In light of Autism Awareness Month I would like to discuss what Autism Spectrum Disorder is, the rate of occurrence, possible causes, early signs, as well as early intervention services for children with the disorder.
In the mid 1990s the prevalence rate of Autism was 1 in 3,000 children. New reports from the Center for Disease Control report that currently 1 out of every 110 children in the United States have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Boys are impacted significantly more often than girls and no one really knows what causes Autism. Early intervention is key for children with Autism, therefore, if we know the early signs of Autism many children will be better off later in life. Early intervention significantly changes the outcome of the disorder, for this reason it is important to understand the early warning signs.
Autism is a complex brain disorder. It affects many areas of child development including social skills and communication. Every child with autism is different; however, children with the disorder usually have problems with social skills, communication and repetitive behavior. Some of the early signs of autism include rarely making eye contact and being non-verbal, for example not crying or babbling as a baby. The majority of autistic children have a delay in understanding and using language. In addition, having a very narrow range of interests is characteristic of autism.
No one has all the answers when it comes to autism; this is probably why the symbol for autism awareness is a puzzle, because we are still trying to fit the pieces together. Some people believe that an exposure to pesticides or flame controlants can cause autism. Many people believe that the mercury in childhood vaccines can cause autism. This, however, does not make sense because if vaccines were in fact the cause, autism would have declined after 1990, when the dangerous ingredients were taken out of vaccines. Some doctors say that eating too much fish when a woman is pregnant can also affect her baby. Certain doctors believe that diet can help to improve autism, such as detoxifying the body of metals; there is no evidence, however, to prove that this detoxification works.
Early intervention in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is very important. Stimulating children with autism may cause new neural connections. There are many different types of early intervention, this is because every child with autism is different and responds differently to each type of intervention. Unfortunately, not all children respond to early intervention. Intensive Speech therapy is a very common early intervention strategy because there is a very short opening for a child to learn language and many autistic children are nonverbal and others can develop language early on and then lose it.
Some other forms of intervention are: social skills training, a form of group therapy with other children; cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of therapy that helps children to manage their emotions; medications for other conditions such as anxiety and depression; occupational and physical therapy to help children with poor motor coordination; and parent training and support, which teaches parents behavioral techniques that can be implemented at home.
Autism and Asperger's syndrome are both on the spectrum of Autism Disorder. Asperger's syndrome is a mild form of autism and does not involve all the characteristics of autism. Children with Asperger’s syndrome do not have communication delays like children with autism. Asperger’s Syndrome is characterized by poor social skills, advanced language, and an intense interest in a specific subject.
For many adults with autism, their lives would be completely different had their parents not found them early intervention services. Some may never have learned to use language at all. Others may have never made lasting relationships with others, due to their poor social skills and behavioral problems.
"Asperger Syndrome Fact Sheet." National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2010.
Smith, Melinda. "Autism Signs, Symptoms, and Causes: Early Signs of Autism in Children." Helpguide.org: Understand, Prevent and Resolve Life's Challenges. Dec. 2007. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.
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