SPECTRUM
DISORDER
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Joshua's
Blessings
Home Page
you may come to
understand ASD and
raise awareness for it.
I do this for my
Joshua, so that he
may know a kinder
world.
disability with a normal life expectancy. It affects boys five times
more than it affects girls, although girls are generally more
severely affected.
Help educate the public about autism.
three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects
functioning of the brain, autism and its associated behaviors have been
estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 166* individuals. Autism is 4 times more
prevalent in boys and knows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. Family
income, lifestyle and education do not affect the chance of autism. Autism
impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction
and communication skills. Children and adults with autism typically have
difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions and
leisure or play activities. The disorder makes it hard for them to communicate
and relate to the outside world. They may exhibit repeated body movements
(hand flapping, rocking), unusual responses to people or attachments to
objects and resist any changes in routines.
In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present.
Over one half million people in the U.S. today have some form of autism. Its
prevalence rate now places it as the third most common developmental
disability - more common than Downs syndrome. Yet the majority of the
public, including many professionals in the medical, educational, and
vocational fields are still unaware of how autism affects people and how to
work effectively with individuals with autism.
Is there More than One Type of Autism?
Autism is often referred to as a spectrum disorder, meaning that the
symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide
variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Although autism is defined by a
certain set of behaviors, children and adults can exhibit any combination of
the behaviors in any degree of severity. Two children, both with a diagnosis of
autism, can act very differently from one another.
What Causes Autism?
Researchers are exploring different explanations for the various forms of
autism. Although one specific cause of autism is not known, current research
links autism to biological or neurological differences in the brain. MRI
(Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET (Positron Emission Tomography)
scans show abnormalities in brain structure, with significant differences
within the cerebellum, including the size and number of Purkinje cells. In
some families there appears to be a pattern of autism or related disabilities,
which suggests there may be a genetic basis. Other very good theories present
Autism being caused by or related to the Mercury (mercury ingredients are
abbreviated as TM for thimerosal) in the immunizations children receive so
early in life.
Several older theories about the cause of autism have been now proven false.
Autism is not a mental illness. Children with autism are not unruly kids, who
choose not to behave. Autism is not caused by bad parenting. Furthermore,
no known psychological factors in the development of the child have been
shown to cause autism.
How is Autism Diagnosed?
There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. An accurate diagnosis must
be based on observations of the child's communication, behavior and
developmental levels. However, because many of the behaviors associated
with autism are shared by other disorders, a doctor may complete various
medical tests to rule out other possible causes.
Diagnosis is difficult for a practitioner with limited training or exposure to
autism, since the characteristics of the disorder vary so much. Locating a
medical specialist or a diagnostician who has experience with autism is most
important. A child should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team which
may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician,
speech/language therapist, learning consultant or other professionals
knowledgeable about autism.
What are the Symptoms? What are People with Autism Like?
Children with autism often appear relatively normal in their development
until the age of 14*-30 months, when parents may notice delays in language,
play or social interaction. The following areas are among those which may be
affected by autism:
Communication: language develops slowly or not at all; use of words without
attaching the usual meaning to them; communicates with gestures instead of
words; short attention spans. *Some children with Autism also produce
"Echolelia" = Repeating everything said to them without any meaning behind
what they are repeating
Social Interaction: spends time alone rather than with others; shows little
interest in making friends; less responsible to social cues such as eye contact
or smiles.
Sensory Impairment: unusual reactions to physical sensations such as being
overly sensitive to touch or under-responsive to pain; sight, hearing, touch,
pain, smell, taste may be affected to a lesser or greater degree.
Play: lack of spontaneous or imaginative play; does not imitate others actions;
doesn't initiate pretend games.
Behaviors: may be overactive or very passive; throw frequent tantrums for no
apparent reason; may perseverate on a single item, idea or person; apparent
lack of common sense; may show aggressive or violent behavior or injure self.
There are great differences among people with autism. Some individuals
mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater
challenges with social interactions. They may have average or above average
verbal, memory or spatial skills but find it difficult to be imaginative or join in
a game of softball with their friends. Others more severely affected may need
greater assistance in handling day to day activities like crossing the street or
making a purchase.
