Awareness Pins » Social Interaction http://www.awarenesspins.net Latest Pins and News on Awareness Causes Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:14:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Symptoms and Signs of Autism, Causes for Autism http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/12/01/symptoms-and-signs-of-autism-causes-for-autism/ http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/12/01/symptoms-and-signs-of-autism-causes-for-autism/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:41:47 +0000 admin http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/12/01/symptoms-and-signs-of-autism-causes-for-autism/ This is an education on the autism symptoms in attention deficit children. It is important to know because early intervention by spotting the common symptoms will mean the difference between normalcy in life and a stunted social existence. No one can truly explain fully the roots of autism nor is there enough literature to properly diagnose and truly define the ailment.Autism is quite a mystery. Every person who is diagnosed with the condition manifests different symptoms. There are various symptoms and each person diagnosed with the condition displays autism in his own unique way. It is rare to find all the symptoms or even most of the symptoms of autism in one single person. Generally speaking, an autistic has three problem areas: social skills, communication skills, and the manifestation of repetitive and restricted patterns of behavior, interests, and activities.Autism has a strong genetic basis, but autism cannot be single gene mutation. Environmental factors can also cause autism, but the studies are still in very early stages. Certain foods, infectious disease, heavy metals, solvents, diesel exhaust, PCBs, phthalates and phenols used in plastic products, pesticides, brominated flame retardants, alcohol, smoking, illicit drugs, vaccines, prenatal stress are also being studied and researched.The most important signs of autism can show different difficulty grades, from mild forms to severe cases. Autistic children have problems in interacting with other children or persons due to a disease triggered impaired social interaction ability. Verbal and nonverbal communications skills are very limited and they most often try to express themselves by signs and pictures. These children have most commonly repetitive interests and activities and their actions and thoughts are narrow and obsessive.All autism sufferers tend to mouth objects or rub surfaces and are extremely sensitive to light, sound, smell and touch. They are usually immune to pain and show little response to high painful stimuli. Autistic children do not react to loud noises but are highly irritated by some regular sounds like the one made by the vacuum cleaner. Physical contact is mostly overwhelming or over stimulating for them and they refuse cuddling, touching and kissingMost of the doctors are convinced that the causes of autism are genetic and are located in the brain only, because many tests were performed on autistic persons, and their organisms are identical to the organisms of normal persons, so everything that has to do with this condition is in the brain.The studies themselves are subject to controversy, however. The fact that not one of the studies showed 100% concordance in monozygotic twins suggests that there could be other factors at play in the cause of autism. Other familial studies have noted common characteristics – for instance, that autism is more common in families of physicists and engineers. This observation gave rise to the term ‘the geek syndrome’ to identify autism.

]]> http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/12/01/symptoms-and-signs-of-autism-causes-for-autism/feed/ 0 Discovering the Characteristics of Autism http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/11/21/discovering-the-characteristics-of-autism/ http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/11/21/discovering-the-characteristics-of-autism/#comments Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:57:57 +0000 admin http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/11/21/discovering-the-characteristics-of-autism/ The research and data compiled by leading institutions have shown that autism, or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1 in 165 children in America. Based on those numbers, that would indicate that an alarming 1.5 million Americans have autism to various degrees. It should be noted that many of these cases of autism have not been diagnosed. The annual growth rate of autism is greater than 14%, meaning it has become a major developmental disability for todays children.

The instance of autism is not relegated to just children, nor does it seem to afflict any particular person based on race or social structure. It also does not appear to be a result of any injury or accident that may have involved trauma. One thing that is known, however, is that males are about 4 times more likely to have autism than females.

So that you can understand how to work with a patient afflicted with autism, it is necessary to understand some background about what autism is and what signs an afflicted person shows. In a core sense, autism is just one of several things known as a cognitive disability or cognitive disorder. Such a disorder has a negative impact on the childs ability to learn and develop normally, particularly from the aspect of social interaction. Typically, autism can be diagnosed as early as age 3 in most children, and impairs how the brain reacts to certain stimuli. In that sense, autism is thought to be a neurological disorder. The most prominent signs of autism are difficulty in both verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Difficult with verbal communication is self-explanatory, but in the non-verbal sense, this deals with the difficulty in having social interactions with other people.

