What is Autism? Neurological Disorder Affects Communication and Social Skills Restricted or Repetitive Behaviors Before age 3 More boys than girls All races and nationalities From 1 in 10, years ago to 1 in 110 Pervasive Developmental Disorder

Spectrum PDD-NOS: Many characteristics of autism, but does not meet full diagnosis Asperger’s Syndrome- No significant verbal delays, high intelligence Kanner’s Syndrome- Significant Speech delay, may be non-verbal IF you’ve met a child with autism, you have met a child with autism

Communication In most severe cases may be non-verbal Children with Asperger’s will not have significant speech delays May not initiate conversations or respond to name May use gestures instead of words Speech Therapy often used For those who are non-verbal, PECS or sign language may be used

Social Behavior Children with autism often lack or have unusual eye contact Will often be unable to initiate conversation or only on cue Have trouble expressing and understanding emotions or social cues

Preoccupation and Restricted Interest Like routine and may get upset if routine is disrupted Often have follow rules literally and consistently May have perseveration (pigs, circuits, ect.) May “stim” (stand on toes, flap arms, ect.)

Motor and Sensory Issues May be both hyper- and hypo- sensitive to sensory stimulation Children with autism often have fine and gross motor issues “Fidgets” often help with concentration

What causes autism? We don’t know Heredity- Parents tend to be engineers, mathematicians, and scientists Environment Brian and Circuitry Abnormalities Vaccines?-General consensus is that is does not cause autism

Is there a cure? There is no cure, but there are treatments Early intervention is key! 381 different treatment are being used according to IAN 1. Speech and Language Therapy 2. Occupational Therapy (OT) 3. Applied Behavior Analysis 4. Social Skills Groups 5. Picture Exchange Communications System (PECS) Reference: Top Treatments Used by IAN Families

Resources Autism Speaks TouchPoint Autism Services STL Arc MO-FEAT Productive Living Board