Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is a result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. It is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities, or interest. Autism is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.
Autism is one of five disorders that falls under Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The other four are Asperger disorder, PDD-NOS, CDD and Rett disorder. Autism is the most common PDD. It knows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. It is four times more prevalent in boys then girls. It is believed to be growing at a rate of 10 to 17% per yer in the United States, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Education. There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. There is no cure for autism.
Children with autism have a higher than normal risk for certain co-existing conditions:
Cornelia deLange Syndrome - a congenital syndrome, present from birth. Tourette's Syndrome - a neurobiological disorder characterized by tics - involuntary, rapid, sudden movements and/or vocal outbursts that occur repeatedly. Evident in early childhood or adolescence before the age of 18. Fragile X Syndrome - the most common cause of inherited mental impairment. Williams Syndrome - a rare genetic condition which causes medical and developmental problems. Downs Syndrome - the most common occurring chromosomal condition. Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) - a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in many different organs, primarily in the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin and lungs. Landau-Kleffner Syndrome - a childhood disorder; gradual or sudden loss of the ability to understand and use spoken language. Congenital Rubella Syndrome - when a mother passes the rubella virus (German Measles) to their developing fetus, causing the child to be born deaf, blind, with cardiac problems, developmental delays and other medical conditions. Untreated Phenylkentonuria (PKU) - the absence or deficiency of an enzyme that is responsible for processing the essential amino acid phyenylalanine. This is detectable during the first days of life with appropriate blood testing. Kluver-Bucy Syndrome - a rare behavioral impairment that is associated with damage to both of the anterior temporal lobes of the brain. Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) - a complex non-hereditary birth defect resulting from an abnormality on the 15th chromosome. Lesch-Nyhan Disease (LND) - is most commonly inherited but it can also occur as a spontaneous genetic mutation. It is a rare X-linked recessive disorder involving a virtually complete absence of activity of the enzyme hypoxanthine-phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT). You can access more information on the above conditions through their websites. Type in the condition or disease as a Google search and it should bring up the website (most end in .org).
Many therapists believe that use of a highly structured and intensive skill-oriented program to help children develop the use of language and social skills is the best way to work with autistic children. Others feel differently. There are various programs available to parents who are seeking a different approach to working with their autistic child. Few of these programs have the support of the scientific community. Parents should be cautious when trying a different approach.
For many children, autism improves with treatment and age. Some children will grow up to lead normal or near normal lives. There are some wonderful books written by autistic people about their lives. They give hope to those parents who are raising a child with autism.
Depending on whose reports you read, autism affects three to six children our of every 1,000; according to the International Center for Autism Research and Education. Or, 1 in every 150 American children; according to a report out in February of 2007 by the Center for Disease Control. This is a big difference. Why are so many American children affected with Autism?
Wendy Greif is a mother and graduate of USF in Special Education. She has taught children with various disabilities in both South Carolina and Florida. Mrs. Greif operates an informational website for parents and caregivers of children and/or adults with special needs ([http://www.specialneedschildrenandadults.com]).
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