Download - Autism
By Parisa Foadian
• 1 in 110 births, a child will be Autistic
• 1 million to 1.5 million Americans have Autism
• 10-17% annual growth of the disability
• Autism occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups
• Boys are 3 to 4 times more likely to be affected by autism than girls
• In many cases, no specific cause can be identified
• A few factors are being investigated:– Infectious factors–Metabolic factors– Genetic factors– Environmental
factors
• A working group convened by the National Institute of Health in 1995 reached a consensus that autism probably results from a genetic susceptibility that involves multiple genes
• Animal models– Difficulty to produce to date– Identification of genes will help
• Immunizations and Autism• Environmental Toxins and
Autism– Heavy metals– Drugs/other toxins
• Criteria grouped in 3 areas – social/communication-play,
& restricted interests/activities/behaviors
–Must have a total of at least 6
• Onset before age 3 years based on:− delay/abnormal
functioning in Social interaction
− Language as used in social communication
− Symbolic or imaginative play
• Data show:− Good balance of
Sensitivity and Specificity
− Good coverage of entire IQ Range
− Increased reliability for novice raters
• High peripheral levels of serotonin
• High rates of seizure disorder
• Persistent primitive reflexes
• Increased head size (toddlers) • Morphological
changes in CNS • Minicolumns,
mirror neurons• Fusiform gyrus and
faces• Placental
abnormalities
Areas of possible Difficulty Function
Prefrontal Cerebal Cortex Social thinking
Hypothalamus Attachment behaviors
Amygdala Social orientation, emotional learning
Fusiform Gyrus Face recognition
Middle temporal Gyrus Facial Expression recognition
Pulvinar Emotional Relevance
• People with autism can make progress if they receive appropriate, individual intervention
• Pre-school children who receive intensive individualized behavior interventions show remarkable progress
• Limited pharmacological interventions are available to treat specific symptoms of autism
• Autism is a neurologically based developmental disorder
• Requires a behavioral diagnosis
• People with Autism live in a different “culture” that affects their behavior and learning
• Can exist with co-occurring disorder like Mental Retardation
• Results in social interaction problems, communication difficulties, and restrictive or repetitive interests and behaviors.
• Approximately 20 percent of children with autism reportedly experience a "regression"; that is, they have apparently normal development followed by a loss of communication and social skills.
Mild/More able Moderate/ Severe/less able mod. severe
High functioning Low FunctioningIQ>70 IQ<70
• High Functioning Autism (HFA)• Asperger’s Syndrome (AS)• Pervasive Developmental Delay
(PDD)• PDD Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-
NOS)• Mixed Autism with Mental
Retardation• Fragile X• Rett’s Syndrome
Autistic behavior is like an iceberg: the outward behavior is only the “tip” of
the problem
The problem that most people have understanding AU is that the outward behavior doesn’t really match the cause of the behavior. Many times persons with AU are misunderstood and mistreated by this lack of understanding.
Outward Behavior is Related to:
Focused interests
Difficulty with language and social communication
Need for social relatedness and understanding social situations
Underlying Cognitive Difficulties
Slow to process information
Concrete and literal thinkers
Varying concepts of time
Sequencing/organizational weaknesses
Difficulty determining relevant from non-relevant information
Poor generalization
Focus on detail/miss concept
• Difficulty with everyday changes – (substitute teachers, moving furniture, meeting new people)
• Difficulty with transitions– (between materials, activities, setting)
• Scripted routine play patterns• Non functional rituals and routine ways to do things• Intense focus on and interest in certain topics, videos, characters• Stereotypic behaviors (rocking, flapping, toe-walking)
• Autism causes a need for predictability and routine
• Strong interests in particular toys, topics etc.
• Difficulty with abstract imaginative and creative thought
• A high level of anxiety when things are unclear
• Trouble modulating behaviors
• Trouble initiating/asking for help
• Talks better than they understand
• Trouble following group instructions
• Talks about or asks the same questions over and over
• Uncomfortable and limited use of gestures
• Doesn’t converse or chat; speech quality odd
• Doesn’t laugh at jokes or pick up on subtle humor
• Doesn’t respond or may over-react to something said
• Autism causes problems in understanding spoken language (possible auditory processing problems), the power of communication, metaphors, slang, nicknames, abstract concepts, and the pragmatics of language
• Autism causes problems in speech quality, focused interests and need to have things predictable
Inappropriate laughing and giggling
Resists change to routinePuzzled or confusedNo eye contactYells or shrieks Inappropriate attachment to
objectsResponds differently to touchMarked physical over activity
or extreme passivityCrying tantrum; extreme
distress for no discernable reason
Chews inappropriate objects
Stares ahead
Rocks body
Makes noisesChews fingernails
Picks at the lips or gums
Slaps foot
Flaps hands
Makes no eye contact
• Varying responses to input from all 5 basic senses
• Varying responses to vestibular and/or proprioceptive input
• Responses may become cumulative and released at an unrelated time
• Spread the word! The first step is awareness
• Visit www.autism-society.org for more information
• By making people aware more resources can be organized towards the goal
• ASA offers wristbands, bumper stickers and other merchandise
• http://autism.about.com/• Volkmar, Fred R., and Lisa A. Wiesner.
A Practical Guide to Autism: What Every Parent, Family Member, and Teacher Needs to Know. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Print.
• www.autism-society.org