Since there are varying degrees of autism, it is critical that a child who is suspected of being afflicted with autism be diagnosed as early in life as possible. By doing this, the child can benefit from schools that specialize in children with special needs, which are becoming increasing prominent in almost all school districts. Professionals at these schools have been trained to understand autism and to take into account the specialized learning techniques that can reach these children.

One of the common myths about autism is that children afflicted with this disorder are lacking in intelligence. This is not necessarily the case, and in fact in terms of intelligence, the autistic child can rank right up there with their peers. The movie Rain Man with Dustin Hoffman illustrated this, where Dustin Hoffman played an autistic adult with many social interaction problems, but yet was a genius in the casino and with numbers in general.

There are several characteristics that autistic people will display that can be a clue to the potential presence of autism. Unfortunately, there are no conclusive laboratory tests that can definitively state whether or not a person has autism, simply because it really is a neurological disorder. Such characteristics include, as discussed above, difficulty in verbal and non-verbal communication, distinct resistance to change in schedule or routine, an abnormally low threshold for pain, difficulty or discomfort in making eye contact, and a tendency to fixate on a particular object for very long periods of time.

Understanding the characteristics of autistic spectrum disorder or ASD so that it can be accurately diagnosed is the first step towards creating an effective course of action to working with that child during their developmental years.

Jon is a computer engineer who maintains web sites on a variety of topics based on his knowledge and experience. You can read more about Autism and Autistic Spectrum Disorder at his web site Autism Explained.
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]]> http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/11/21/discovering-the-characteristics-of-autism/feed/ 0 The Cause of Autism Might be Found in Autistic Mice http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/18/the-cause-of-autism-might-be-found-in-autistic-mice/ http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/18/the-cause-of-autism-might-be-found-in-autistic-mice/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:43:08 +0000 admin http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/18/the-cause-of-autism-might-be-found-in-autistic-mice/ About ninety out of every ten thousand person born in the United States will have a diagnosis of autism before they are three years old. Boys will have a significantly higher chance of contracting these horrible disorders than will girls. The causes of autism have not been determined as of yet, but researchers at the University of Texas are coming closer than most have yet. They have found the traits of autism such as poor social interaction and high sensitivity in mice. The researchers believe if they can find the cause of the behaviors exhibited in the mice, they will be one step closer to finding the cause of human autism. What the researchers can do with mice, they cannot do with human subjects. They intend to examine the brain of this autistic mice and specifically the area of the brain that deals with learning and memory. Though autism affects the ability to communicate and interact with people around you, the researchers feel that the chemical reactions in the brains of the mice will be similar to those who experience autism. Proper communication is a learned behavior and your brain area that has the job of producing memory and learning is supposed to allow you to accept this information. Without the proper neurons or the interaction of chemicals in your brain, the communication process will be lost. The researchers are focusing of the Pten gene because this gene has the history of being associated with other brain disorders. The similarity of autistic traits within the mice could be associated with the similarity of autism and brain disorders found among humans. The mice studied showed that they were not as curious as other mice in the pen. When a new animal was introduced, the autistic mice showed little interest. The same goes with an autistic child. When a new person enters the home or the classroom, the autistic child will be uninterested while the non-autistic children will show great interest and even try to communicate with the new comer. The mice would not build nests nor would they look after their babies. They would show disinterest in any of the normal goings on of normal mice. The mice seemed disinterested in anything except their primal needs of food, water, and defecation. When exposed to stimuli such as a loud noise or sudden movement like being picked up, the autistic mice would act like an autistic child by overreacting to the stimuli. The mice would scream and refrain from physical stimuli just as most autistic children run from or cover their ears when over stimulated. The only behaviors that were not in correlation between the mice and human autistics were the repetitive behaviors or the obsessive motions that most human autistic children exhibit. The only other similarities were that the mice had a larger head and larger brain volume that is traditionally a symptom of human autism. Researchers believe that if they can find the gene responsible for the autistic like behaviors in the mice the quest to find the cause and cure of autism may be one step closer. This research proves that there is hope for a autistic sufferers and if not for them, then for the thousands of autistic children that are yet to be born.

