Menstuff® has compiled the following information on
Autism.
Diagnosis
Expected Duration
Prevention
Treatment
When To Call A Professional
Prognosis
Autism Today Presents…..Temple By
Telephone!
Differences found in autistic
brains
Snippets
Newsbytes
Autism affects about 1 out of 1000 children, from all racial,
ethnic, and social backgrounds. It is 3 to 4 times more prevalent in
boys than in girls.
Some typical behaviors associated with autism include:
Disordered play — An autistic toddler usually ignores other children and prefers to play alone. The child may spend hours repeatedly laying out objects in lines, sitting silently in an apparent trance-like state, concentrating on only one object or topic (and any attempt to divert the child can provoke an emotional outburst). Also, young children with autism are typically unable to engage in make-believe play.
Disordered speech — An autistic child may speak infrequently or remain totally silent. When the child does speak, the words may be an echo of what another person said. Speech patterns may be different. Instead of saying, "I want a sandwich," the child may ask, "Do you want a sandwich?"
Repetitive behaviors — The autistic child may engage in repetitive behavior such as saying the same phrase over and over again or repeating a particular motion, such as clapping, finger-snapping, rocking, swaying and hand-flapping are also common.
Abnormal behaviors — Children with autism may develop
obsessive routines. Some may also become hyperactive, aggressive,
destructive or impulsive. Others may intentionally injure
themselves.
Unmistakable Signs of Autism in a Young Child
Education — Educators will develop an individualized education program to address the child's specific educational problems. This typically includes speech and language therapy.
Behavioral management — Behavior modification strategies include positive reinforcement (rewarding "good" behavior) and "time-outs." The goal is to enhance appropriate behavior and reduce inappropriate behaviors (such as self-inflicted injuries).
Medications — No single drug has been able to treat
all symptoms of autism effectively. In some children, antipsychotic
medications (such as thioridazine, chlorpromazine, mesoridazine,
haloperidol) may reduce some symptoms associated with autism, such as
aggression, irritability and repetitive behavior, but these
medications may also have side effects. Medications such as
fluoxetine (Prozac) and clomipramine (Anafranil) may reduce
repetitive actions and other anxiety-related behavior.
Methylphenidate may be used to treat hyperactive or impulsive
behavior.
Life expectancy depends on the presence of other conditions (such
as epilepsy), as well as the overall general health of the autistic
individual.
Additional Info: Autism Society of
America, 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20814,
800.328.8476 or www.autism-society.org
Autism Today Presents…..Temple By
Telephone!
When Karen Simmons Sicoli,C.E.O. of autismtoday.com and author of best-selling book, Little Rainman, experienced the inconvenience, cost and safety concerns of traveling all over the world to hear the experts, she thought there had to be a better way! This is when an idea came to her. Why not get the same necessary information to deal with her son who has Autism in a less expensive, more convenient way. Having a child with Autism is hard enough, why add to the mix unnecessary travel and expense. An idea was born!
Dr. Temple Grandin, author and presenter, will be leading a “Live Interactive Teleclass” for the first time ever March 25th from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST (Pacific Standard Time) available to anyone with a phone. Temple’s best selling books “Emergence Labeled Autistic", and "Thinking In Pictures” have helped countless individuals worldwide to understand how a person with Autism thinks and feels. You see, Temple is also a person with Autism!
Parents, teachers and all people related to Autism and/or Asperger’s Syndrome need to be on this call! (*Note, there are a limited number of lines so it’s first come, first served!).
Karen was the recent recipient of the “Internet Entrepreneur of the Year Award” by Mark Victor Hansen, author, Chicken Soup for The Soul Series and Robert Allen, author, Nothing Down. You can check out her online Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome Magazine and Resource center at: Autism Today www.autismtoday.com
“My dream with these classes is to bring the teaching and inspiration of presenters such as Temple Grandin to parents and educators who don’t have the time or money to be traveling to different conferences every week. Being a parent myself, I knew that there is a need, signing up a presenter like Temple was a great confirmation that we are really onto something here.
