• Autism is a type of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD)…. Pervasive developmental disorders are present at birth. However, the signs of these disorders may not be noticed until later. Parents or other caregivers usually notice signs during the first 3 years of a child's life, ….typically, parents first become concerned when they notice their toddler does not respond or interact like other children of the same age. Toddlers with autism do not usually babble or talk normally, and may seem to have hearing problems
• Autism is a lifelong condition that results in some degree of social isolation.
• Autism affects how a person perceives and processes sensory information.
• Although it is difficult to determine, studies show that below-normal intelligence occurs in about 70% of autistic children.1.
What causes autism?
• Most research suggests that people with autism have irregular brain structures. More study is needed to determine the cause of these irregularities, but current research indicates they are inherited.
• Parents who have had one child with autism are more likely than other couples to have a second child with autism.
What are the symptoms of autism?
• All people with autism have difficulty with social interactions and relationships.
• Parents often describe their child with autism as preferring to play alone and making little eye contact with other people.
Other symptoms of autism include:
• Difficulties with verbal and nonverbal communication. Language development in children with autism is almost always delayed.
• Limited, repetitive, and overused patterns of behavior, interests, and play. Many typical behaviors—such as repetitive body rocking, unusual attachments to objects, and holding fast to routines and rituals—are driven by the need for sameness and resistance to change.
• There is no standard or “typical” person with autism. Although autism is defined by the above characteristics, people with autism can have many different combinations of behaviors in mild to severe forms.
Do any other conditions occur with autism?
• Many people with autism also have other conditions, such as below-normal intelligence or mood problems.
• Teenagers with autism often develop depression, especially if they have average or above-average intelligence.
• In addition, about 1/3 of children with autism develop a seizure disorder (such as epilepsy) by their teen years.
How is autism treated?
• Parent education and support, and sometimes medications can often improve an autistic child's problem behaviors, communication skills, and socialization.
• A child with autism responds best to a highly structured environment that includes rules, regulations and routines.
Who is affected by autism ?
• It is estimated that as many as 1 in every 1,000 children in the United States has autism.
*Boys are up to 4 times more likely than girls to have autism.
Medical management for autism
Medications have a limited role in improving autistic symptoms. However, some may help with self-injurious and other behaviors that are causing difficulty. Medications may also take a child to a functional level at which they can benefit from other treatments.
There is no standard medication for treatment of autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests targeting the main one or two dominating problem behaviors when considering medications.
Autistic Savants
About 10% of people with autism have some form of savant skills—special limited gifts such as memorizing lists, calculating calendar dates, drawing, or musical skills.
Many people with autism have unusual sensory perceptions. For example, they may describe a light touch as painful and deep pressure as providing a calming feeling. Others may not feel pain at all. Some people with autism have strong food likes and dislikes and preoccupations with sniffing people or licking objects.