]]> http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/18/the-cause-of-autism-might-be-found-in-autistic-mice/feed/ 0 What is Infantile Autism? http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/13/what-is-infantile-autism/ http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/13/what-is-infantile-autism/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:50:10 +0000 admin http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/13/what-is-infantile-autism/ The autistic disorder is a life lasting neurological disorder involving also the childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger disorder, Rett disorder and the pervasive development disorder. Autism is registered as one of the five pervasive development disorders and is usually diagnosed around the age of three.

The most important pathological changes caused by autism are communication difficulties, impaired social interaction and restrictive activities; children with autism have generally repetitive activities and interests and most of the other actions specific to children their age represent no real interest to them.

Children suffering from autism are more susceptive to developing epilepsy; they have different degrees of mental retardation and show abnormal responses to different sensor stimulations like light or sound. Some of these patients show an aggressive behavior especially with self-injuring tendencies such as beating themselves or head banging.

One third of the autistic children have proven an almost normal IQ level for their age and many of them are even able to respond with own actions to the environment. Some of the patients can show their own emotions and affection towards persons around them; some of the sick persons can only be measured as autistic like, with autistic tendencies or with an autism spectrum. The disease is normally cataloged as a high-functioning or a low-functioning autism.

Children with a high function of autism show almost normal behavior but may present language and interaction difficulties. They will initiate a conversation favorite subject in spite of the effort the others do to train them into a talk. They talk incessantly about one particular subject and ignore the other attempts of talking.

Autistic patients require a life-long care and treatment as there is no actual cure for the disorder. If an early intervention is initiated, some of them may even be able to learn or function in a productive way. The neurological disease called autism is known to affect 1-2 children in about 1000 births. Today, one and a half million persons in the USA suffer from different forms of autistic disorder. The disease tends to affect four times more boys than girls, and according to the latest studies the occurrence of autism has shown an about 10-17% increase every year.

The actual cause of autism has not yet been revealed but a disruption in the fetal brain during the intra uterine development is believed to contribute to the disorder. Patients seem to have problems in the brain function but also abnormalities in several brain sections. This abnormal brain changes may have been triggered by viral infections, metabolic disorders, environmental or genetic factors. Some of the risk factors may have acted during pregnancy or during the child delivery. Also a group of genes believed to be involved in the apparition of autism has been detected.

Intensive scientific research is made to determine the exact role the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine may have in the occurrence of autism. Cholesterol seems to play an important role as many of the patients have low cholesterol levels in their blood.

For greater resources on Autism or especially about autism symptoms please click this link http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms.htm

For greater resources on Autism or especially about <a href="http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms.htm” rel=”nofollow”>autism symptoms please click this link http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms.htm

