Autism - Signs, Symptoms, Treatments, Resources, Support for Autism

Temple Grandin, diagnosed with autism as a child, talks about how her mind works -- sharing her ability to "think in pictures," which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids. Grandin’s books about her interior life as an autistic person have increased the world's understanding of the condition with personal immediacy -- and with import, as rates of autism diagnosis rise. She is revered by animal rights groups and members of autistic community, perhaps because in both regards she is a voice for those who are sometimes challenged to make themselves heard. "Autism is part of who I am." Temple Grandin ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ”Who do you think made the first stone spears? The Asperger guy. If you were to get rid of all the autism genetics, there would be no more Silicon ...

Autism in adults is not discussed quite as much as children's autism, a disorder that is now thought to affect rougly one out of every 150 children born. And although treatments are available, autism is not curable and it negatively affects social development and thought processes all throughtout the life of someone who has the disorder. Each person with autism is profoundly different and requires different levels of help. Autism ranges from mild to severe. Adults with mild autism are defined as high-functioning and those with severe autism are considered low-functioning. Low-functioning adults with severe autism need constant care from their families or within a facility that can address their needs around the clock (which is very expensive). In contrast, adults with mild autism can lead relatively normal lives. They can live on their own and work, support and care for themselves. This doesn't mean that they don't have challenges. In fact, many high functioning autistic ad...

The recorded history of autism is really very short which is quite surprising when you think of how prevelant it is in today's society. The term autism was first coined by Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, in 1911 to apply to adult schizophrenia. It took about 30 more years for autism to be defined as, more or less, what we refer to today. In 1943, Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins University used the term to describe his 5-year long observations of 11 children who had started to withdraw from human contact at around 1 year old. Interestingly enough, at around the same time, a scientist in Germany named Hans Asperger identified  the similar condition that we now know as Asperger's Syndrome. After Kanner and Asperger's discovery, parents were believed to treat their autistic children without the "normal" warmth and affection that parents give their children. As we continue on throught the history of autism, for more than 2 decades (through the 60's), anyone wh...

A Pervasive Developmental Disorder is used as an umbrella term for all of the following related disorders: Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett syndrome and Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, or PDD-NOS, for short. All of these disorders differ slightly but share the very general common characteristics which lead to  difficulty in socializing with others, repetitive behaviors, and heightened sensitivities to certain stimuli. This article will focus on the PDD-NOS Pervasive Developmental Disorder since that is what most people mean to refer to even if they unintentionally leave the last -NOS out of the term. Individuals with PDD-NOS behave similarly to those with classic autism in many ways. Firstly, it's important to understand that one person affected with PPD-NOS will not act exactly like the next person who is affected with the same disorder (as is the case for autism) so it's important to recognize that you are dealin...

A PDD Disorder (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) or Autism Spectrum Disorder is part of a group of developmental disabilities which, according to recent research, affect as many as 1 in 250  people. Falling under the umbrella of PPD Disorders are: Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD- NOS), Asperger’s Disorder, Rett’s Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. These disorders occur in all cultures around the world (although diagnoses differ in frequency and type), in all economic classes and affect up to 5 times as many boys as girls. Usually, these disorders are recognized between the ages of 1 and 3 years, and affect the development of social behavior, verbal and non-verbal communication and attention/interests.  PPDs do not describe a delay in development, but instead, a significant deviation from what is considered normal development. The spectrum of this deviation ranges from mild to severe. About 40 percent of children w...

If you're having trouble coping with autism in your life, autism support groups offer guidance, benefits and advice. Besides the family who is touched by autsim, certain support groups also include educators, medical professionals, social service workers, policymakers, etc. What are the benefits of joining a support group? First off, when members get together in groups like this, they can really help each other out by sharing information on medical or educational services, programs, and other resources available in the community, county, or state. In groups like these, members can open up about their fears and worries. Knowing other families who are going through the same kinds of situations can really ease the sense of isolation, lonliness and frustration you may be feeling. You can get advice from others who may have experienced similar situations or problems and share your own coping techniques that worked for you. These open discussions can often bring about realistic, logical ...

Classic Autism is the most common of the 5 Pervasive Developmental Disorders and can be classified into many forms and degrees of severity. The types of Autism Spectrum Disorder are Asperger syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PPD-NOS). Before we go on to discuss these, let's take a look at the general characteristics of autism. More recently referred to as "mindblindness", the scientific definition  of Autism is "a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first two-and-a-half years of life". Basically, those who are diagnosed with autism have a brain disorder that makes it hard for them to interact in what we consider a normal socially acceptable way. They find it difficult to communicate and relate to others because the different parts of their brains aren't able to work together. The severity of autism ranges greatly from one individual to another....

What is the most common sign of autism? Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the United States, now being diagnosed in as many as 1 in 150 individuals.  In reality, there is not just one tell-tale sign but there are some "absolute indicators" otherwise known as "red flags", that should be brought to the attention of your pediatrician. Here they are: 1) If your child hasn't really smiled or shown any type of eye contact or happy expression by 6 months or afterwards, this might be an early warning characteristic of autism. 2) If your child is 9 months old or older, he/she should be sharing sounds, smiles or other facial expressions. If this isn't the case, let your pediatrician know. 3) Once he/she has hit 12 months of age, your child should be pointing, showing, reaching or waving. 4) By 16 months of age, your child should be saying at least a couple of words. 5) By 2 years, your child should be expressing 2-word phrases by him/he...