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Gaia Angel 
She who Dreams with Dolphins
Posts: 437
(12/23/03 3:52 pm)
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An Outline to Help Understand Autism
Again, a bit textbookish, but a starting point.
An Outline to Help Understand - Part One
Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects functioning of the brain, autism and its associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 500 individuals
Autism is 4 times more prevalent in boys and knows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle and education do not affect the chance of autism. Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions and leisure or play activities. The disorder makes it hard for them to communicate and relate to the outside world. They may exhibit repeated body movements (hand flapping, rocking), unusual responses to people or attachments to objects and resist any changes in routines. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present.
Over one half million people in the U.S. today have some form of autism. Its prevalence rate now places it as the third most common developmental disability - more common than Down's syndrome. Yet the majority of the public, including many professionals in the medical, educational, and vocational fields are still unaware of how autism affects people and how to work effectively with individuals with autism.
Is there More than One Type of Autism?
Autism is often referred to as a spectrum disorder, meaning that the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Although autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors, children and adults can exhibit any combination of the behaviors in any degree of severity. Two children, both with a diagnosis of autism, can act very differently from one another.
What Causes Autism?
Researchers are exploring different explanations for the various forms of autism. Although one specific cause of autism is not known, current research links autism to biological or neurological differences in the brain. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans show abnormalities in brain structure, with significant differences within the cerebellum, including the size and number of Purkinje cells. In some families there appears to be a pattern of autism or related disabilities, which suggests there may be a genetic basis.
Several older theories about the cause of autism have been now proven false. Autism is not a mental illness. Children with autism are not unruly kids, who choose not to behave. Autism is not caused by bad parenting. Furthermore, no known psychological factors in the development of the child have been shown to cause autism.
How is Autism Diagnosed?
There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. An accurate diagnosis must be based on observations of the child's communication, behavior and developmental levels. However, because many of the behaviors associated with autism are shared by other disorders, a doctor may complete various medical tests to rule out other possible causes.
Diagnosis is difficult for a practitioner with limited training or exposure to autism, since the characteristics of the disorder vary so much. Locating a medical specialist or a diagnostician who has experience with autism is most important. A child should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team which may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning consultant or other professionals knowledgeable about autism.
What are the Symptoms? What are People with Autism Like?
Children with autism often appear relatively normal in their development until the age of 24-30 months, when parents may notice delays in language, play or social interaction. The following areas are among those which may be affected by autism:
Communication: language develops slowly or not at all; use of words without attaching the usual meaning to them; communicates with gestures instead of words; short attention spans.
Social Interaction: spends time alone rather than with others; shows little interest in making friends; less responsible to social cues such as eye contact or smiles.
Sensory Impairment: unusual reactions to physical sensations such as being overly sensitive to touch or under-responsive to pain; sight, hearing, touch, pain, smell, taste may be affected to a lesser or greater degree.
Play: lack of spontaneous or imaginative play; does not imitate others actions; doesn't initiate pretend games.
Behaviors: may be overactive or very passive; throw frequent tantrums for no apparent reason; may perseverate on a single item, idea or person; apparent lack of common sense; may show aggressive or violent behavior or injure self.
Addressing a cure, prevention, and the needs of people with autism on the next page.
Cures, Treatments, and Understanding - Part Two
There are great differences among people with autism. Some individuals mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater challenges with social interactions. They may have average or above average verbal, memory or spatial skills but find it difficult to be imaginative or join in a game of softball with their friends.
Others more severely affected may need greater assistance in handling day to day activities like crossing the street or making a purchase.
Contrary to popular understanding, many children and adults with autism make eye contact, show affection, smile and laugh, and show a variety of other emotions, but in varying degrees. Like other children, they respond to their environment in positive and negative ways. The autism may affect their range of responses and make it more difficult to control how their body and mind react. They live normal life spans and the behaviors associated with may change or disappear over time.
Is there a Cure for Autism?
Our understanding of autism has grown tremendously since it was first described in 1943. Some of the earlier searches for "cures" now seem unrealistic in terms of today's understanding of brain-based disorders. To cure means:
"to restore to health, soundness, or normality." In the medical sense, there is no cure for the differences in the brain which result in autism.
However, we're finding better ways to understand the disorder and help people cope with the various symptoms of the disability. Some of these symptoms may lessen as the child ages; others may disappear altogether. With appropriate intervention, many of the autism behaviors can be positively changed, even to the point that the child or adult may appear to the untrained person to no longer have autism. The majority of children and adults will, however, continue to exhibit some symptoms of autism to some degree throughout their entire lives.
What are the Most Effective Approaches to Autism?
