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

Having a child with autism requires taking a proactive approach to learning about the condition and its treatment while working closely with others involved in your child's care. You also need to take care of yourself so that you are able to face the many challenges of having a child with autism . Educate yourself about autism Ask your doctor or contact autism groups to find training about autism and how to manage symptoms. Parent and family education has been shown to reduce family stress and improve a child's functioning. 5 Understanding the condition and knowing what to expect is an important part of helping your child develop independence. Become informed about your child's educational rights . Federal laws require services for handicapped children, i ncluding those with autism. Also, there may be state and local laws or policies to aid children who have autism. Find out what services are available ...

Siblings of children with autism have more frequent language delays and other subtle characteristics of the disorder than previously understood. Girls also may be mildly affected more often than recognized in the past. A new study, led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, found mild traits, not strong enough to provoke a diagnosis of autism, seem to be present in the siblings of affected children at significantly higher rates than seen in the general population. The findings appear online and will be published in the November issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry. “Mild symptoms, called quantitative traits, may be confounding studies that compare children with autism to their siblings,” says first author John N. Constantino, MD. “Researchers presume one child is affected, and the other is not, but our findings suggest that although one child may have autism while the other does not, it’s very possible both children are affecte...

Having your child diagnosed with autism can be overwhelming. Autism is all over the news these days , with significantly more children being diagnosed with this condition today than in recent generations. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that affects the brain, develops within a child's first few years of life and affects verbal, social, emotional, physical and intellectual functioning. The causes of autism are not fully understood, and its severity and responsiveness to various treatments vary widely from child to child. Some autism experts believe a healthy diet might help children with autism function more successfully. Step 1 Consult your child's physician or a registered dietitian with autism experience first. According to Northwestern University...

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 ...

The theory of frustration and attention has been the sole thinking for quite some time. Recently, however, studies have shown that self-injury can have a biochemical component that relieves some of the pain and frustration one feels by releasing endorphins, or "happy hormones," into one's system. The endorphins also provide a release for the autistic child, allowing him or her to temporarily forget about his or her frustration and pain. Furthermore, it is believed that if one practices self-injury enough, the endorphins will begin to help mask any pain associated with such behavior, making it an addictive action.  An autistic child's frustration goes hand-in-hand with wanting attention. For instance, by scratching oneself until one bleeds, the autistic child will immediately get someone's attention, and this person will work to understand what the child wants or needs.  While some professionals say that ignoring the autistic child's ...

There is no proof that people who have autism have to lead a retarded life for the rest of their lives. People with autism are very creative and if let to develop in the field of their interest they tend to excel and even become famous. Some of the most famous personalities we know like even Albert Einstein have suffered from learning disabilities. Here are some of the most famous characters and celebrities with autism.     - Amanda bags, who is an advocate of autistic rights today in the United States     - Lucy Blackman an educated author     - Derek Paravicini, a blind British musician and composer     - Tim Ellis, Australian magician     - Dawn prince Hughes, a famous anthropologist     - Santosh Tajiri, creator of the famous Pokemon The people listed here may be known to some people and some may not have heard about them. The famous painter Leonardo da Vinci also exhibited symptom...

Do you have an autistic child or know someone who has autism? Do you understand the special needs of an autistic person? Sometimes it is hard to understand that an autistic child is trapped within themselves without the ability to communicate or socially interact with others. While there is no cause or cure yet, autism can be treated and according to the level of severity, many adult autistic people can enjoy a rich, fulfilling life. To most people autism is a mystery. Over the past 20 years cases of autism has jumped an amazing 172%. Ninety people out of every ten thousand born this year will be diagnosed with autism. Where did this strange disorder come from and why is it affecting more and more of our children each year? Parents and doctors have pondered this question for decades and very few details are sorted out. How do you teach an autistic child? How do parents cope with a lifetime of caring and nurturing an autistic child? You can scan a thousand web...

