play are not real. They tend to be easily fooled. Children with RAD tend to see themselves as either incredibly powerful or powerless. They may tell exaggerated stories about defeating or escaping powerful enemies. Children with RAD tend to react strongly to any threat, even if it is minor or unrealistic.
Handling emotions: Children with RAD want to evoke strong emotions in their audience. Autistic children are not interested in this, and may find strong emotions stressful or confusing. Handling perspectives: Children with RAD may be manipulative[15] X Research source or overly compliant, and exaggerate things to change people’s opinions of them. Autistic children do not understand others’ views very well. Handling roles: Children with RAD try to constantly take the same role (e. g. playing the victim or bully). Autistic children struggle to understand their role at all. Sharing: Children with RAD are anxious about sharing their own things, and may take things from others without realizing that this upsets them. Autistic children may not understand the need to share or take turns, or they may do so because it’s the rules.
Autistic children may not understand what the other person needs, what their gestures mean, or what they already know. The conversation may be stilted or unusual. They may need to be told explicitly how someone feels. Children with RAD can understand others better.
Eye contact: Autistic children often offer little to no eye contact, or will stare. Children with RAD give varying eye contact based on their emotions. Physical closeness: Autistic children do not know how close to stand to someone, and their physical distance does not mean anything. Children with RAD use physical distance as a tool to express emotions. Vocabulary: Autistic children tend to have word-finding problems, and may have a strong vocabulary. Children with RAD tend to have a poor vocabulary. Children with RAD use more emotional language than autistic children do. Factual commentary: Autistic children recite factual information, often offering too much, because they do not know how much to say. Children with RAD do much less of this. Figurative language: Autistic children may be confused by idioms and sarcasm. Children with RAD often cannot handle gentle teasing, because their self-esteem is too fragile.
Learning skills: Autistic children tend to learn coping tips better if they get an explanation of how to do it. Children with RAD learn better from modeling. Confusion: Autistic children tend to have trouble understanding their and others’ emotions (alexithymia). Outbursts: Autistic meltdowns tend to have clearer causes, and are shorter than tantrums in children with RAD. Panic: Autistic children are more likely to panic over unexpected things such as changes in routine, whereas children with RAD are more likely to panic over worries about having needs met (physical or emotional).
Autistic children often have poor working memory, and excellent long-term memory. Children with RAD tend to fixate on certain events, and have selective memory. They may be confused about what they remember. Autistic children have trouble keeping track of time, needing clocks and disliking waiting because of the uncertainty it brings. Children with RAD are emotionally concerned; waiting may make them feel rejected or neglected.
Many autistic adults write things online that can help you understand what life is like for autistics. Since RAD can be cured, you won’t find as much from people who live with it.
Depression Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Intellectual disability Adjustment disorders
Show the specialist this wikiHow article if you’d like, or describe the symptoms. Avoid jumping to conclusions early on. RAD and autism can easily be mistaken for each other, or for something different. Keep an open mind. Speak up if you have concerns about misdiagnosis. A good doctor is a good listener.
Children with RAD often benefit from individual and/or family counseling. [19] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Autistic children benefit from therapy tailored to individual needs. Occupational therapy, AAC, speech therapy, RDI, Floortime, and other therapies may be a good idea based on the individual child. Avoid coercive, controlling, or experimental therapy techniques. It is best to avoid unorthodox or fringe therapies for autism or reactive attachment, as they could be harmful or even deadly. [20] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Many scammers target families of autistic children in particular. [21] X Research source
