Autism

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears

during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to
communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of
behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently
and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism, but
increased awareness and funding can help families today.
Autism is a spectrum disorder, and although it is defined by a certain
set of behaviors, children and adults with autism can exhibit any
combination of these behaviors in any degree of severity. Two children, both
with the same diagnosis, can act completely different from one another and
have varying capabilities.
You may hear different terms used to describe children within this
spectrum, such as autistic-like, autistic tendencies, autism spectrum, high-
functioning or low-functioning autism, more-abled or less-abled, but more
important than the term used to describe autism is understanding that
whatever the diagnosis, children with autism can learn and function
normally and show improvement with appropriate treatment and education.
Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a
unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some individuals who
are mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater
challenges with social interactions. They may have difficulty initiating and/or
maintaining a conversation. Their communication is often described as
talking at others instead of to them (e.g., monologue on a favorite subject
that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments).
People with autism also process and respond to information in unique
ways. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be
present. Persons with autism may also exhibit some of the following traits:
• Insistence on sameness; resistance to change
• Difficulty in expressing needs; using gestures or pointing instead
of words
• Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive
language
• Laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason; showing
distress for reasons not apparent to
others
• Preference to being alone; aloof manner
• Tantrums
• Difficulty in mixing with others
• Not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled
• Little or no eye contact
• Unresponsive to normal teaching methods
• Sustained odd play
• Spinning objects
• Obsessive attachment to objects
 • Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain
• No real fears of danger
• Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity
• Uneven gross/fine motor skills
• Non-responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf, although hearing
tests are in normal range

For most of us, the integration of our senses helps us to understand

what we are experiencing. For example, our sense of touch, smell and taste
work together in the experience of eating a ripe peach: the feel of the
peach's skin, its sweet smell, and the juices running down your face. For
children with autism, sensory integration problems are common, which may
throw their senses off (they may be over- or under-active). The fuzz on the
peach may actually be experienced as painful, and the smell may make the
child gag. Some children with autism are particularly sensitive to sound,
finding even the most ordinary daily noises painful. Many professionals feel
that some of the typical behaviors of autism, like the ones listed above, are
actually a result of sensory integration difficulties.
There are also many myths and misconceptions about autism.
Contrary to popular belief, many children with autism do make eye contact;
it just may be less often or different from a neuro-typical child. Many
children with autism can develop good functional language and others can
develop some type of communication skills, such as sign language or use of
pictures. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but symptoms may lessen as the
child develops and receives treatment.
One of the most devastating myths about children with autism is that
they cannot show affection. While sensory stimulation is processed
differently in some children, they can and do give affection. However, it may
require patience on the parents' part to accept and give love in the child's
terms.

What is Autism?
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during
the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that
affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the
areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and
adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal
communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.
Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive
Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders
characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of
development.”
What causes autism?
• No one knows exactly why but the brain develops differently in people
with autism.
 • Finding the cause (or causes) of autism is one of the most challenging
areas of medical science.
• The absence of a clear understanding about what causes autism
makes finding effective therapies very difficult.
• It is now widely accepted by scientists that a predisposition to autism
is inherited.
• It is not clear why a genetic predisposition affects some family
members and not others.
• Autism is no longer attributed, as it once was, to lack of affection in
the child's mother.
• Levels of autism appear to be rising but that may be the result of
improved detection, identification and diagnosis.
• There are currently no biological tests to confirm a diagnosis of
autism. Identification of the condition is at present based solely on
observed behaviours.
• Research is also taking place to establish the part played, if any, by
environmental factors either prenatally or after a child is born.
How common is autism?
• Autism spectrum disorders are some of the most common
developmental disorders, with up to 1 in 100 school children affected,
compared to:
•
• 1 in 500 affected by cerebral palsy
• 1 in 3,000 affected by cystic fibrosis
• 1 in 4,000 affected by juvenile diabetes
• 6,000 children received a diagnosis of autism in England and Wales in
2005, compared to:
• 1,300 diagnoses of childhood cancer including around 360 of
childhood leukaemia.
THE IMPACT OF AUTISM
While many people with autism and their families will cope well with
the additional challenges autism brings, the emotional impact of autism is
often difficult and sometimes devastating for people with autism and the
families of those affected.
In the case of high-functioning people with autism, levels of mental
health problems and depression are high as individuals struggle to cope in
everyday society. Whilst many people argue that people with autism should
be regarded simply as different rather than 'disordered', there is no doubt of
the very real distress that autism can cause.
For the individual with autism, the world can be a confusing and
lonely place, where everyone except them understands the rules of
appropriate behavior.
People with low functioning autism may have no speech and complex
special needs and may need full-time care.
Research by the National Autistic Society shows:
4 out of 10 children have no friends
4 out of 10 children are bullied at school
A quarter of children with autism are excluded from school
Only 6% of people with autism are able to achieve full-time employment
For the family of an autistic child life is often stressful. Parents and
siblings usually have to cope with unyielding challenging behavior and
possibly sleep deprivation, as many children with autism do not sleep for
long periods of time.
Because children and adults with autism find it difficult to manage in
social situations, many families become isolated.
Added to this, is the difficult and lengthy processes to obtain from
local authorities the special education to which children with autism are
entitled.
Many parents with autistic children believe that they will be primary
career for life and are often very concerned about what will happen to their
child when they die.
The stresses to family life can lead to relationship breakdowns, divorce
and, in extreme circumstances, suicide.
Just under half of parents of children with autism experience mental
distress.
The economic impact of autism is beginning to be realized
What is Asperger's Syndrome?
What distinguishes Asperger's Syndrome from autism is the severity of
the symptoms and the absence of language delays. Children with Asperger's
may be only mildly affected and frequently have good language and
cognitive skills. To the untrained observer, a child with Asperger's may seem
just like a normal child behaving differently. They may be socially awkward,
not understanding of conventional social rules, or show a lack of empathy.
They may make limited eye contact, seem to be unengaged in a
conversation, and not understand the use of gestures.
One of the major differences between Asperger's Syndrome and
autism is that, by definition, there is no speech delay in Asperger's. In fact,
children with Asperger's frequently have good language skills; they simply
use language in different ways. Speech patterns may be unusual, lack
inflection, or have a rhythmic nature or it may be formal, but too loud or
high pitched. Children with Asperger's may not understand the subtleties of
language, such as irony and humor, or they may not recognize the give-and-
take nature of a conversation.
Another distinction between Asperger's Syndrome and autism
concerns cognitive ability. While some individuals with autism experience
mental retardation, by definition a person with Asperger's cannot possess a
"clinically significant" cognitive delay, and most possess average to above-
average intelligence.
Why is early intervention so important?
Early intervention is defined as services delivered to children from
birth to age 3, and research shows that it has a dramatic impact on
reducing the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. Studies in early
childhood development have shown that the youngest brains are the
most flexible. In autism, we see that intensive early intervention yields a
tremendous amount of progress in children by the time they enter
kindergarten, often reducing the need for intensive supports.