AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Autism Spectrum Disorder

 Is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in
childhood and lasts throughout a person’s life.
 It affects how a person acts and interacts with others, communicates
and learn.

HISTORY
1908: The word autism is used to describe a subset of
schizophrenic patients who were especially withdrawn and self-
absorbed.
1943: American child psychiatrist Leo Kanner, M.D., publishes a
paper describing 11 children who were highly intelligent but
displayed.
1944: A German scientist named Hans Asperger describes a
"milder" form of autism now known as Asperger's Syndrome.
1967: Psychologist Bruno Bettelheim popularizes the theory that
"refrigerator mothers," as he termed them, caused autism by not
loving their children enough.
1977: Research on twins finds that autism is largely caused by
genetics and biological differences in brain development.
1980: "Infantile autism" is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for the first time; the condition
is also officially separated from childhood schizophrenia.
1987: The DSM replaces "infantile autism" with a more expansive
definition of "autism disorder.
1988: The movie Rain Man is released. It stars Dustin Hoffman as
an autistic savant who has a photographic memory and can
calculate huge numbers in his head.

1991: The federal government makes autism a special education

category. Public schools begin identifying children on the spectrum
and offering them special services.

1994: Asperger's Syndrome is added to the DSM, expanding the

autism spectrum to include milder cases in which individuals tend
to be more highly functioning.
1998: A study published in The Lancet suggests that the measles-
mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism. This finding was
quickly debunked.
2000: Vaccine manufacturers remove thimerosal (a mercury-based
preservative) from all routinely given childhood vaccines due to
public fears about its role in autism--even though, again, the
vaccine-autism link has been debunked.

2009: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
estimates that 1 in 110 children have autism spectrum disorders,
up from 1 in 150 in 2007, though the CDC notes that the increase
stems at least in part from improved screening and diagnostic
techniques.
2013: The DSM-5 folds all subcategories of the condition into one
umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Asperger's
Syndrome is no longer considered a separate condition. ASD is
defined by two categories: 1) Impaired social communication
and/or interaction. 2) Restricted and/or repetitive behaviors.
 CAUSES

The exact cause of ASD is unknown. The most current research

demonstrates that there’s no single cause.

Some of the suspected risk factors for autism include:

 having an immediate family member with autism

 genetic mutations
 fragile X syndrome and other genetic disorders
 being born to older parents
 low birth weight
 metabolic imbalances
 exposure to heavy metals and environmental toxins
 a history of viral infections
 fetal exposure to the medications valproic acid (Depakene) or
thalidomide (Thalomid)
 TYPES
1. Asperger's Syndrome
Children with Asperger's Syndrome tend to struggle to understand
and interpret social cues, develop intense, often obsessive interests
in one or two subjects and often display a higher-than-average and
even gifted intelligence. Although children with Asperger's can
suffer from sensory integration difficulties, like sensitivity to tags on
shirts or seams on socks, they do not usually have delayed speech.
In fact, many children with Asperger's Syndrome have an advanced
vocabulary for their age.

2. Rett Syndrome
This type of progressive autism only affects girls and begins to
become apparent when they reach about 6 months old. Typical
symptoms of Rett Syndrome start with several characteristics found
in other forms of autism, including repetitive hand and arm
flapping, delayed speech and problems with fine and gross motor
skills.

3. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)

You may have heard stories of children who seem to develop
normally -- meeting all of their milestones -- but then suddenly
start regressing around the age of 2. This type of autism -- CDD --
can feel devastating and confusing for parents. Children often show
no signs of developmental delays whatsoever, then out of the blue
will stop talking, stop making eye contact and often completely lose
the ability to socially interact with others.
4. Kanner's Syndrome
Also called Classic Autistic Disorder, children with Kanner's
Syndrome usually demonstrate what many people consider the
standard behaviors of autism. These include difficulty
understanding and communicating with others, limited to no eye
contact, hypersensitivity to noises, touch, light and smell and a
strong preference for routine.

5. Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not

Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
This more mild form of autism can cause children to have social or
developmental delays, like walking or talking later than most
children. Children with PDD-NOS often learn to cope with their
developmental and social challenges more easily than children with
more severe forms of autism. Like Asperger's Syndrome, children
with PDD-NOS can benefit from social skills classes, dietary
changes and occupational therapy.