April is Autism Awareness Month!!

     Years ago, I worked with adults diagnosed with autism in an adult day treatment setting. Very few programs were in existence during the time so much of what I learned was through reading as much information that I could on the topic, attending conferences and through trial and error. Twenty-five years later, due to the increase of children born with autism, most people in the United States know at least one person diagnosed with autism or a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD).

What are Autism Spectrum Disorders?

     According to DSM IV, a diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder includes a delay or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years:

A) a qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

1.  marked impairment in the use of multiple non-verbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture and gestures to regulate social interaction.
2. failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental levels.
3. a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievement with other people.
4. Lack of social or emotional reciprocity.

B) qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least on of the following:

1. delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language.
2. in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others.
3. stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language.

C)  restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns manifested by at least tow of the following:

1. encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus.
2. apparently inflexible adherence to specific, non-functional routines or rituals.
3. stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerism.
4. persistent preoccupation with parts or objects.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

     The broad category of Pervasive Developmental Disorder also includes the following disorders:

1. Asperger Syndrome-described in the 1940's by a Viennese pediatrician, Hans Asperger, Asperger Syndrome was officially recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for the first time in the Fourth edition published in 1994. Characterized by higher cognitive abilities, people with Asperger's Syndrome may have poor eye contact, difficulty making/keeping friends and have difficulty with changes and transitions.
2. Rett Syndrome- a disorder of the nervous system that leads to developmental reversals, especially in the areas of expressive language and hand use. It occurs almost exclusively in girls and affects about 1 out of 10,000 children.
3. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder- a disorder in which a child develops normally through age 3 or 4. Then over a few months, children lose language, motor, social, and other skills that they already learned. The cause is unknown, but it has been linked to brain and nervous system problems.
4. PPD-NOS-indicates the person is on the autism spectrum, but not falling within any of the existing specific categories of autism.

STATISTICS

CDC estimates that about 1 in 88 children have been identified with an ASD. Data also shows that:

• ASD's are reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
• ASD's  are almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 54) than among girls (1 in 252).
• About 1 in 6 children in the U.S. had a developmental disability in 2006-2008, ranging from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments to serious developmental disabilities such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy and autism.

Strategies when working or teaching people with autism:

• People benefit the most when material is presented visually rather than auditory.
• Consider developing self-regulation programs so that the person can understand their own needs and how to manage them
• Motivate them to increase time on tasks through concrete reinforcement
• Use color-coded material.
• Break task into steps
• Incorporate parents, and family members ideas on what techniques work the best

I came across this video, that I wanted to share with you. It highlights people with autism in their own words. While I recognize the broad cognitive levels of autism, I thought this video would give a different perspective.

Resources

www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov

www.autismspeaks.org