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