Contrary to popular understanding, many children and adults with autism
make eye contact, show affection, smile and laugh, and show a variety of
other emotions, but in varying degrees. Like other children, they respond to
their environment in positive and negative ways. The autism may affect their
range of responses and make it more difficult to control how their body and
mind react.
They live normal life spans and the behaviors associated with may change or
disappear over time.
Is there a Cure for Autism?
Our understanding of autism has grown tremendously since it was first
described in 1943. Some of the earlier searches for "cures" now seem
unrealistic in terms of today's understanding of brain-based disorders. To
cure means:
"to restore to health, soundness, or normality." In the medical sense, there is
no cure for the differences in the brain which result in autism.
However, we're finding better ways to understand the disorder and help
people cope with the various symptoms of the disability. Some of these
symptoms may lessen as the child ages; others may disappear altogether. With
appropriate intervention, many of the autism behaviors can be positively
changed, even to the point that the child or adult may appear to the untrained
person to no longer have autism. The majority of children and adults will,
however, continue to exhibit some symptoms of autism to some degree
throughout their entire lives.
What are the Most Effective Approaches to Autism?
Because of the spectrum nature of autism and the many behavior
combinations which can occur, no one approach is effective in alleviating
symptoms of autism in all cases. Various types of therapies are available,
including behavior modification, speech/language therapy, sensory
integration, vision therapy, music therapy, auditory training, medications and
dietary interventions, among others.
Experience has shown that individuals with autism respond well to a highly
structured, specialized education and behavior modification program,
tailored to the individual needs of the person. A well designed intervention
approach will include some level of communication therapy, social skill
development, sensory impairment therapy and behavior modification at a
minimum, delivered by autism trained professionals in a consistent,
comprehensive and coordinated manner. The more severe challenges of some
children with autism may be best addressed by a structured education and
behavior program which contains a 1:1 teacher to student ratio or small group
environment.
Students with autism should have training in vocational skills and community
living skills at the earliest possible age. Learning to cross a street safely, to
make a simple purchase or to ask assistance when needed are critical skills,
and may be difficult, even for those with average intelligence levels. Tasks that
enhance the person's independence, give more opportunity for personal
choice or allow more freedom in the community are important.
To be effective, any approach should be flexible in nature, rely on positive
reinforcement, be re-evaluated on a regular basis and provide a smooth
transition from home to school to community environments. A good program
will also incorporate training and support systems for the caregivers as well.
Rarely can a family, classroom teacher or other caregiver provide effective
habilitation for a person with autism unless offered consultation or in-service
training by a specialist knowledgeable about the disability.
A generation ago, 90% of the people with autism were eventually placed in
institutions. Today, as a result of appropriate and individualized services and
programs, even the more severely disabled can be taught skills to allow them
to develop to their fullest potential.
This data and information has been provided by the Autism Society of
America, and can be distributed widely used.
Autism Society of America
7910 Woodmont Ave, Suite 650
Bethesda, MD 20814-3015
Tel: (800)-3AUTISM
(301)-657-0881
Fax: (301)-657-0869
http://www.autism-society.org
*Are provided by me and what I have learned throughout the years from
different measure, interventions, conferences. I still have LOADS more to
learn too, but Lording willing it ... This site will help lots of people, which is
the point of Raising Autism Awareness. We can all learn from each other.
Please be advised:
Statements posted on this page are for information only,
and should NOT be taken as medical advice. If you need
medical advice, you should seek it from those who are
authorized to give medical advice: doctors. I highly recommend a DAN!
(Defeating Autism Now) Doctor!
You are responsible for any decisions you make, or actions
you take (or do not take).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MORE LINKS BELOW TO HELP YOU!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Autism Research Institute/ARI
Special Education Laws
TACA NOW
International Child Development Resource Center/ICDRC
DANA'S View. Autism Information and more. *Great Page with LOADS of Info!*
CLICK HERE for loads of informational links on Autism. (You will have to sign into Yahoo
Cure Autism Now.
Autism Speaks.
GFCF Diet Faqs
GFCD DIET.
ANDI
CDC on Vaccines not link to Autism. I
firmly believe they are along with other
environmental causes, but the
milestones are important. Click on the
picture and it will take you there ---------->
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