What is Autism

What is autism?

Autism is a neurological disorder that impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. It is now believed to affect as many as 1 in 166 births and is the 2nd most common developmental disorder.

The following definition is from the Autism Society of America:

AUTISM is a severely incapacitating lifelong developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It occurs in approximately fifteen out of every 10,000 births and is four times more common in boys than girls. It has been found throughout the world in families of all racial, ethnic and social backgrounds. No known factors in the psychological environment of a child have been shown to cause autism.

The symptoms are caused by structural and functional disorders of the brain. They include:

1. Disturbances in the rate of appearance of physical, social and language skills.

2. Abnormal responses to sensations. Any one or a combination of senses or responses are affected: sight, hearing, touch, pain, balance, smell, taste, and the way a child holds his body.

3. Speech and language are absent or delayed while specific thinking capabilities might be present.

4. Abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and events.

Autism occurs by itself or in association with other disorders which affect the function of the brain such as viral infections, metabolic disturbances, and epilepsy. It is important to distinguish autism from retardation or mental disorders since diagnostic confusion may result in referral to inappropriate and ineffective treatment techniques. The severe form of the syndrome may include extreme self-injurious, repetitive, highly unusual and aggressive behavior. Special educational programs using behavioral methods have proven to be the most helpful treatment.

AUTISM IS TREATABLE -- Early diagnosis and intervention are vital to the future development of the child.

What do Parents do when they discover their child is autistic?

Some Things To Do

· Make certain that the determination that your child is autistic was made or verified by a professional who has experience with autistics. Contact Pradip.

· Talk to other parents of autistic children.

Books

Michael Power’s Children With Autism: A Parent's Guide has a good reputation, but there are some newer books aimed at parents. Another book with a good reputation is Elizabeth K. Gerlach's Autism Treatment Guide from Four Leaf Press. There are a number of books describing parents' experiences with autism and though some may be slanted a particular kind of treatment, probably all have value in allowing you to share the experience of other parents. Catherine Maurice's Let Me Hear Your Voice is one example.

Treatment & programs

Every treatment for autism has its detractors and none has proven to benefit every case. Thus, the task of judging the effectiveness of potential treatments will ultimately fall on you--to a larger extent than you will feel qualified to make. If the professional to whom you take your child strongly recommends some program or treatment, know that there are others who will recommend some other just as strongly. Note that many programs are made up from parts of several methods. Contact Pradip for further details. You will find Pradip’s contact information in “Contact Us” section.