Disability Resource Directory

Video of a news story
About a remarkable kid that has autism and what happened when a coach let him play at the end of a High School basketball game.

Autism Explained

Autism is described as a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests itself in markedly abnormal social interaction, communication ability, patterns of interests, and patterns of behavior. Although the specific etiology of autism is unknown, many researchers suspect that autism results from genetically mediated vulnerabilities to environmental triggers. While there is disagreement about the magnitude, nature, and mechanisms for such environmental factors, researchers have found seven genes prevalent among individuals diagnosed as autistic. Some estimate that autism occurs in as many as one child in 166 in the United States. However, the National Institute of Mental Health gives a more conservative estimate of one in 1000.

For families that already have one autistic child, the odds of a second autistic child may be as high as one in twenty. Although autism is about 3 to 4 times more common in boys, girls with the disorder tend to have more severe symptoms and greater cognitive impairment. Diagnosis is based on a list of psychiatric criteria, and a series of standardized clinical tests may also be used.

Autism may not be physiologically obvious. A complete physical and neurological evaluation will typically be part of diagnosing autism. Some now speculate that autism is not a single condition but a group of several distinct conditions that manifest in similar ways. Recently, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found a link between autism, abnormal blood vessel function and oxidative stress (the result of higher levels of free radicals). The study suggests that, if researchers can find more evidence linking decreased blood flow to the brain and oxidative stress with the pathology of autism, improvements in therapy could be found.

By definition, autism must manifest delays in "social interaction, language as used in social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play," with "onset prior to age 3 years", according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The ICD-10 also requires symptoms to be "manifest before the age of three years." There have been large increases in the reported incidence of autism, for reasons that are heavily debated by researchers in psychology and related fields within the scientific community.

With intense therapy and practice and schooling, some children diagnosed with autism can improve their social and other skills to the point where they can fully participate in mainstream education and social events, but there are no indications that a cure from autism is possible with current technology or advances in medicine. Some autistic children and adults who are able to communicate (at least in writing) are opposed to attempts to cure their autism, because they (and/or the guardians) see autism as part of who they are.

When referring to someone diagnosed with autism, the term autistic is often used. However, the terms person with autism or person who experiences autism can be used instead. These are referred to as person-first terminology. The autistic community generally prefers the term autistic for reasons that are fairly controversial.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Related Articles:

• Language Program for Autism
  
  New language system will assist parents, educators, and speech-language pathologists.
• How To Identify Autism
  
  How to identify autism ...this is a common question for parents who suspect their child may be autistic. There is a great diversity in the skills and behaviors of individuals diagnosed as autistic
• Autism Speech Development Symptoms
  
  Autism speech development in autistic people usually takes different paths to the majority of neurotypical children...
• educating children with autism
  
  Educating children with autism is not an easy task as these children are affected with these symptoms every day. These unusual characteristics set them apart from typical students
• Do MMR Vaccines Cause Autism?
  
  Autism is a neurological disorder; observable symptoms of this disability include disruption of speech, difficulty in social exchanges, and demonstration of consistent behavior...
• Autistic Children and the Strain on Marriage
  
  In modern times, many marriages with autistic children end in divorce or separation.
• Family Vacations with an Autistic Child
  
  Vacation ideas for the family with an autistic child.
• Autism and Mercury
  
  If you have read any of the studies about autism and mercury, you will have found compelling arguments on both sides of the issue...
• Autism in Adults
  
  autism in adults - The ability of adults with autism to take care of themselves is often directly related to the need-based education they received as children...
• Autism Symptoms – Detect Them Early
  
  autism symptoms - Autism is a brain disorder that begins in early childhood, usually within the first three years of life and persists throughout adulthood.
• How Do I Tell Someone Their Child Has Autism
  
  When your child has autism it can be a very difficult situation to deal with. Oftentimes, parents may suspect there is something developmentally wrong with their child...
• The Impacts of Autism on the Family
  
  Having a child who has been diagnosed with autism can be a particularly challenging time for any family. The emotional roller coaster lurches from disbelief, anger, relief...
• Autism and the Teenage Years
  
  Autism is a disorder that manifests itself with the individual having trouble communicating and managing a variety of social situations.
• Autism Spectrum Quotient
  
  The Autism Spectrum Quotient, or AQ, is a questionnaire published in 2001 by Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues at the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, UK.
• Autism Controversies
  
  There is considerable disagreement over the exact nature of autism, however it is generally considered to be a neurodevelopmental condition which manifests itself in...
• Autism Controversies cont'd
  
  Currently, Asperger's Syndrome is classified as a separate diagnosis from autism in the DSM-IV, but it is still considered an autism spectrum disorder
• Cause of Autism Part I
  
  There is as yet no consensus, and researchers are studying a wide range of possible causes to try and pinpoint what may be the cause of autism.
• Cause of Autism Part II
  
  the mystery of what can be the cause of autism has been slow to resolve due to its relatively recent identification as a disorder...
• Cause of Autism Part III
  
  The Lancet in the February 1998 issue, dubbed the "Wakefield Study", suggested a possible link in cause of autism and the MMR vaccine...
• Cause of Autism Part IV
  
  evidence of trauma to the brain stem in early development, and that a small portion of the thalidomide victims have become autistic and therefore could be a cause of autism...
• The Family Tree and a Few Bad Apples
• Autism Problems Parents Must Conquer
  
  Autism is a neurological disorder; observable symptoms of this disability include disruption of speech, difficulty in social exchanges, and demonstration of consistent behavior...

Note: that the contents on this site are not presented from a medical practitioner, and that any and all health care planning should be made under the guidance of your own medical and health practitioners. The content within only presents an overview based upon research for educational purposes and does not replace medical advice from a practicing physician.