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Posts Tagged ‘Social Interaction’

15
Aug

Find Out if your Child Could Have Autism

The topic of autism has been a major hot topic in the news lately, going from episodes of Oprah and also on the evening news. Some communities are even having autism awareness festivities to bring attention to autism.

Why all the hubbub? Autism has been discovered to affect about 1 in every 156 students, depending on which research report you read. This is an incredible statistic and you should be concerned about it. Do you know what the signs of autism are? Do you know what steps you should take if your child has autism?

These are all good questions and they require an answer. First of all, you need to do your homework, do your due diligence, and find out exactly what autism is. Even if your child if affected with autism, it may not be severe enough for you to even notice, but it is something that could grow more pronounced over time, and you need to be prepared to take action and get it diagnosed early enough to make a difference.

One of the problems with autism is that the diagnosis of it is not an exact science. In other words, it is easy to diagnose a broken arm. You can see it, the xrays confirm it, and the doctor or physician knows exactly how to treat it. But on the other hand, autism is not nearly so well defined, and the diagnosis of it often depends on the number of signs of autism that the child represents, and even then can be a subjective call.

One of the primary signs of autism is lack of social interaction. That does not mean that the child is a computer nerd, but that the child clearly has problems, real problems, in social interactions. The verbal speech patterns are also affected, and an unreasonable delay in when your child starts to speak coherent words and phrases could also be a sign of autism. Children with autism have a very difficult time meeting your eyes or looking you in the eyes when you are speaking to them. In the more severe cases of autism, you may see intense concentration on a particular object, even something as simple as a puppet or a ball. This concentration is to the exclusion of all else in the autistic child. Although the signs of autism vary from child to child, it is well known that boys are much more frequently affected by autism than girls, where some studies indicate that the ratio is as high as 4 to 1.

Autism is thought to be a neurological disorder, where the messages coming into the brain in certain areas get scrambled or are not delivered properly. Studies have shown that this is not a hereditary thing, so there is not a need to feel guilty if your natural family tendency is to lean away from social interactions. Yes, you will probably feel guilty if your child is diagnosed with autism, but now is not the time for guilt, now is the time to make plans and arrangements to make things easier for your child and to put them into an environment that will accommodate their affliction.

Do your homework and understand what autism is. If you have reason to suspect that your child has autism, then get them checked out by a trained professional. Like most diseases, early diagnosis will provide your best opportunities to deal with it effectively.

Jon is a computer engineer who maintain a variety of web sites based on his knowledge and experience. For more information about Autism, please visit his web site at Understanding Autism.
anti-virus

