Autism A Medical Mystery

Autism Explained Autism is a developmental disorder that some people are born with — it's not something you can catch or pass along to someone else. It affects the brain and makes communicating and interacting with other people difficult. This disorder is recognized early on in the first 3 years of life. Often it looks as though the child is developing normally. The severity of Autism varies from child to child.

Symptoms Inadequate verbal and social skills. Impaired speech, repetition of words. Bizarre or repetitive behavior patterns, uncontrollable head-banging; screaming fits, arm flapping. Little or no interest in human contact, unresponsiveness to parents and other people. Extreme resistance to minor changes in the home environment. Self-destructive behavior. An inability to care for oneself. Sometimes epilepsy or seizure like brain activity occurs.

Diagnosis 1)The child does not babble or coo by twelve months. 2) The child does not use gestures to communicate and the child does not wave. 3) The child does not grasp objects or point to objects by twelve months. 4) The child does not say single words by the age of sixteen months and does not say two- word phrases on his or her own by 24 months. 5) The child has a loss of any language or social skills at any age.

Who is affected? Occurs in more males than females. The chances someone you know could have it are 1 in 150.

The Cure Autism has no cure. Much research has been done and nothing can be linked to heredity. Even with using different treatments autism will not be cured. Many scientists work to find the cell that triggers autism.

Treatments Drugs are of minor importance but some used are anti-seizure drugs and prescriptions to reduce anxiety, hyperactivity, and attention disorders. Anti depressants sometimes work. Anti-psychotic drugs work but have many side effects such as involuntary body movement and are highly sedative. Stem cell research is also known to help.

Related Information Daryl Hannah played in splash, blade runner, and kill bill, border line autitstic. Michelle Dawson was an autism researcher and activist made ethical challenges to applied behavior analysis, had high functioning autism. Fictional characters believed to have autism, Boo Radley (To Kill a Mockingbird)

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What parents should look for Avoid Eye Contact, Seem deaf Stimulated by sounds, studies mothers face Develop language then stop talking abruptly Keep adding to vocab and expand grammar Act unaware of people coming and going. Cry when the mother leaves the room, anxious with strangers. Physically attack others or injure without provocation. Get upset when hungry or frustrated, recognize familiar faces. Infants with AutismNormal infants Remain fixated on a single item or activity Move from activity to activity Practice strange actions; rocking, arm flapping. Use body purposefully to reach or acquire objects Sniff or lick toysExplore and play with toys Show no sensitivity to burns or bruises, engage in self- mutilation, such as eye gouging. Seek pleasure and avoid pain Infants with AutismNormal infants Communication Social Relationships Exploration of Environment

References Autism written by Elaine Landau, published by Franklin Watts, 2001, in Danbury, Connecticut ption=KE&origSearch=true&r=s&o=&bucket=all&searchTerm=2NTA&l=r&in dex=BA&c=1&locID=nysl_sc_taehs&secondary=false&t=RK&s= ption=KE&origSearch=true&r=s&o=&bucket=all&searchTerm=2NTA&l=r&in dex=BA&c=1&locID=nysl_sc_taehs&secondary=false&t=RK&s=1