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]]> http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/13/what-is-infantile-autism/feed/ 0 What Comes Under Autism Disorder Spectrum? http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/03/what-comes-under-autism-disorder-spectrum/ http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/03/what-comes-under-autism-disorder-spectrum/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:06:40 +0000 admin http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/03/what-comes-under-autism-disorder-spectrum/ There is a difference between using the word autism and the term autism spectrum disorder. Autism itself describes any one of the 5 different types of pervasive developmental disorders. These pervasive developmental disorders essentially come under the autism disorder spectrum. There are conflicting theories about how the five disorders relate to one another.
While some researchers argue that they are all separate disorders with similar symptoms, others promote the theory that autism is really a spectrum. According to this theory, on one end of the autism disorder spectrum, there are the mild cases, with symptoms that are hardly noticeable. On the other end, cases can be so severe such that the person inflicted cannot cope with normal functioning and living independently.
Autism is a chronic brain disorder that manifests in developmental difficulties in the areas of social interaction, verbal skills and communication. It is usually detected after the child turns three years old. However, in certain cases, symptoms may also be detected when your child turns one.
If your child is autistic, he is likely to have repetitive and narrow interests. He will not be willing to try new things or food, preferring to always stick to the same ones that he is used to. Also, he finds it hard to cope with changes in schedules and environment. He can react violently when any change should occur or if there is a disruption to his normal schedule of activities. His behavior is odd and unpredictable. You may even think that he is being naughty, without realizing that he is actually having a brain disorder difficulty.
There are conflicting opinions about what causes autism. Some scientists and researchers believe that it is a genetic abnormality. Yet others think that it is caused by an injury to the brain or exposure to an environmental toxin. The latter view is supported by the fact that in some population areas, autism is at higher rates of incidence than it is elsewhere.
You may start observing some developmental problems of your child between the ages of 12 and 36 months old. It may be that your child is not hitting some milestones with underdeveloped or delay in speech and communication skills. You may also begin to notice that he tends to keep himself or if he has little awareness of social cues. His eye contact is poor and he cannot focus clearly. However, if your child only has mild autism, you may not be able to detect that anything is wrong until he goes to school. In some cases, your child may go undiagnosed until he is much older when social and communication skills are required.
If you have an autistic child, you may fear that his disorder may become worse over the years. However, there is no cause for concern apparently. Research shows that autism is non-progressive, meaning that it does not get worse in time.
Here is a breakdown of what comes under autism disorder spectrum or otherwise known as the 5 pervasive developmental disorders:
1. Autism. Symptoms can be recognized before a child turns 3-years-old. However, they may be more obvious much later than this. If your child is diagnosed with autism he will have difficulty making or maintaining eye contact, have impaired social functioning, can be overwhelmingly absorbed with himself and would seem like a loner.
2. Asperger Syndrome. Asperger Syndrome is similar to autism in that it tends to show up before your child turns 3 years old. However, your child will be able to function at a higher level than an autistic child. He can still have problems with social functioning, communication and speech. He will also have narrowly defined interests. But with some therapy and help, most asperger children are able to live independently when they get older.
3. Rex syndrome. Doctors cannot agree whether Rex syndrome is a type of autism or not. This syndrome almost exclusively afflicts girls. Usually your child will develop normally for 6 to 18 months and then all of a sudden, show a loss of skills in such areas as speech and lose the ability to control her hands and her feet. This syndrome can be tested for with an 80% accuracy rate.

4. Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD). CDD takes place a little later. It happens anytime between the age of 2 to 4 years old. You would notice a marked degeneration in social, physical, mental and verbal skills. The long period of normal development below the age of 2 is the distinguishing factor between autism and CDD.
5. Pervasive developmental disorder. This disorder applies if your child is not within any of the above other 4 mentioned categories. He is diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder if he is found to have impairments in social interaction, stereotyped behavior and communication but with symptoms not otherwise defined.

Sandra Kim Leong writes about the <a href="http://www.autismdietplan.com” rel=”nofollow”>autism disorder spectrum. She shares about her experiences with her autistic child. Read her blog here at http://www.autismdietplan.com.
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]]> http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/03/what-comes-under-autism-disorder-spectrum/feed/ 0 Education Services for Children With Autism http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/01/education-services-for-children-with-autism/ http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/01/education-services-for-children-with-autism/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:08:25 +0000 admin http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/01/education-services-for-children-with-autism/ Once a child is diagnosed with autism, families have many questions and concerns. One of the major dilemmas is determining how a child with autism will be educated. Each child is different with unique qualities; the education of each child with autism is determined by their needs and strengths.

Autism is considered to be a spectrum disorder. It is a disorder characterized by symptoms that include repetitive behaviors or interests, deficits in social interaction and deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication. Furthermore, children with autism often have unusual responses to sensory stimulation. Children with autism may also display symptoms that include an inability to form relationships, delay in the development of speech, lack of imagination, repeated patterns of activities, extreme aloofness and insistence on consistency in routines and isolated areas of strong ability.

Research has determined that early intervention is crucial for children with autism. Early interventions include services from speech therapists, occupational therapists, adapted physical education, applied behavior analysis, social skills training and other therapies. Some of the services are provided through the local school district; however, many families choose to hire private therapists and aides.

Children with autism are eligible for special education services under the federal law once they turn three years old. The services include children who are in both general education and special education classes. Some parents keep their children in a general education class for their education with support services being provided for specialized needs. Many children with autism are educated in a special education class. Special education classes are designed specifically for students with disabilities and are taught by a special education teacher. A child can also be serviced by a resource specialist who is a special education teacher who either goes into a general education class or pulls students with disabilities out of the general education class. The related services that are available include school psychologists, school nurses, speech specialists, physical/occupational therapists and behavioral therapists. Other special education services available are community-based training for the older child and summer school for many special day class students. Services vary according to the child’s needs. A child with autism may have difficulty with communication and may need services specifically focusing on speech and language development. A child with Asperger’s disorder which is on the autism spectrum may have average or above average intelligence but may still be in need of services.