14
Aug

Autism: Symptoms, Treatment And Coping

There is an estimation of three to six of very 1,000 children have autism. Autism is a brain disorder associated with developmental problems mainly in communication and social interaction. The disorder affects boys more often than girls. Signs of this disorder usually appear before age 3.
Diagnosis and treatment has greatly improved in the past few decades, however, autism cannot be cured. It persists throughout life. The recent increase in the number of autism cases in the United States may be more the result of improved diagnosis and changes in diagnostic criteria.
Severity of symptoms is different in each case. Some children are able to grow up and live independently, while others may always need supportive living and working environments. Early, intensive treatment can make a difference.
Signs and symptoms of autism include:
•Fails to respond to his or her name
•Has poor eye contact
•Appears not to hear you at times
•Resists cuddling and holding
•Appears unaware of others’ feelings
•Seems to prefer playing alone – - retreats into his or her “own world”
•Starts talking later than other children
•Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences
•Does not make eye contact when making requests
•Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm – may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech
•Can’t start a conversation or keep one going
•May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but does not understand how to use them
•Performs repetitive movements like rocking, spinning or hand-flapping
•Develops specific routines or rituals
•Becomes disturbed at the slightest change in routines or rituals
•Moves constantly
•May be fascinated by parts of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car
•May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch
Some children with autism become more engaged with others as they mature. They may show less marked disturbances in behavior. Those with the least severe impairments may eventually lead normal or near-normal lives. Others continue to have severe impairments in language or social skills. The adolescent years may mean a worsening of behavior problems.
The majority of children with autism are slow to acquire new knowledge or skills. However, there is an extremely small number of children with autism who have exceptional skills in a specific are such as art or math.
There is no identifiable cause for autism. Researchers believe the disorder is related to abnormalities in several regions of the brain. Researchers have also identified a number of gene defects associated with autism.
Extensive studies have shown no link between vaccines, particularly the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and other vaccines containing thimerosal and autism.
When should you seek medical advice? Many babies do not follow the exact timelines found in some parenting books. Children with autism usually show some signs of delayed development by 18 months. The earlier treatment begins the more effective it will be.
If your baby falls into any of the following categories you should check with your doctor about further evaluation:
•Baby does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
•Baby does not point or wave or perform similar gestures by the age of 12 months
•Baby does not say single words by 16 months
•Baby does not use two-word phrases by 24 months
•Baby loses previously acquired language or social skills at any age
Making a diagnosis is difficult because the severity and manifestations of autism varies widely from child to child. There is no medical test to diagnose autism. A formal evaluation may consist of observing the child and talking to you about how the child’s social skills, language skills and behavior have developed and changed over time. Your child may need to undergo a number of developmental tests covering speech, language and psychological issues.
Signs of autism may appear by 18 months of age; however, the diagnosis of autism may not be made until age 2 or 3 when there are more obvious delays in language development. Early diagnosis is important because early intervention, preferably before age 3, seems to be associated with the best chance for significant improvement.
Treatment for autism includes:
•Behavioral and communication therapies
•Drug therapies: Right now there are no medications that directly improve the signs of autism. Some medications can help control the symptoms of hyperactivity, repetitive and aggressive behaviors.
•Complementary approaches: Art therapy, music therapy, special diets, vitamin and mineral supplements and sensory integration that focus on reducing a child’s hypersensitivity to touch or sound. There is no specific proof these therapies work. Always discuss with your child’s doctor before trying any of the complementary approaches.
Children with autism do not outgrow the disorder. They often respond well to highly structured education programs. A child with autism can learn to function within the confines of the disorder especially if treatment begins early.
Review the following tips to help you cope with raising a child who has autism:
•Find a team of trusted professionals
•Take time for yourself and other family members
•Seek out other families of autistic children
•Learn about the disorder
Source: Mayo Clinic
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use the information in this article to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child’s condition.
This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

