what is autism…? i’m reading a book with a girl that has autism….?

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorders, or ASD, are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by abnormal or impaired development in social interaction and communication and the presence of repetitive behaviors or restricted interests. Some professionals may use the term Pervasive Developmental Disorders, or PDD, instead of ASD.

Incidence

ASD or PDD occurs 4 to 5 times more often in boys than in girls. Symptoms are present before the age of three, although diagnosis may occur later. ASD affects individuals from all racial, ethnic, and social backgrounds.

Cause

Nobody knows what causes ASD. Scientists believe that there are chemical and biological differences in how the brain functions, and there may be genetic factors involved. Parents do not cause autism spectrum disorders. No factors in a child’s experience or in parenting styles are responsible for ASD.

Prognosis

ASD is a lifelong disability, but with intensive and early intervention, individuals with ASD can and do make excellent progress and improve their quality of life. While there is no known cure for ASD, there are many intervention strategies designed to address the problems associated with ASD.

Characteristics

Although difficulties in social interaction, communication, and restricted or repetitive behavior are general characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders, the specific diagnoses are distinguished by the types, numbers, and severity of symptoms.

Communication

Some children develop speech, and then regress, or lose communication skills. Others echo or repeat what they hear. Many individuals with ASD do learn to talk, while others rely on technology, sign, or pictures to communicate. However, conversational skills, gestures, and non-verbal communication strategies remain difficult for most individuals with ASD.

Social Interaction

Persons with ASD often have difficulty interacting with others, learning to play with peers, and developing friendships, even though some may be very interested in having friends. They often have difficulty using and understanding eye contact, facial expressions, and social rules. They can be unaware of the interests and perspectives of other people, and may, therefore, become socially isolated and misunderstood.

Interests and Behavior

Some persons with autism may engage in repetitive behavior, like switching a light on and off, spinning, or rocking. Some may play with toys in an unusual manner, like lining toy cars up instead of pretending to drive them. They may insist on doing the same thing in the same way, and may have difficulty with changes to their surroundings or routines. Individuals with ASD also have difficulty processing information from their senses. For example, they may dislike the feel of certain fabrics or the texture of certain foods. Some individuals are very active and have difficulty with sleep. Some engage in challenging behavior, such as aggression, self-injury, or severe withdrawal.

Types

Neither ASD nor PDD are specific diagnoses. The specific ASD/PDD diagnoses are: Autism, Asperger Syndrome (AS), Rett’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). These specific diagnoses are considered “Spectrum disorders” because the severity of impairment varies from person to person and can change over time as a result of intervention. Because it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the exact diagnosis, some professionals may refer to individuals as being “on the spectrum”. For example, one child with ASD may struggle to learn to use words to communicate while another may be capable of carrying on a long conversation, but will only care to talk about certain topics. Many show a strong aptitude in one area, while remaining weak in others.

Autism

Autism is the most well-known form of ASD. Often the most noteworthy piece of this diagnosis is a sever impairment in social skills, People with autism may prefer to play or work alone, and seek social interaction only as needed. Autism can occur with or without mental retardation or other health problems, such as seizure disorders. The first signs of autism usually are recognized during the second year of life, and may include odd, delayed, or absent speech development.

Asperger Syndrome

Asperger Syndrome (AS) is marked by significant difficulties in social interaction but in contrast to autism, there are no obvious delays in the development of speech. However, individuals often have more subtle problems with language and non-verbal communication. Persons with AS are likely to have average to above average intelligence, yet may have difficulty functioning in traditional school and work environments. A unique characteristic that many AS individuals show is an intense interest in one or two subjects to the exclusion of others. When speaking, these individuals tend to be formal, and they may not be skilled at conversational turn taking. Individuals with AS are typically diagnosed later than individuals with autism.

PDD-NOS

PDD-NOS is an abbreviation for Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. The diagnosis of PDD-NOS is usually given to an individual who does not meet the exact diagnostic criteria for any of the other diagnoses in ASD, yet clearly shows unusual development in social interaction, communication skills or interests, and behavior. Often, individuals with PDD-NOS diagnosis have better social or communication skills than individuals diagnosed with autism and may have fewer problems with repetitive behaviors or restricted interests.

Taken from CARD’s “A Map for Your Journey”

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“SPEAK UP LOUD FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT”

Today 80% of the Autism population is under 18.

In 2005, The Center For Disease Control announces that autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the United States. In 2005 estimated that 1.77 million Americans are affected by autism. In real terms the estimated autistic population of 1 million plus cases in 2004 could reach 5 to 25 million by 2015. In 1994 the autism rate was rare and was estimated to be 1 in 10,000. in 2004 the autism epidemic revised rate was estimated to be 1 in 200. In 2005 the autism epidemic revised rate is now estimated to be 1 in 166 by the Center For Disease Control. In 2015 the statistics indicate the estimated rate could be as high as 1 in 7, if this 1994 to 2004 exponential growth rate continues at its present rate.