Services required for a child with autism will most likely change over time. The most important thing a family can do once a diagnosis of autism is determined, is to seek support and services. Recent reports reveal one of every 166 children is diagnosed with autism. Fortunately, the exposure of the topic is providing extensive and exciting research and hope!

http://www.newsforautism.com/pages/Home.html

About the Author: Theresa McFarland, M.A. has over 20 years of experience providing services to children and adults who have disabilities including autism. For up to date news on topics related to autism, please visit: http://www.newsforautism.com/pages/Home.html

“Your Online Magazine for Autism Related Issues!”

]]> http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/10/01/education-services-for-children-with-autism/feed/ 0 What is Causing the High Growth in Autism Diagnosis? http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/26/what-is-causing-the-high-growth-in-autism-diagnosis/ http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/26/what-is-causing-the-high-growth-in-autism-diagnosis/#comments Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:47:52 +0000 admin http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/26/what-is-causing-the-high-growth-in-autism-diagnosis/ Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which includes Autism and Asperger syndrome is a brain development disorder that first appears during infancy or childhood, it is characterized by; unresponsiveness to social interaction and communication, gross deficits in intelligence and language development, restricted and repetitive behavior, restricted capacity for developmentally appropriate activities and interests and often bizarre responses to the environment.

People with autism have social impairments and often lack the intuition about others that others take for granted. Making and maintaining friendships often proves to be difficult for those with autism. About a third to a half of individuals with autism do not develop enough natural speech to meet their daily communication needs.

Causes and Incidence

Until recently Autism was thought to be entirely due to genetic problems or mutations, however according to a recent study by the prestigious MIND institute of California, the enormous increase in the incidence over the last few years can not just be explained by better diagnostic tests. Rather they postulate that certain environmental factors are also involved. When one considers the massive increase in the various poisons mankind releases into the atmosphere and the soil and the fact that young children do not have a properly developed immune system, that should not be surprising.

Environmental factors that have been claimed to contribute to or exacerbate autism, or may be important in future research, include certain foods, infectious disease, heavy metals, solvents, diesel exhaust, PCBs, phthalates and phenols used in plastic products, pesticides, brominated flame retardants, alcohol, smoking, illicit drugs, vaccines and prenatal stress.

Autism has also been associated with maternal rubella, untreated phenylketonuria, lack of oxygen at birth, tuberous sclerosis and encephalitis. Some studies have established a link with abnormalities in neurotransmitters, including increased dopamine and increased serotonin.

Autism is still fairly rare with 4 to 5 children per 10,000 births being affected but the huge and continuing rise in the incidence of Autism is alarming.

Signs and Symptoms

A major characteristic of children with Autism is unresponsiveness to people. Infants with this disorder will not cuddle, they avoid eye contact, do not show facial expressions and are indifferent to affection and physical contact. They may become rigid or flaccid when held and cry when touched.

As they grow older their smiling response is absent or delayed, they do not form an attachment to their caregivers and do not show anxiety in the presence of strangers. The end result of these problems is that an emotional bond between the children and their parents may fail to develop.

Severe language impairment and lack of imagination, meaningless repetition of words and actions, screaming fits, rhythmic rocking, arm flapping, disturbed sleeping and eating patterns and crying without tears may also be prevalent. Most autistic children have an IQ of 35 to 49.

Treatment

As yet there is no known cure for autism, but early intervention, the establishment of strict routines, specialised education and structured support can help develop skills, minimise behaviour problems and enable each child, whatever their level of disability, to achieve as great a degree of independence as possible.

People with autism often insist on following routines or rituals, and can be distressed over changes to small details of the environment, such as wanting to keep to the same route to the shops or eat dinner from the same plate. It is thought that they feel tremendous anxiety at the unpredictability of daily life, and these rituals and routines remove some of the uncertainty for them about what will happen next.