This is a question that every parent of an Autistic child will ask at some point. The answer is no. There is no cure for Autism. While you may see ads for books, or products that promise a cure for Autism, they are misleading you. Autism has no cure. There are lots of treatments that can make living with Autism easier. Here are some of the treatments that help with Autism. Therapies There are several types of therapies that can help with the treatment of Autism. Occupational, physical, behavioral, speech, music, sensory, drug, play, and many other types of therapy can make a big difference in the life of an Autistic child. The therapies will not cure your child's Autism. They will just help teach them different ways of coping with it. Alternative Treatments Natural and alternative treatments are on the rise. These can include the use of herbs instead of prescription medications. The herbs do not have the side effects found in traditional medicines. Vitamin and mineral supplements a...

Daily life with an Autistic child can be a challenge to say the least. What should you do if you are traveling for vacation, or another purpose? Lets look at some things a parent can do when traveling with their Autistic child. 1. Plan ahead. If at all possible plan trips far in advance. This gives you time to talk with your child and get them used to the idea of traveling. You can explain to them where they will be going, and some of the things they will be doing while away. 2. Bring items from home that your Autistic child likes. Bring their favorite toys. Bring along their pillow and blanket they use each night. Try and keep as many items that are familiar to your child with you while traveling. This can help your child to relax in their new environment. 3. Bring all their necessary medications. You do not want to be away from home and not have their medicine. Get the prescriptions refilled before the trip to make sure you do not run out. 4. Try and keep a schedule while traveling....

Source: Yahoo News By Lisa Richwine WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A schizophrenia drug from Johnson & Johnson won U.S. approval as the first medicine to treat symptoms of autism in children and adolescents, the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. The FDA said Risperdal could be used to treat irritability, including aggression, deliberate self-injury and temper tantrums. Autism is a term used to describe a broad range of symptoms, from repetitive behaviors to trouble with language and sometimes mental retardation. Risperdal is already Johnson & Johnson's biggest-selling product, with 2005 global sales of about $3.5 billion. The FDA said it based the new approval on two eight-week studies in 156 autistic patients ages 5 to 16 who took Risperdal or a placebo. Ninety-percent of them were between the ages of 5 to 12. Patients treated with Risperdal had improved scores on two scales measuring behavioral symptoms, the FDA said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention es...

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 apparent before age three. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) cover a wide range of behaviors and abilities. People who have ASDs, like all people, differ greatly in the way they act and what they can do. No two people with Autism will have the same symptoms. A symptom might be mild in one person and severe in another person. Some examples of the types of problems and behaviors a child or adult with an ASD might have follow. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by abnormal social interaction, communication ability, interest patterns, and behavior patterns. Autism is found to occur due to the vulnerability to environmental triggers displayed by the human genes. Seven major genes have been identified to be related ...

If you want to know what an autistic child looks like, look at your own child or grandchild. Look at the children who live next door to you and take a glimpse at every child you walk past on the street. These could very well be the faces of autism. There is no visible indication that a child is affected by this disturbing neurological disorder. Autism is the king of all tricksters. I know this to be true because whenever my husband and I take our son to the store or doctor’s office, the looks of disgust we receive in response to his unruly behavior never let up. Unless we inform someone, and we always have to, no one has a clue that he is autistic. When our ten requests for Darius to “settle down” won’t get through to him, when he is climbing on chairs or is having a screaming fit, people continue to stare through us with questions of, “Why won’t they do something about him?” or “If that were my child I’d really handle him.” From time to time, I find myself getting upset about the glar...

Autism is a brain disorder that begins in early childhood, usually within the first three years of life and persists throughout adulthood. It affects crucial areas of development and exhibits following symptoms like: ·learning difficulties i.e. he lacks in ability to learn inductively from surrounding events, ·communication or speech problems, ·difficulty relating to people, marked by a lack of awareness of the feelings of others, indifferent to parents ·lack of social interaction, ·short attention span, ·not exhibiting creative or imaginative play, ·performing actions that are often repetitive and unchanging like twirling objects or rocking, ·reacting extremely to changes in the immediate environment. Autistic children appear to lack the ability to see things from another person's perspective, a behavior cited as exclusive to human beings above the age of five and possibly in some primates. Autistic traits continue into adulthood, but vary in severity. Some adults with autism do w...