4
Aug
3
Aug

History Of Autism Pioneers

Autism does not have a long history, and this is due to the fact that the history of autism really didn’t begin until the first decade of the 20th century. Although, autism as a condition was around prior to this time, it was not a recognized condition and most people would have been regarded as insane. In fact, it wasn’t even until the Swiss psychiatrist, Eugene Bleuler, coined the term “autism” in the 1912 issue of the American Journal of Insanity, did the term even exist.
However, despite being the first person to use the term, Bleuler considered autism to be another form of schizophrenia in which schizophrenic’s lacked social skills with others, and were more absorbed in themselves. Bleuler’s study was the beginning of the history of autism.
Although Bleuler may have been the first to recognize one of the most common traits of autistics, there were three other pioneers of autism who really set the wheels of autism research in motion. These three doctors had a huge impact on what people believed autism was in the mid 1900′s, as well as how the disorder is recognized today.
Dr. Leo Kanner – (1894 – 1981) – Dr. Leo Kanner was an Austrian-American psychiatrist, who was one of the first to specialize in child psychology. Kanner, a doctor at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital, is credited with recognizing autism as its own unique mental disorder. According to the history of autism, Kanner created the label early infantile autism, which he wrote about in 1943 in the journal “The Nervous Child”.
In his report, Kanner discussed his research based on a group of eleven children who all closely displayed the following traits:
• Social interaction difficulties
• Difficulty processing and adapting to changes
• Particularly good memory
• Belated echolalia (repeating speech made by others)
• Exceedingly sensitive to sounds, and other stimulants
• Food issues
• Good intellectual potential
He used the term autism to describe the main characteristic all the children he studied displayed – little to no interest in socializing with other people.
Dr. Hans Asperger (1906-1980) – Dr. Hans Asperger, was a scientist and pediatrician. He is best known in the history of autism for defining Asperger Syndrome – a specific type of high functioning autism. The first time he defined Asperger syndrome was in 1944, when he studied 4 young boys and, like Kanner, found that each child displayed similar characteristics. He identified these characteristic behaviors as autistic psychopathy.
Although Asperger identified most of the same traits as Kanner, he didn’t note his group having delayed echolalia. Alternatively, he said that the children had clumsy movements and irregular motor skills compared to regular children, and also that they talked much like grown ups. Asperger referred to them as “little professors”.
Unfortunately, the findings of Dr. Hans Asperger regarding autism were not widely discovered until the late 1980′s even though his reports occurred much earlier in the history of autism. It is believed that there were two main reasons why Asperger did not receive the recognition he deserved until much later than his original observations. The first reason was his findings were delayed due to World War II. The second was that his work wasn’t written in English and was not translated until almost 50 years later.
Dr. Bruno Bettelhiem (1903-1990) – Bruno Bettelheim was an Austrian-American writer and child psychologist. Bettelheim developed his own theories on autism and is best known for his theory of the “refrigerator mother”. In his work “The Empty Fortress”(1967), Bettelheim wrote about three therapy sessions with children who had infantile autism. He claimed that their disorder was caused by having emotionally cold mothers. His theory was widely accepted, and for many years, parents (particularly mothers) were considered the problem behind autism.
For information on recognizing and treating autism sign up for the free Autism newsletter below.
Today, Bettelhiem’s theory has been disregarded by most. However, the characteristics described by Kanner and Asperger are still used to define the basic behavioral patterns of autistics. Nevertheless, all of these men have made a serious mark on the history of autism.

31
Jul

Autism – Sometreatments Available for Autism

Some people understand that they need to live with autism & tend to delve some knowledge on this disease in literature & find out possible treatments. Once they start off with their process of finding treatments, they will come to know that there is a plethora of autism treatments available. However, if you visit a professional, you will come to know that every child has different needs.

Here are some of the common treatments prescribed by the professionals for autism:

a) Speech therapy

People suffering with autism suffer from inability to speak or converse in a particular language. Some people use poor speech while the others are unable to apply grammar. Speech therapy helps people come over this inability.

b) Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)

This therapy is the oldest existing treatment for autism. This is also the most fully researched treatment that’s specifically developed for Autism. It is an intensive system of reward based training. It emphasizes on providing certain specific skills.

c) Occupational therapy

This therapy for autism emphasizes on developing skills for daily living. Most people with autism face delays in motor skills. This therapy can prove to be quite helpful. Some of the occupational therapists believe in providing training in sensory integration therapy. It is a type of technique that may help people with autism to manage hypersensitivity to light, touch & sound.

d) Physical therapy

Autism can be defined as a pervasive developmental delay. Most people experience gross motor delays & some have low muscle tone. Physical therapy can actually work towards building up basic sports skills, strength & coordination.

e) Social skills therapy

The main problem one faces due to autism is inability to communicate. Most children require assistance for developing skills to hold a conversation. Most children benefit from social skill therapy when it comes to develop peer-based social interaction.

f) Play therapy

The therapy may sound strange. However, children with autism require special help in learning to play. Playing can serve as a tool for developing social, communication & speech skills.

g) Developmental therapies

Developmental treatments include RDI or floor time, sun-rise & Relationship Development Intervention. This indicates that they start with a child’s own interest & individual strengths. This therapy is used to teach specific skills like shoe tying, tooth brushing etc.

h) Behavior therapy

Children with autism often feel frustrated. Behavior therapists often figure out the exact reason behind negative behaviors & try to improve their behavior.

i) Biomedical therapies

These therapies include pharmaceuticals. Doctor providing these therapies prescribe special diets, alternative treatments & supplements.

j) Visually-Based therapies

Most people with autism are thought to be visual thinkers. Some tend to do really well with picture-based communication system while others enjoy video games, video modeling & communication systems.

