Dr. Nancy J. Aguinagahttp://cstl-coe.semo.edu/naguinaga/

WHAT IS Autism Spectrum Disorder?

What is your preconceived notion or idea when you hear or see the term autism?

Preconceived feelings?

WHAT IS Autism Spectrum Disorder?

The fastest growing diagnoses of childhood (from ‘91 to ‘99-up 1108%)

Very complex, often baffling developmental disability

First described by Leo Kanner in 1943 as early infantile autism

“Auto” – children are “locked within themselves.”

For next 30 years, considered to be an emotional disturbance

WHAT IS ASD?Today, autism is a severe form of a broader

group of disordersThese are referred to as pervasive

developmental disordersTypically appears during the first 3 years of

lifeExpressed very differently – a wide range of

abilities, strengths and limitations.

WHAT IS ASD?Neurological in origin – not emotional,

not the refrigerator momPrevalence figures vary (1 in 166 in text)

1:110 NOW4 times more prevalent in boysNo known racial, ethnic, or social

boundariesNo relation to family income, lifestyle

WHAT IS ASD?Autism impacts normal development of the

brain in areas of social interaction and communication skills and behavior.

Difficult to communicate with others and relate to the outside world.

Occasionally, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present.

WHAT IS ASD?May exhibit repeated body movements

(hand flapping, rocking).Unusual responses to peopleAttachment to objectsResistance to change in routineSensory sensitivities

WHAT ARE THE TYPES?Actually, the “umbrella” heading is

Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD).Autism is one of the 5 PDDs. For now – DSM

IVAll have commonalities in communication and

social deficits Differ in terms of severityDiffer in IQ levelsDSM 5 - ASD

1. Autistic DisorderImpairments in social interaction,

communication, and imaginative play.Apparent before age 3.Also includes stereotyped behaviors,

interests, and activitiesAutism added to the DSM III in 1980

2. Asperger’s DisorderImpairments in social interactions, and

presence of restricted interests and activitiesNo clinically significant general delay in

languageAverage to above average intelligenceHans Asperger – a Vienese medical student–

1944 – his work not translated into English until 1981 and entered into the DSM IV in 1994

3. Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)Often referred to as atypical autismUsed when a child does not meet the criteria

for a specific diagnosis, but there is severe and pervasive impairment in specified behaviors

Entered into the DSM IV in 1987 revision

4. Rett’s DisorderProgressive disorder which, almost exclusively

occurs in femalesPeriod of normal development and then the loss

of previously acquired skillsAlso loss of purposeful use of hands, which is

replaced by repetitive hand movementsBeginning at age of 1-2 years, typically in first 5

monthsCharacterized by head growth deceleration and

loss of previously acquired skills between 5-48 months

Entered into the DSM IV in 1994

5. Childhood Disintegrative DisorderNormal growth and development prior to

manifesting social interaction (generally the first 2 years)

Then significant loss of previously acquired skills in at least 2 of the following areas(language, social skills, adaptive behavior, bowel or bladder control, play, or motor skills) before the age of 10

Entered into the DSM IV in 1994

IDEA- Individuals with Disabilities Education ActAutism was not an official disability category

under federal education law until 1990Before this services were received under

other categories such as ID(MR), OHI , or BD

Conclusions on TypesAutism is a spectrum disorderThis means that symptoms and characteristics

can present themselves in wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe

Individuals with autism can be very different from each other

Kluth “2003” “If you know one person with autism, you know ONE person with autism”

http://vodpod.com/watch/4313806-paula-kluth-autism

“Autism” is still commonly used to refer to any of the 5 PDDs

Cause?Good agreement in general that autism is caused

by abnormalities in brain and central nervous system development (typically result in over or under reactions to various sensory stimuli)

May include chemical exposure, viral and genetic factors

Vaccines? – NO NO NOCurrently no medical test to confirmA diagnosis is made by behavioral observations

Famous People with AutismPeople on the spectrum have made some of the

greatest contributions to the world we know…

http://vodpod.com/watch/1570669-who-has-autism-famous-google-video?u=naguinaga&c=naguinaga

Dr. Temple Grandin