What is Autism?
(from the Autism Society of S.E. Wisconsin website)
It is often referred to as a spectrum disorder, meaning the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Autism and its associated disabilities such as Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) occur in approximately 1 out of every 250 individuals. Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries.
There is no single, specific cause of autism. In many families there appears to be a pattern of autism or related disabilities - which suggests there is a genetic basis to the disorder - although no single gene has been directly linked to autism.
Autism is treatable. Early diagnosis, intervention, and a system of support are vital to the future development of the child.
Several outdated theories about the
cause of autism have been proven to be false.
Furthermore, no known psychological factors in the development of the child have been shown to cause autism.
Common Characteristics of People With Autism
Some children with autism spectrum disorders demonstrate a delay early in life while others appear to develop typically until the age of 24-30 months, when parents may notice delays or regression in language, play, or social interaction.
The following are
characteristics frequently observed in people with autism:
Communication:
Language develops slowly or not at all. May display non-speech sounds,
echolalia (mimicking words without any understanding of the meaning),
may communicate with gestures or behaviors instead of words. Frustration
with lack of speech is common.
Sensory: May
be very sensitive (hyper-sensitive) or very insensitive (hypo-sensitive)
to sounds, textures, tastes, touch, and sights. May be unaware of various
physical stimuli such as pain.
Social: May
prefer to spend time alone rather than with others. May show lack of
interest in peers, lack of eye contact, may seem unaware of others,
may treat others as objects, may prefer parallel play rather than interactive
play and display lack of imaginative play. May show limited understanding
and responsiveness to social cues such as eye contact or smiles.
Behavior: May
be overactive or very passive. May not be interested in being picked
up or cuddled. May perseverate (show an obsessive interest in a single
item, idea or person i.e. flapping hands, spinning, balancing, tiptoe
walking, lining things up). May display a lack of common sense, show
aggression to others or self. May be resistant to changes in routine.
Play: May prefer
to play alone or parallel play. May lack spontaneous or imaginative
play, may not initiate pretend games, may prefer to use toys in odd
ways i.e. lining them up or spinning the wheels on toy cars.
Splinter Skills: May display great interest and/or talent in an area such as drawing, music, math, calendars, memory, computer or mechanical areas such as complex video/audio equipment.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM IV) names the symptoms of Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD) to produce five varieties:
1. Autistic Disorder: Impairments
in social interaction, communication, and imaginative play which are
usually seen by the age of 3.
2. Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS):
Commonly referred to as atypical autism, a diagnosis of PDD-NOS may
be made when a child does not meet the criteria for a specific diagnosis,
but there is a severe and pervasive impairment in the areas of communication,
social interaction, and behavior.
3. Asperger's Disorder: The diagnosis was intended to specify
those children for whom spoken language develops on schedule, despite
the fact that social communication and interaction remain problematic.
It is characterized by impairments in social interactions and the presence
of restricted interests and activities, with no significant delay in
language and testing in the average to above average range of intelligence.
4. Rett's Disorder: A rare, progressive disorder which occurs
only in girls beginning at the age of 1-4 years. Involves a sudden onset
of severe problems in language development, as well as movement disorder
such as constant hand flapping or hand-wringing, after what had been
a normal course of early infant development.
5. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder: Intended as a diagnosis
for children who seem to develop symptoms of social, language, and cognitive
difficulties after the usual diagnostic window of 18-36 months. Occurrence
is rare and normal development for at least the first 2 years is followed
by a significant loss of previously acquired skills.
Autism Checklist
Individual's with
autism usually exhibit many of the traits listed below. These symptoms
can range form mild to severe and may vary in intensity from symptom
to symptom. In addition, the behavior usually occurs across many different
situations and is consistently inappropriate for the child's age.
Please note this symptom list is not a substitute for a full-scale diagnostic assessment.
For more information or if you have any questions about our group please e-mail us at info@asdsewi.org