LET’S UNDERSTAND

Autism

WHAT IS IT?

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.

STATISTICS One in every 110 children is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 54) than among girls (1 in 252).

DIAGNOSTIC FEATURESMost parents of autistic children suspect that something is wrong by the time the child is 18 months old and seek help by the time the child is age 2. Children with autism typically have difficulties in:

Pretend play Repetitive Behavior Social interactions Verbal and nonverbal

communication

SYMPTOMSSome children with autism appear normal before age 1 or 2 and then suddenly "regress" and lose language or social skills they had previously gained. This is called the regressive type of autism.

Be overly sensitive in sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste (for example, they may refuse to wear "itchy" clothes and become distressed if they are forced to wear the clothes)

Have unusual distress when routines are changed

Perform repeated body movements Show unusual attachments to objects

COMMUNICATION SYMPTOMSCommunication problems may include:

Cannot start or maintain a social conversation Communicates with gestures instead of words Develops language slowly or not at all Does not adjust gaze to look at objects that

others are looking at Does not refer to self correctly (for example,

says "you want water" when the child means "I want water")

Does not point to direct others' attention to objects (occurs in the first 14 months of life)

Repeats words or memorized passages, such as commercials

SIGNS AND TESTS All children should have routine developmental

exams done by their pediatrician. Further testing may be needed if the doctor or parents are concerned. This is particularly true if a child fails to meet any of the following language milestones:

Babbling by 12 months Gesturing (pointing, waving bye-bye) by 12

months Saying single words by 16 months Saying two-word spontaneous phrases by

24 months (not just echoing) Losing any language or social skills at any

age

CURES OR TREATMENTS

There are is no cure for autism, but it can be better managed with a variety of treatment options:

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) Medications Occupational therapy Physical therapy Speech-language therapy

VIDEO

MEDICATIONS AND DIET

There is no certain diet that can treat autism.

Medicine are often used to treat behavior or emotional problems that people with autism may have such as:

-Aggression-Anxiety-Hyperactivity-Mood Swings-Sleep Difficulty-Tantrums

SUPPORT GROUPS Support groups are a place for people to

give and receive both emotional support as well as to exchange information. People with autism, as well as their friends and families find support groups to be a valuable resource — a place where people can share medical information, get confirmation that their feelings are "normal," educate others, or just let off steam.

PEOPLE WITH AUTISM