Therefore no matter who you are or where you live, Democrat or Republican, if these statistics of the past carry forward through the next decade; your family may be devastated by autism in the next decade… The current autism epidemic could become the most devastating epidemic in history, with 10-15% of the population afflicted in the next decade that need long term care. Many experts associate a genetic predisposition triggered be high levels of mercury in the environment together as the cause of Autism.

The latest study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 12 American women of childbearing age has mercury levels in her blood above the levels considered safe for the developing fetus. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency experts have estimated that 630,000 infants are born every year with unsafe levels of mercury.

These higher mercury levels in the mothers body can be passed on during pregnancy. These 1 in 12 mothers could be unknowingly predisposing their unborn child to become autistic due to high levels of mercury passed on from the mother during pregnancy. It is now recommended that pregnant women not eat tuna fish, which is known to be high in mercury. Even small trace amounts of Mercury are known to be harmful to developing fetuses and never break down in the body. Mercury vapors can remain airborne for a year. These vapors can therefore travel around the world and we could be accumulating mercury in our bodies by inhaling them that over time.

According to a recent study of mercury emissions throughout the world. Coal fueled power plants in the U.S. emit 48 tons of toxic mercury vapors into the air per year. China emits 1000 tons of toxic mercury vapors per year. The toxicity buildup of breathing these vapors along with mercury fillings over a period of decades within our bodies, may be the cause of the high levels mercury in women of childbearing age. Vaccines with mercury further spike an already high level of mercury passed on from the mother during pregnancy at a critical time in the infants development Vaccines with mercury may be the trigger that causes autism in children with a genetic predisposition for autism and an already high level of mercury passed on from the mother.

Acute mercury poisoning and Autism share many similar symptoms. Women who are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant should now consider have their blood tested for elevated levels of mercury. We must ask the government to make Autism Awareness and prevention a national priority. Those who are saying that the numbers were under represented in the past are burying their heads in the sand.

“Houston, we have a problem”, we are going to have the next generation devastated by this disease if left unchecked at its present growth rate. This epidemic must quickly become the major health initiative of our time just as the search for the cure for aids has. Otherwise the effects on the next generation, families, businesses and the economy will be catastrophic. We can no longer wait for this “simmering modern day plague of the 21st century” to arrive at our doorstep in the form of a lost generation of innocent, helpless, unsuspecting children that through no fault of their own will need a lifetime of care.

Autism Awareness is Key

Autism has not been linked to vaccines. The reason it was even a scare in the first place is because autistic symptoms would start to show up around the time of the MMR vaccine which is given between 12 and 18 months. But what people fail to realize is that these are when the signs of autism start to appear regardless. Autism is genetic and if a child is predispositioned to have autism, they are going to have it. . Also, for all you parents who “choose” to not vaccinate, the only reason you can get away with it is because the majority of the population still choose to do the responsible thing and vaccinate. You want to see what happens to a population of babies that aren’t vaccinated, go to a 3rd world country where the majority of them die before the age of 2 from diseases that have been irradicated in the US due to vaccines. Now THAT’S real evidence.

Autism is a condition where the person has severe deficits/problems in three core areas – communication, stereotypical behavior (may be repetitive or ritualistic), and social interaction.

It’s actually called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and encompasses a wide variety of behaviors, from people with really severe symptoms who cannot function on a daily basis and may be violent towards themselves and others, to those who may just seem a little “off” or “weird.” (This isn’t to say that all weird people have autism, but those with mild autism may seem a bit strange to others.)

Some people with autism talk, and some don’t – the ones who don’t are called non-verbal; they may have never talked or they may have lost the ability to talk at some point, usually by age three.

Usually children with autism can’t tell the moods/feelings of other people. They will get themselves a drink and it won’t occur to them to ask if you want one. They may see you more as a “tool” than a person – they might pull you over the cabinet that has something they want without greeting you or asking you first.

They may do things over and over again – rocking, hitting themselves, saying the same thing. Some get fixated on something – a picture, song, saying, paper, doll, etc. and they can’t let it go or they keep going back to it. They may also have certain rituals and routines that they need to complete. For example, after dinner they get a bath, get into pajamas, read a story and go to bed. They don’t like it when you try to rearrange their routine or add/subtract something.

Approximately 75% of people with autism are also mentally handicapped. People like Rain Man are few and far between. People like RainMan are more accurately called savants (formerly idiot savants). They may also have autism, but the ability to do incredible things like he did in the movie, such as being able to tell you what day of the week a certain date falls on, or being able to tell how many toothpicks fell out of a box are not part of autism.

We do not know what causes autism, though there are many theories including vaccines, genetics, and many others. There is no known cure for autism, but there are many therapies that can help people with autism.