For more information about Autism Today, visit www.autismtoday.com
or e-mail info@autismtoday.com
or call North America 877.482.1555. Alternate phone 780.482.1555
Karen Leigh Simmons is available for or media and other interviews by
emailing Andrew_Jacoby@hotmail.com
or by calling 1-877-482-1555
Differences found in autistic
brains
Autism is a developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and interacts with other people. People with autism cannot relate to others in a meaningful way. They also have trouble making sense of the world at large. As a result, their ability to develop friendships is impaired. They also have a limited capacity to understand other people's feelings.
The scientists examined brain tissue from nine autistic patients and nine people who did not have the condition. They focused on structures within the brain known as cell minicolumns which play an important role in the way the brain takes in information and responds to it. The cell minicolumns of autistic patients were found to be significantly smaller, but there were many more of them.
Researcher Dr Manuel Casanova said the increased amount of cell minicolumns in autistic people could mean that they are constantly in a state of overarousal. Their poor communication skills could be an attempt to diminish this arousal.
Brainstem damage
Previous research has suggested that autism is linked to damage to a part of the brain called the brainstem in the early stages of development. It is thought that this early injury might somehow interfere with the proper development or wiring of other brain regions resulting in the behavioural symptoms of autism.
A spokesperson for the UK National Autistic Society said the new research was consistent with this theory. "If the ability for complex communication is due to the subtle wiring of the millions of minicolumns found throughout the brain then any early impairments in development could explain the difficulties faced by people with autism spectrum disorders in the world. "Potentially it might lead to an understanding of how to help these individuals although this is a long way off.
Certainly the study reported is consistent with what is known about the difficulties people with autism spectrum disorders face in processing information." The frontal lobe of the brain is concerned with reasoning, planning, parts of speech and movement, emotions, and problem-solving. The temporal lobe is concerned with perception and recognition of sounds and memory.
The new research was carried out by scientists at the Medical College of Georgia, the University of South Carolina, and the Downtown VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia. It is reported in Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
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Rare
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Microsoft, UW develop program to treat
autism syndrome online
In Seattle, which along with the Bay Area has the highest reported cases of Asperger's, researcher Felice Orlich is working with Microsoft to help speed up the wait for those kids. "The majority of kids who come (for treatment) just want to make friends and they don't know how," said Orlich, a clinical neuropsychologist with the University of Washington. "They just don't get it."
Microsoft Research and the Seattle university's Autism Center have developed a program called KidTalk that aims to teach much-needed social skills online. A pilot-test program begins in about a April, 2002.
KidTalk looks much like a typical computer chat room, with lines of text from different participants running down one side of the screen and smiley-face icons representing the participants on the other.
But instead of just letting the kids chat, the program presents them with a script for social interaction, such as a birthday party, and asks them to perform specific social tasks.
Kids who participate well are rewarded with points and smiling faces. Those who don't chat or chat too much will see their oversized face icon move away from the group.
A therapist moderates the session and can send messages to the participants privately, offering tips and rewards.
Kids who suffer from Asperger's — far more serious than social unease — may not even be able to simply introduce themselves, let alone follow the subtle social context of a typical party. Isolated and frustrated, many kids also suffer from depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder and can grow angry, even violent, at even the most minor change in routine.
While some get one-on-one therapy, many parents say group therapy is particularly helpful because kids learn to interact with kids their own age.
Parents and researchers think online therapy might be more comfortable to Asperger's sufferers, who find solace in the familiar, rules-based structure of computer interaction. Many also feel much less anxiety when they can organize their thoughts and type them, rather than speak.
The whole thing about Asperger's is that they need to understand
more about the nonverbal-language skills. The nonverbal language that
you use, which is all the facial expressions and the body language,
is not something you can really learn (online).
Source: www.healthlinkusa.com/getpage.asp?http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/healthscience/134418400_asperger11m.html
Today, 50 families in American will find out that their child has autism! - Autism Society of American
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