A child with ASD may respond atypically to medications, the medications can have adverse effects, and no known medication relieves the core symptoms of social and communication impairments. Investigation and treatment of Biological, Nutritional and Metabolic factors have led to improvement of symptoms or complete resolution of symptoms in a multitude of Children with Autism worldwide. Some recent work with acupressure patches does however show promise.

Prognosis

The prognosis for Autism is poor with most sufferers requiring a structured environment throughout life, but all kids with autism have brighter futures when they have the support and understanding of doctors, teachers, caregivers, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends.

Dick Aronson has a background of 35 years in pharmaceuticals and alternative medicines, software development and human resources. He has for a number of years now been retained by companies looking to expand or needing to restructure. Publisher of numerous healthcare articles, some of Dick’s websites can be found at: http://www.life-wave-patches.com and http://www.healthinnovationsonline.com
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]]> http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/26/what-is-causing-the-high-growth-in-autism-diagnosis/feed/ 0 Autism Statistics are on a Rise http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/08/autism-statistics-are-on-a-rise/ http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/08/autism-statistics-are-on-a-rise/#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:38:33 +0000 admin http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/08/autism-statistics-are-on-a-rise/  

According to Autism statistics given by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Autism Spectrum Disorder is on a rise and is now the sixth most commonly classified disability in the United States.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex developmental disability and neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain in areas of social interaction, communication, and causes development of unusual behaviors and interests that begins at birth or within the first two-and-a-half years of life and affects the way a child sees and interacts with the rest of the world. Autism Spectrum Disorder was also added as a special education exceptionality in 1991 and autism statistics indicate that more children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes, and cancer combined.

Statistically 1 in 150 children will be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder with an estimate that 1 in 104 of those children will be males. With that being stated, males are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder than females, as well as an estimate of 67 children are diagnosed a day.

There is not a complete population count of all the individuals diagnosed with autism in the United States. However, using the autism statistics given above, we can estimate that if 4 million children are born in the United States every year, approximately 24,000 of these children will eventually be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

By evaluating these autism statistics it can be concluded that autism is currently the fastest growing developmental disability, with a 10% to 17% annual growth. Assuming the occurrence rate has been constant over the past two decades, we can estimate that up to 500,000 individuals younger than 21 have autism. However, many of these individuals may not be classified as having autism until school-age or later. Because behaviors related to autism are usually present before the age of 3, it is important to make sure the individuals are being identified and are receiving appropriate intervention services as early as possible. The earlier treatment can be started the better for the child. Not only is it better for the child, but cost of lifelong care can also be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention.

 