Keep in mind that all people with autism are different, and while some may be good about changes in routine, others will have a meltdown at the slightest change. Many are visual learners, and visual cues help with daily day to day tasks.

There is a lot of inaccurate information out there, so be careful about what you read and accept. If you’re really interested look for reputable web sites such as

/www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm

Are you reading a book “with” a girl who has autism,or is the book about a girl with autism?

go to www.autism.com There you will find tons information on autism

autism is a kind of disability that affects the brain. some people who have it don’t speak and some do. these ppl are usually extremely smart and yet are very withdrawn rarely showing emotions. ever seen the movie Rain man? well he had autism. they usually have to have everything done in the same routine every day of it throws them way off and may cause a serious melt down. there are different levels of autism but most have the same characteristics.

My suggestion is to go to your search engine (I used google) and type in autism and find the information. To make sure you are getting real information make sure it is a gov, edu or org site.

Hope this helps,

R

Autism is actually “Mercury-Induced.” Mercury was in all of the immunizations that our children are required to have up until 2001. It was put into our vaccines to preserve the shelf life of those vaccines. It was this preservative (thimersol) that was injected into our children at 75 times the level that a grown adult could handle. Boys are more susceptible than girls due to the fact that Mercury (thimersol) binds with testosterone. The most scary thing about this is that it is still in our vaccine schedule to this day. It is in every flu shot that you get and also the chicken pox vaccine. There are others as well. Someone would literally have to kill me to get a shot into my child.

It’s a neurological disorder (not really a “disease”) that, to make a very broad overgeneralization, affects an individual’s ability to communicate with other people around them and respond to their environment. It is a very broad spectrum, and the highest-functioning ones look just a little “weird” to us but can live independently and successfully, while the lowest-functioning ones are mentally retarded.

autism is a mental disorder, usually the person is severely inclined toward one subject and very poor in other areas. Usually they are not social and do not understand concepts that we believe are simple (money for example). The movie “rain man” is about an autistic man with Dustin Hoffman, very good movie recommend it. Dunstan Hoffman plays the autistic person, he is severely inclined toward math.

You may find better answers if you research it on google. I’ll do my best though…People with autism are generally genius at one thing…like puzzles….but everything else in life you’d think they were severely retarted…Like they may not be able to talk, or they wont make eye contact…or they wont move much…but usually there is that one thing that triggers something in their brain that they are awesome at. I hope that helps…

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills.

Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.”

Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 150 births (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2007). Roughly translated, this means as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. And this number is on the rise.

Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year. At this rate, the ASA estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.

Autism knows no racial, ethnic, social boundaries, family income, lifestyle, or educational levels and can affect any family, and any child.

And although the overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls.

Autism is a spectrum disorder, and although it is defined by a certain set of behaviors, children and adults with autism can exhibit any combination of these behaviors in any degree of severity. Two children, both with the same diagnosis, can act completely different from one another and have varying capabilities.

Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some individuals mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater challenges with social interactions. They may have difficulty initiating and/or maintaining a conversation. Their communication is often described as talking at others instead of to them. (For example, monologue on a favorite subject that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments).

People with autism also process and respond to information in unique ways. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present. Persons with autism may also exhibit some of the following traits:

-Insistence on sameness; resistance to change

-Difficulty in expressing needs, using gestures or pointing instead of words

-Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language

-Laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason showing distress for reasons not apparent to others

-Preference to being alone; aloof manner

-Tantrums

-Difficulty in mixing with others

-Not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled

-Little or no eye contact

-Unresponsive to normal teaching methods

-Sustained odd play

-Spinning objects

-Obsessive attachment to objects

-Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain

-No real fears of danger

-Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity

-Uneven gross/fine motor skills

-Non responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf, although hearing tests in normal range.

For most of us, the integration of our senses helps us to understand what we are experiencing. For example, our sense of touch, smell and taste work together in the experience of eating a ripe peach: the feel of the peach’s skin, its sweet smell, and the juices running down your face. For children with autism, sensory integration problems are common, which may throw their senses off they may be over or under active. The fuzz on the peach may actually be experienced as painful and the smell may make the child

gag.

Some children with autism are particularly sensitive to sound, finding even the most ordinary daily noises painful. Many professionals feel that some of the typical autism behaviors, like the ones listed above, are actually a result of sensory integration difficulties.

There are also many myths and misconceptions about autism. Contrary to popular belief, many autistic children do make eye contact; it just may be less often or different from a non-autistic child. Many children with autism can develop good functional language and others can develop some type of communication skills, such as sign language or use of pictures. Children do not “outgrow” autism but symptoms may lessen as the child develops and receives treatment.

One of the most devastating myths about autistic children is that they cannot show affection. While sensory stimulation is processed differently in some children, they can and do give affection. However, it may require patience on the parents’ part to accept and give love in the child’s terms.