What Is Autism?
If we had the answer to this question, we would be famous! Is it neurological, developmental, metabolic, genetically linked, a reaction to an assault?
We have gathered several definitions of what others think "Autism" might be.
Autism Research Institute:
http://www.autism.com/ari
Autism is a severely handicapping disorder which begins at birth or within the first 2 years of life. For many years autism occurred in about 5 children per 10,000 live births. However, since the early 1990's, the rate of autism has increased enormously throughout the world, so that figures as high as 60 per 10,000 are being reported. The reasons for the increase are being debated, but the most likely cause appears to be the over vaccinations of infants. Most autistic children are perfectly normal in appearance, but spend their time engaged in puzzling and disturbing behaviors which are markedly different from those of normal children. They may stare into space for hours, throw uncontrollable tantrums, show no interest in people (including their parents) and pursue strange, repetitive activities with no apparent purpose. They have been described as living in a world of their own. Some autistic individuals are remarkably gifted in certain areas such as music or mathematics, as depicted in the film Rain Man. All need help.
Autism Society of America:
http://www.autism-society.org
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism and its associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 500 individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1997). Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism's occurrence. Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. The disorder makes it hard for them to communicate with others and relate to the outside world. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present. Persons with autism may exhibit repeated body movements (hand flapping, rocking), unusual responses to people or attachments to objects and resistance to changes in routines. Individuals may also experience sensitivities in the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Over one half million people in the U.S. today have autism or some form of pervasive developmental disorder. Its prevalence rate makes autism one of the most common developmental disabilities. Yet most of the public, including many professionals in the medical, educational, and vocational fields, are still unaware of how autism affects people and how they can effectively work with individuals with autism.
Autism Society of Wisconsin:
http://www.asw4autism.org/
[ Lesa's favorite definition. ]
Imagine a song stuck in your head...and it never goes away. Imagine people's voices sounding so loud they're like fire engines. Imagine your soft cotton T-shirt feeling like a burlap bag. Imagine not being able to feel food in your mouth, or a full bladder. Imagine someone's simple touch feeling like fire. Imagine having feeling in your hair and the pain of having it cut. Imagine having autism.
One of the simplest answers to this question is to say that autism is a condition in which the brain doesn't work right. A person's behavior is what leads us to think that something is wrong with the brain. Autism usually appears during the first 3 years of life. Autism gets in the way of normal brain development and affects many areas of a person's life. Children and adults with autism may have problems relating to and dealing with other people. They may have more problems dealing with some people than other people. This could be because of such things as a person's tone of voice, specific lighting or the way they act. Autism may make it hard to talk and to grow up to be independent. Autism makes it hard to learn things that others learn all by themselves. Autism is found all over the world in every type of social, racial, and economic background.
Depending on what you read or other web sites you might visit, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may include but not be limited to:
  •  Autism
  •  HFA
  •  Asperger's Syndrome
  •  Rhett's Disorder
  •  Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
  •  Pervasive Development Delay ~ Not Otherwise Specified (PDD~NOS)
  •  Attention Deficit Disorder
  •  Attention Hyperactivity Disorder
 

This artwork was created by a child with autism.

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Other Important Facts:
Autism is a developmental disability that generally appears between 15 and 20 months of age. In most cases, the child progresses normally but then begins to regress, losing speech, social skills and physical abilities. So people with autism face challenges communicating, interacting and learning. While many symptoms of autism are the same, each person is affected differently and to varying degrees of severity - but most children completely withdraw into a world of their own.
A frightening aspect of the disorder is that children cannot assess sensory input properly. Many of these children cannot perceive fear or dangerous situations, nor can they filter or ignore stimulus. This sensory overload would be the equivalent to your being intensely aware of the feel, color and sensation of each article of clothing you are wearing, every single sound coming from the street and inside the building around you, and the fluorescent lights and every object that reflects the light near you. If a child with autism could read this page, they would have to endure all of this and more while trying to concentrate and comprehend the words themselves. Obviously, normal functioning under this kind of sensory bombardment is nearly impossible.
People with autism typically endure a host of biomedical and neurological problems as well. Many suffer from chronic diarrhea because their intestines are so damaged that they cannot absorb the vital nutrients, minerals and vitamins essential for optimal brain function. Liver and kidney functions are impaired causing their bodies to store up high level of toxins found in the environment such as lead, mercury, arsenic and other heavy metals. Their immune systems are so comprimised that they cannot fight off even the simplest fungal and bacterial infections.
There is no cure for autism and children do not outgrow it. It is a lifelong disability with a normal life expectancy.
Boys are affected five times more than girls but girls in general, are more severely affected.
Over half a million people in the United States live with autism. It is more prevalent than Down Syndrome, childhood diabetes, and childhood cancer combined.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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