Since Autism statistics show that 1 in 150 children will be diagnosed with autism. It is important that a parent or soon to be parent understands the signs of Autism. If you would like more information on Autism, please visit yourautismfacts.com.
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]]> http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/08/autism-statistics-are-on-a-rise/feed/ 0 Why It Can Be So Difficult To Get An Autism Diagnosis http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/03/why-it-can-be-so-difficult-to-get-an-autism-diagnosis/ http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/03/why-it-can-be-so-difficult-to-get-an-autism-diagnosis/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:10:30 +0000 admin http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/03/why-it-can-be-so-difficult-to-get-an-autism-diagnosis/ An autism diagnosis can still be difficult to obtain despite the studies that have helped people better understand autism. The reason is because there are many factors that need to be considered when making a diagnosis.
First of all, there is more than one type of autism disorder and there are other disabilities that are closely related to autism such as Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Development Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Second, autism is particularly difficult to diagnose in young children, due to the fact that they are still developing speech and reasoning skills.
Therefore, since an autism diagnosis can be a challenge, as a parent, it is essential that you have your child’s development, social and communication skills properly evaluated and accessed by a doctor.
How is autism diagnosed? Usually an autism diagnosis is made when a person shows signs of 6 or more of 12 specific symptoms characteristic of the disorder. The 12 main symptoms are focused in three primary areas -
1. Social interaction – Autistics generally have little interest in others and pay little or no attention to those who may be present in the room with them, regardless of their age. They do not seek comfort if they are troubled or hurt and prefer to be on their own. On the other hand, autistics that do show an interest in social interaction have difficulty initiating contact with others and developing friendships. It is also common for an autistic to avoid eye contact.
2. Behavior – Most autistics find change and new situations to be incredibly stressful. In addition, they tend to develop unusual rituals or routines and repetitious physical gestures such as rocking back and forth, flapping the hands, etc.
3. Communication – It is estimated that 50% of those diagnosed with autism are unable to develop speech, and those who do cannot engage in long conversations unless they are based on extremely specific topics insisted upon by the autistic. Autistics often tend to echo words or phrases and have difficulty with pitch and changing the inflection of their tone.
There should be at least 2 symptoms present from social interaction, and at least one symptom from both behavior and communication for an autism diagnosis to be made. Hence, if a person exhibits some of the symptoms, but does not meet the criteria for an autism disorder, they may then be diagnosed with another similar disability such as Asperger’s syndrome or PDD-NOS.
The following are 5 tips parents can keep in mind when talking with a health care provider to ensure their child receives a proper evaluation:
1. Find out everything there is to known about autism – In order to talk to doctors and receive the most effective evaluation of your child, you need to educate yourself about autism and know what to ask. You should never seek an autism diagnosis if you have no idea what the condition is all about. This will make it easier for a doctor to generate a wrong diagnosis.
2. Analyze your child’s behaviour – Based on the information regarding social interaction, behaviour and communication above, carefully analyze and make note of your child’s behaviour in a journal. Study how your child interacts with others and present your findings to the doctor.
3. Find a health care professional who is experienced with autism diagnosis – It is important to find someone who has had experience in autism diagnosis. You should not rely on the advice or diagnosis of a doctor who is not specialized in this field. The best way to find a doctor is to locate a local support group and find out what doctors other parents take their autistic children to.
4. Ask questions – Asking and answering questions is part of effective evaluation. The more information you obtain and the more detailed answers you can provide your doctor about your child’s behaviour helps assist in diagnosis.
5. Get a second opinion – If you don’t agree with a doctor’s opinion or want more assurance, don’t be afraid to question the doctor’s diagnosis or treatment recommendations, and seek the advice of another health care provider. Doctors are human beings, and can be wrong. Consulting with other doctors is not a bad idea.
Keep in mind that evaluation and assessment is not a fast process and is ongoing, even after an autism diagnosis is determined.

]]> http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/03/why-it-can-be-so-difficult-to-get-an-autism-diagnosis/feed/ 0 Autism, a Problem That Needs More Scientific Study http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/01/autism-a-problem-that-needs-more-scientific-study/ http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/01/autism-a-problem-that-needs-more-scientific-study/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:46:04 +0000 admin http://www.awarenesspins.net/2009/09/01/autism-a-problem-that-needs-more-scientific-study/ Statistics say that there are more than a half million people in the U.K. affected by autism, and the number of diagnosed cases is rising rapidly. It was seen that boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism, and twelve times more predisposed to have asperger syndrome.

Autism is a lifelong disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to other people. People with autism have problems with social interaction and with imagination.

People with autism can say that reality is confusing, and it is difficult to interact with people, places, events, sounds and lights.

The causes for autism are not clear at this time, no one knows if there is an external factor like diet, an infection or exposure to toxins in the home that can lead to autism. There exists the suspicion that there are genetic factors involved.

It is known that the degree of this disability varies. That is why the term autistic spectrum disorder or ASD is often used. For example there are people with classic autism, that may have severe learning disabilities or little speech. Other people, that have Asperger syndrome could be able to live and work independently and may have an average or above average intelligence.

Many parents of children having autism may experience a serious dilemma: there exist a lot of websites on the internet, there are a lot of practitioners from private surgeries, that offer treatments or sustain that they can even cure autism. Of course this may be a lie, and that is why the decision is hard to take. The problem is that there is not enough information about autism, scientific trials have to be done in the future.

It is good to know that there exists a large number of support groups, charities and web sites made for people with autism and by the people with autism.

It was seen that the number of persons diagnosed with autism is rising rapidly, but, unfortunately, there is still too little knowledge about this condition. The autism is affecting the way a person communicates and relates to other people, but the factors that cause this are not known. There are only some suspicions, like the possibility that genetic factors to be involved, but we will find the real causes that lead to this condition only after more researches will be done.

For more information about autism please review http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms-checklist.htm or even http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms.htm

For more information about autism please review http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms-checklist.htm or even http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms.htm
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