Autism What is Autism? Autism is best described as a disease that affects the development of a child, autism has to be present before the age of four and effects one for their whole life, it is not a disease that will develop later in life.

Symptoms Avoid eye contact Short attention span Not able to engage in social activities Overly focused on certain things Cannot keep a conversation going Repetitive movements  Appear deaf at times  Have difficulty expressing needs and wants

Diagnosis Autism cannot be diagnosed medically. It can only be diagnosed by observing a persons behaviors, development, and communication Medical tests (to confirm it is not another disorder) Autism is very difficult to Diagnose

Those affected Autism now affects: 1 in 110 children 1 in 70 boys Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism

Causes There is no one specific cause of autism Abnormalities in brain structure and function Heavy metal toxins Infants with a small head size at birth who then experience a sudden and excessive growth in head size in the first year of life have an increased risk of developing autism

Treatment Greenspan, Inclusion, and Social Stories Stress highly structured individualized sessions Develop communications Concentrate on learning specific skills Change negative behaviors Create a constant predictable schedule

Getting help National Autism Association Autism Society Of America Franziska Racker Centers

Related/Interesting information More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined There is no medical detection or cure for Autism Autism costs the nation over $35 billion per year, a figure expected to significantly increase in the next decade Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases

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