Apart from the above-mentioned therapies, some doctors & therapists use medications to treat autism symptoms such as severe tantrums, aggression & self injurious behavior.

However, one requires to practice patience. It would not be wise to expect overnight miracles. Living with autism is definitely not easy. Hence, it would be better to believe in the therapies provided & do exactly as directed by the professional.

For more Articles, News, Information, Advice, and Resources about Autism please visitAUTISM ADVICE
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28
Jul

Autism – Causes and Treatments

Autism is one condition that requires speech therapy treatment. However, autism is often misunderstood and thought of to be something that can be left untreated. However, that should not be how things work. Autism presents a lot of problems, but the intensity of these problems could be decreased if given the correct treatment.
A lot of terms are commonly heard in relation to autism, such as: classic autism, infantile autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), Atypical PDD, Autistic like, PDD-NOS, Asperger’s Syndrome and high functioning Autistic.
What Is Autism
Basically, Autism is a neurological disorder. It is classified to be a Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The main characteristic of Autism is that it affects three major areas in relation to speech and language. This triad is the impairment of the child’s: social interaction, communication and imaginative play.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder is actually an umbrella term for Autistic Spectrum Disorders. With the use of the term pervasive, it is emphasized that the disability’s range of deficits is beyond psychological development. On the other hand, the term developmental puts emphasis that the occurrence of the condition is during the child’s development rather than later in life.
Autism is actually only one condition under this umbrella. Other conditions include Rett’s Disorder, which is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins to show its symptoms during early childhood or infancy.
Another is Childhood Disintegrative Disorder; it somewhat resembles Autism but the difference is the first two to four years of the child’s life is rather normal, then the symptoms start to show.
Asperger’s syndrome is also in this umbrella. It is sometimes called high functioning autism. Lastly, PDD-NOS or Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not otherwise specified is also related to Autism. These are children that present symptoms similar to but don’t quite match the other conditions.
What Causes Autism
Even though a lot of research has been done, there is no identified single factor that causes Autism. Several factors are said to play a part in the occurrence of Autism. One of these is brain disorder. Recent studies show that there is a difference in the brains of people with Autism. Their cerebellum seems to be smaller than normal, and their limbic system is impaired.
Chemical imbalances are also said to play a part here. It was found that in some cases, symptoms came from food allergies, chemical deficiencies, hormonal imbalances or elevated brain chemical levels.
Heredity is also an important factor. A lot of genetic disorders have Autism as a symptom. An example would be the fragile-X syndrome. Other factors include pre-, peri-, post-natal trauma, brain damage complications and MMR immunization.
Whatever the cause may be, the child with Autism should be given the same structured training in able to stimulate his learning, language and social skills.
Diagnosis
For a child to be diagnosed of having Autism, he should first qualify for the Diagnostic Criteria for Autistic Disorders according to the DSM-IV.
Treatment
Due to the triad of Autism effects on the child, speech therapy becomes a vital part of Autism management. However, other members of the team are also needed such as pediatrician, pediatric neurologist, child psychiatrist, psychologist, occupational therapist, behavior therapist, and educators like schoolteachers or Special Education teachers.
Role Of Speech Therapist In Autism Rehabilitation
The Speech Therapist assesses hearing. He also evaluates whether the speech and language difficulties of the child is really due to Autism or another disorder. This can be taken from analyzing the child’s expressive language, receptive language, oral-motor functions, voice quality, articulation and fluency, auditory processing and pragmatic skills.

