About Autism
According to the Autism Society of America:
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. Both children
and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal
communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.
PDD
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." The five disorders under PDD are:
- Autistic Disorder
- Asperger's Disorder
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
- Rhett's Disorder
- PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
Each of these disorders has specific diagnostic criteria which been outlined in the
American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR).
Prevalence of Autism
Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders,
affecting an estimated 1 in 110 births (Centers for Disease Control Prevention,
2009). 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.
And, although the overall incidence of autism is consistent
around the globe, it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls.
Signs
As mentioned previously, 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.
- 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.
According to the Autism Society of America:
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Based on the autism prevalence rate of 2 to 6 per 1,000 (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2001) and 2000 U.S. Census figure of 280 million
Americans.
U.S. Department of Education’s Twenty-First Annual Report
to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (1999).
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