Autism is a neurological disorder that affects a child's ability to understand both verbal and non verbal communication. Like ADD, with Autism there are no physical abnormalities present, so diagnosis is difficult and must be based on observation and interviews with parents, teachers and caregivers. There are also many levels of autism, one might say, therefore increasing the difficulty in diagnosis
The following definition of Autism has been adopted by the Autism National Committee:
Autism is the common term for a range of disabilities medically classified as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). Autism/PDD is characterized by qualitative differences in the development of cognitive, language, social or motor skills, and these are usually apparant before the age of three. Research evidence suggests that autism may result from underlying difficulty with expressive movement and its regulation, severely challenging the individual to keep body movements, including sensory responses, in control. These sensorimotor problems can make it difficult to respond consistently and productively to other individuals and the enviornment.
Autism/PDD occurs in approximately fifteen out of very 10,000 births and is four times more common among males than females. It is found throughout the world in families of all racial, ethnic and social backgrounds. While autism was once erroneously believed to arise from stresses in a child's psychological enviornment, modern medical evidence suggests that irregularities in the development of the brain and central nervous system give rise to the syndrome of autism. Causes of this development are diverse and may include chemical exposure, viral or genetic factors.
Autism/PDD is not an illness or a "thing" a person "has." It is a collection of responses which must be viewed in context, and observation is always more productive than labeling. Across the wide spectrum of the autism/PDD syndrome, individual variations on several key features can be recognized. Reciprocal social interactions, both verbal and nonverbal, are unusual in quality and generally difficult to synchronize and to carry out. Impairments in the central nervous system typically result in over-reactions, or inconsistent responses to various stimuli. Because sensory input is difficult to organize and control, the individual's activities and interests may appear restricted in their nature and repertoire, fequently involving significant repetition and a need for predictability rather than change. It is important to view the behavior of people with autism/PDD as meaningful adaptations and to take a positive, respectful approach to them, forgoing the common tendency to judge their competence and capacity on the basis of their sensorimotor challenges. |
