What is Autism?

It is a severely incapacitating life long developmental disorder that typically occurs in the first three years of life. It causes impairment or disturbance in three main areas; Social skills, language and communication (verbal as well as non-verbal) skills and repetitive and restricted behaviors. Individuals with autism may show abnormal responses to sensations. Any one or more of the five senses may be affected. All these difficulties manifest themselves in behaviours i.e. abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and events in the environment.Autism is known as a ‘spectrum disorder,’ because the severity of symptoms ranges from a mild learning and social disability to a severe impairment, with multiple problems and highly unusual behavior. The disorder may occur alone, or with accompanying problems such as mental retardation or seizures. Autism is not a rare disorder, being the third most common developmental disorder, more common than Down’s Syndrome. It affects more boys than girls (4:1). Autism is said to accur throughout the world, in families of all economic, social, and racial backgrounds. However, the prevalence of autism in many third world countries is unknown.

Causes of autism

At this point in time we do not know what causes it. However, current research indicates that anything that can produce structural or functional damage to the central nervous system can also produce the condition of Autism. We know that certain viruses and known genetic conditions are associated with Autism. In addition, there are families that have more than one child with autism. At present, it is believed that about 10% of all cases can be accounted for genetically. It is difficult to tell parents why their child has autism since researchers believe the problem to be caused by different factors, and in most cases, the cause is never known. Autism is not caused by an unhappy home environment, both parents working, mental stress during the pregnancy, poor handling by the mother, an emotional trauma, or other psychological factors. You cannot cause a child to become autistic.

What is a person with autism like?
A child with high functioning autism may have a normal or high I.Q., be able to attend a regular school and hold a job later in life. However, this person may have difficulty expressing himself and may not know how to mix with other people. Moderately and more seriously affected children with autism will vary tremendously. Some Children with autism do not ever develop speech, while others may develop speech but still have difficulty using language to communicate. Often, there is an unusual speech pattern, such as echoing whatever is said to them, repeating a word over and over, reversing "you" and "I" when asking for something, and speaking only to express needs, rather than emotions.
A child with autism looks just like any other child, but has distinctive behaviour patterns. A child who is autistic may enjoy rocking or spinning either himself or other objects, and may be happy to repeat the same activity for a long period of time. At other times, the child may move very quickly from one activity to another, and may appear to be hyperactive. Many Children with autism have sensitivity to certain sounds or touch, and at other times, may appear not to hear anything at all. Children with autism may have very limited pretend play; they may not play appropriately with toys or may prefer to play with objects which are not toys. Children with autism may be able to do some things, like sing songs or recite rhymes very well, but may not be able to do things requiring social skills very well.

Symptoms To Look Out For

Socialization

Communication                                                                                                   

 Behavior

Interests

How is autism diagnosed?
There are no medical or genetic tests that can detect autism. These can only rule out other conditions. A diagnosis of autism requires a sensitive and experienced doctor to observe the child very carefully, ask the parents about the development of the child, and then objectively follow internationally recognized criteria for diagnosis. Onset may occur at birth, or a child may have a period of normal development followed by a deterioration of verbal and social skills around 1 1/2-2 1/2 years. Where onset is at birth, the disorder can be detected as early as a year. Autism may occur alongside conditions such as mental retardation and hyperactivity, but the autistic traits in the person are typically what require attention.

Evaluation of a child With Autism - what can you expect from a comprehensive evaluation of your child?

Depending on the referral question of your child’s' primary physician and the questions you have about your child during the initial interview, some or all of the following may be included in the evaluation of your child’s' strengths and weaknesses:

You will be provided with a written report containing the following

A specialist in child development & assessment will often consult with other professionals as necessary. i.e., school counselors, speech therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, auditory therapists, behavior management specialists, psychotherapy professionals, treating physicians and or pediatric neurologists, social workers, or others deemed instrumental in assisting the need for and/or management of medication intervention, enhancement of developmental progress and/or education of your child. For additional fees some assessment professionals will accompany you to your child’s' IEP meeting to present the report and discuss the treatment planning options the school will be providing your child.

Treatment

At this point we do not know what causes Autism and so cannot fix (cure) what is wrong in the child's brain. Many therapies (medications, diets, etc.) are being tried but nothing is proven. Similarly, without knowing the cause of autism, there is no way to prevent it. At present, there is no cure for autism: there is no medication, no pills, no injections which can make the problem go away. The only consistently effective treatment for autism is early intervention programs; therefore, a combination of early intervention program, a good school and parent training is the best known treatment.Children with autism can make significant progress if the intervention is appropriate and consistent. Early intervention, before the child is five, is especially crucial to the child’s progress. This is why an early and accurate diagnosis is so important. Children with autism grow to become autistic adults, and there is a particular need for meaningful outlets for social interaction and employment where possible.