Because of the spectrum nature of autism and the many behavior combinations which can occur, no one approach is effective in alleviating symptoms of autism in all cases. Various types of therapies are available, including behavior modification, speech/language therapy, sensory integration, vision therapy, music therapy, auditory training, medications and dietary interventions, among others.
Experience has shown that individuals with autism respond well to a highly structured, specialized education and behavior modification program, tailored to the individual needs of the person. A well designed intervention approach will include some level of communication therapy, social skill development, sensory impairment therapy and behavior modification at a minimum, delivered by autism trained professionals in a consistent, comprehensive and coordinated manner. The more severe challenges of some children with autism may be best addressed by a structured education and behavior program which contains a 1:1 teacher to student ratio or small group environment.
Students with autism should have training in vocational skills and community living skills at the earliest possible age. Learning to cross a street safely, to make a simple purchase or to ask assistance when needed are critical skills, and may be difficult, even for those with average intelligence levels. Tasks that enhance the person's independence, give more opportunity for personal choice or allow more freedom in the community are important.
To be effective, any approach should be flexible in nature, rely on positive reinforcement, be re-evaluated on a regular basis and provide a smooth transition from home to school to community environments. A good program will also incorporate training and support systems for the caregivers as well. Rarely can a family, classroom teacher or other caregiver provide effective habilitation for a person with autism unless offered consultation or in-service training by a specialist knowledgeable about the disability.
A generation ago, 90% of the people with autism were eventually placed in institutions. Today, as a result of appropriate and individualized services and programs, even the more severely disabled can be taught skills to allow them to develop to their fullest potential.
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twaddle
Lady of the Open Heart and Loving Nature
Posts: 23
(12/26/03 8:18 pm)
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Re: An Outline to Help Understand Autism
My youngest son Alex was officially diagnosed as autistic two years ago when he was nine, altho we knew from the age of about three that this was the case, from the advice of educational psychologists, child psychologists etc. Remarkably - and all credit to him - he managed to cope reasonably well in mainstream school , by copying every thing the other children did even down to playing! However this broke down by the time he was seven , when kids here are expected to work more independently and in a more structured way etc. His teachers could not work effectively with him, as they simply could not understand him and his behaviour. This led to him being assessed by so many people ive lost count, and on the advice of the clinical psychologist who diagnosed him, we requested that he be taken out of mainstream education and placed in a, highly thought of locally, school for kids with moderate to severe special needs. Unfortunatley, it wasn’t as simple as that, and we had to take our case to a tribunal and fight for his right to an appropriate education, before the local education authority backed down - under the weight of evidence and medical opinion in our favour! Sadly this isn’t unusual, as kids like him are not well catered for in the uk, and places at schools like this are scarce, and our experience is all too common.
Altho his diagnoses is actually asperger’s syndrome like his brother, it is far more severe, and his complex learning difficulties, repetitive behaviours, and frequent violent outbursts, lead his teachers and support workers to believe that he is more ‘classically’ autistic. Even with support, it is extremely unlikely that he will ever be able to live as an independent adult.
These problems with our sons can sometimes make life difficult for our other two children, Ben ,15 and Jessie, 13, who have no difficulties - just the usual teen tantrums!
Thanks for the support here Gaia, it certainly helps to explain these things -more awareness of autism and its effects is always a good thing! 
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Astara1 
The Golden Angel and Protector of the shadows
Posts: 53
(12/28/03 7:30 am)
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Re: An Outline to Help Understand Autism
After reading that, I do believe my 21 year old is autistic.
~Dreams are your own unique source of guidance and healing~
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Gaia Angel
She who Dreams with Dolphins
Posts: 453
(12/28/03 9:02 am)
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Re: An Outline to Help Understand Autism
Vicky, if you dont mind my asking, what are Tammys challanges? I want us to be able to support eachother and to do that I strongly feel its important to make a place educated enough that u feel safe confiding in. If you dont wish to talk about it simply ignore this post and ill leave it go with my deepest apologies
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Astara1
The Golden Angel and Protector of the shadows
Posts: 54
(12/28/03 8:50 pm)
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Re: An Outline to Help Understand Autism
Gaia... 
Aside from not talking, except for saying momma(not often though), and sometimes daddy(depending on how much he has been around). She makes sounds in a sing song way, in fact, I used to sing to her whenever we were in the car, and at times we would be humming in harmony...
She does not interact with others much, unless she wants food or drink....or will take someones hand to go for a walk, even a stranger lol!
She is incontenint(sp?). She can use a spoon fairly well, needs her food cut up for her. She needs constant supervision, she would just wander off and walk right out into the street. Plus she has siezures. She does have Cerebral Palsy. One therapist did mention once, years ago, that she had autistic tendencies.
Vickie
~Dreams are your own unique source of guidance and healing~
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