WHAT IS AUTISM?Autism impacts normal development of the
brain in areas of social interaction and communication skills.
Difficult to communicate with others and relate to the outside world.
Occasionally, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present.
BEHAVIOUR OF AUTISM AFFECTED PERSON
May exhibit repeated body movements (hand flapping, rocking).
Unusual responses to peopleAttachment to objectsResistance to change in routineSensory sensitivities
TYPES OF AUTISM Autistic disorder Asperger’s disorder Pervasive developmental disorder Rett’s disorder Childhood disintegrative disorder
1. Autistic Disorder Impairments in social interaction,
communication, and imaginative play.Apparent before age 3.Also includes stereotyped behaviors,
interests, and activities
2. Asperger’s Disorder Impairments in social interactions, and
presence of restricted interests and activitiesNo clinically significant general delay in
languageAverage to above average intelligence
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
4. Rett’s DisorderProgressive disorder which, to date, has
only occurred in girls.Period 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 1-4 years
5. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
Normal development for at least first 2 years
Then significant loss of previously acquired skills
CAUSES OF AUTISM
Good agreement in general that autism is caused by abnormalities in brain development, neurochemistry, and genetic factors
DIAGNOSISNo definitive medical testTeam uses interviews, observation, and
specific checklists developed for this purpose.
Team might include neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning consultant etc.