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character education

26
Jul

Autism

AUTISM

Autism starts before a child turns to three years. It is a disorder in the brain development which weakens the social interaction and communication. Autism causes restricted and repetitive behavior. Autism is a hereditary disorder even though the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear which genes are responsible. Autism is associated with agents which cause birth defects in rare cases. Other possible causes of autism are childhood vaccines which are controversial and the vaccine hypotheses lack convincing scientific evidence. According to the experts out of 1000 children 3-6 children will have autism. Male are four times more to have autism than females.

Symptoms

The occurrence of autism is not known and it affects many parts of the brain. In the first two years of the child’s life, parents usually notice the signs of autism. Autism is characterized by three distinctive behaviors. The autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and non verbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. There is a reduced sensitivity of pain, but are more sensitive to sound, touch or other sensory stimulation. These reactions may contribute to the behavioral symptoms such as a resistance to being cuddled or hugged. There is no cure for autism but treatment can help. The early behavioral and cognitive interference can help them to develop self-care, social and communication. An infant with autism may be non responsive to people or focus intently on one item by excluding others for a long period of time. With this disorder few children live independently after reaching adulthood and some of them become successful. Some people believe that autism is a condition than a disorder.

Autism children have speech problems, they might not look in to the eyes when talk to them. Before they can pay attention they may have to line up their pencils, these children will say the same sentence again and again. To tell that they are happy they flap their arms or they might hurt themselves if they are not. Some people never learn to talk. They lack empathy. The autistic children cannot interpret the thoughts and feelings of others and also cannot understand the tone of voice and facial expressions. The autistic people have different symptoms and because this it is known as spectrum disorder. The milder version of this disorder is Asperger syndrome. The disorder lasts throughout a person’s life time. Autism shares numerous signs with Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder. Asperger’s syndrome does not have any delay in the language development. Autistic children are at a higher risk for some co-existing conditions such as fragile X syndrome which causes mental retardation, tuberous sclerosis in which the tumors grow on the brain, epileptic seizures, Tourette syndrome, disabilities in learning and attention deficit disorder. By the time autistic children reach adulthood about 20 to 30% of children develop epilepsy for the reasons unknown. Also schizophrenic people may show some autistic-like behavior but the symptoms do not appear until the late teens or early adulthood. The Schizophrenic people also have hallucinations and delusions which are not found in autism.

Diagnose

Based on the IQ autism is sometimes divided in to the low, medium and high functioning autism. The child affected by autism will show less attention to social stimuli, smile and look at others less often and very rarely respond to their own name. The severity and symptoms of autism may go unrecognized mainly in mildly affected children or when it is covered by more weakening handicaps. Doctors depend on a group of behaviors for diagnosing autism. These behaviors are:

(1) Unable to make friends with peers

(2) Unable to initiate or to continue a conversation with others.

(3) Absence of imaginative and social play.

(4) Unusual, typecast, repetitive use of language.

(5) Preoccupation with certain subjects or objects.

(6) Rigid devotion to certain routines or rituals.

With help of a questionnaire or any other screening instrument doctors assemble information about the child’s development and behavior. Some screening depends on the parent observations and some others on a combination of parent and doctor observations. If there is an indication or possibility of autism, the doctors will ask for more comprehensive evaluation. As autism is a complex disorder a combined evaluation is needed with a multidisciplinary team including psychologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, speech therapist and other expert in diagnosing the children with ASDs. Girls with autism may be suffering from Rett syndrome, a sex-linked genetic disorder described by social withdrawal, deteriorated language skills and hand wringing.

Treatment

Autism cannot be cured. But according to the experts the earlier intervention can make them to cope up with the day-to-day life. Structured and skill oriented training sessions to help children develop social and language skills. Counseling for parents and siblings of autistic children can help the families to cope with the challenges of living with an autistic child. To handle symptoms of anxiety, depression or obsessive compulsive disorder doctors often prescribe anti depressant medications. To treat severe behavioral problems anti-psychotic medicines are used. With one or more of the anti-convulsant drugs seizures can be treated. To reduce impulsiveness and hyperactivity stimulant drugs are some times used effectively. There are several therapies which are controversial and parents should be aware of that before taking in to consideration any of these treatments.

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