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AUTISMINFO.COM©
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Important
Web Links:
Autism
Network
Resources for Physicians
Autism-Resources (John Wobus' Site)
Autism Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV)
Autism Network for Dietary Intervention (ANDI)
Center for the Study of Autism
Database of Successful Treatments Being Used by Parents
Developmental Delay Resources (DDR)
Etiology of Autism, Marie Bristol-Power, Ph.D., NIH
GFCF Diet Parent Support System
Holiday Letter for Friends and Family
IDEA 97 (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997)
Leichtman, Lawrence G., M.D., Ph.D. (Secretin Summary)
Reed Martin, J.D. Special Education Law
"Imagine you were in a foreign, noisy and crowded city at night, not understanding the language spoken, recognizing a few words but not really comprehending situations taking place around you, wanting to express a need for help but not being able. This experience may begin to help you relate to what a child with autism feels on an ordinary day."
Gihan Ramadan, Arab News
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What
is Autism?
Autism is a biological disorder of the brain that impairs communication and social skills. It encompasses a broad spectrum of disorders that may range from mild to severe. Autistics have been described as being in their “own world”. Many high functioning autistics describe two worlds; “their world” and the “outside world”. Many autistics describe their experience as "thinking in pictures", to quote Dr. Temple Grandin. There are serious sensory challenges that accompany autism, and some say are the source of autism, that must be understood to fully comprehend the disorder (see the discussion below). Some of the markers are as follows: Absence or delay of speech and language:
In order to fully understand autism, a thorough knowledge of the sensory challenges that autistics face is necessary. For a typical individual, we take the normal function of our five senses for granted: 1.
Vision Some
Examples: of the impact a dysfunctional sensory system may have.
A Walk Through the Neighborhood A typical individual has no problem walking down the street with a friend, having a conversation, hearing the sounds of the neighborhood in the background, smelling the blooming spring flowers, and maybe chewing gum, all at the same time. For an autistic individual, who has a dysfunctional sensory system, this typical experience may be completely overwhelming. The individual may be completely oblivious to the sounds of the neighborhood such as an ambulance screaming by, or may be totally overpowered by the smell of blooming flowers. The sun shining through the trees may be such an intense experience, it may inhibit the individual from being able to concentrate on walking down the sidewalk. Thus this inability to mesh the senses appropriately may profoundly impact someone's ability to "act" and communicate in a "normal" fashion.
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Another True Example One day mom and 3 year-old autistic child were playing in the back yard. Dad was in the front yard and unable to hear the two in the back yard. Mom fell from the playset and hurt her leg badly. She was immobile and unable to get to the front yard to call Dad. Mom was lying on the ground yelling in pain and the child was not able to understand the situation and get Dad. In fact, she continued to play with sand, the item of intense focus for the moment, completely oblivious to the fact Mom was on the ground yelling in pain. Eventually, Dad heard mom's cries and came to the rescue. This is an extreme example of an autistic's unawareness of situations, not to mention others feelings and predicaments. When the sensory issues are more fully understood by both the parents, and the child as they grow older, accommodations and strategies may be enacted to help learning and facilitate recovery. There are many excellent sources of reading on this topic and the related topic of sensory integration. See the Booklist Link: The best way to fully understand the senses and how they relate to autism may be by reading the autistic authors. Three of the best are Donna Williams, Temple Grandin, and Jasmine Lee O’Neill. They describe this subject in excellent detail. These authors are a “must read”.
Diagnosing and Evaluating Autism The standard clinical diagnosis is made using the DSM-IV Standard (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, Fourth Edition). Briefly, there are twelve diagnostic criteria for the DSM-IV Autistic Disorder. They are grouped into three areas-social development, communication, and activities and interests. Within each group there are four specific criteria. For a diagnosis to be made, six of the criteria must be met, two from each group. Diagnostic Criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM IV In addition, there are medical tests, therapy evaluations, direct observations, and standardized developmental evaluations. Some experts estimate that a large percentage of autistic individuals have some degree of mental retardation. In addition, an estimated half never speak. In the past decade there seem to be more and more kids making greater progress and joining the mainstream. For a more thorough explanation of the diagnostic aspect of autism consider Bryna Siegel’s book The World of the Autistic Child. Nearly all autistic individuals will have some type of special needs throughout their lifetime.
There is Hope! If you are the parent(s) of a newly diagnosed child or a doctor, therapist, educator learning about autism for the first time, please continue. Autism is a spectrum disorder. On one side of the spectrum there are individuals who are mildly effected, who hold jobs and have families. There are PhD’s and college graduates. There are most likely individuals you work or go to school with that are autistic and you don’t even know it. On the other side there are severely affected individuals who require lifelong support. In between, there is a broad range of people. In addition, there are many famous people who have children that are autistic. The Miami Dolphin's quarterback Dan Marino, Buffalo Bills quarterback Doug Flutie, Former quarterback Jim Kelly, NHL hockey team Florida Panthers Captain Scott Mellanby, William Christopher of M*A*S*H fame, and Sylvester Stallone are just a few who are raising awareness and money for the cause. Today,
there are many more treatments and therapies available than there
were ten years ago. All of these work for some people
and none of them work for everyone. Many individuals
have progressed far enough to be considered “mainstream”.
There are many dedicated parents, doctors, researchers and educators
working hard every day with the common goal to find a cause and
cure. Work hard yourself and demand others work hard on behalf
of your loved one. There is hope. The
hard work and energy will pay off with tangible progress.
It may be slow, but all progress is worthwhile and important.
If you were in your child’s shoes, you would certainly want everyone
working hard on your behalf! Work
Hard! Progress will Follow!
Don’t give up!
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Sign
Our Guestbook Searchable Databases: Combined Health Information Database (CHID) Online Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP)
Crash Course in Autism; Holiday Letter about the challenges autistic individuals face during the holidays. New eLearning course; What is Autism? From The Autism Society of America. Significant statement on the incidence of autism in the sixth edition of Child Neurology-2000, Menkes & Sarnat. We Cured Our Son's Autism by Karyn Seroussi Helpful Hints for Persons with Autism (This can be posted in a school or other public place) Tips for Dealing with Doctors and Labs Tips for Families with a newly Diagnosed Child Dr.
Jeff Bradstreet's Excellent 74 Page Biomedical Summary (PDF
format, may take a minute to load!) Autism
Recovery Network's excellent Resource
Guide. A great start for families of newly diagnosed kids.
(PDF
format, may take a minute to load!)
Click
here to get Adobe Reader. New! California Special Education Statewide Enrollment by Disability Category 1985-1999; (illustrating a dramatic rise in the rates of autism.) New! Autism Card That may be Displayed in a Public Place. The Autism Society of America's position on the relationship between vaccinations and autism. (PDF document)
Houston Nutraceuticals Digestive Enzymes
Misfortune sometimes a blessing in disguise. Star NFL Quarterbacks and their special-needs kids. Article: Autistic student, parents realize a dream. "It's
not easy living with these kids(with autism), and anything that
makes their lives better makes the family's life better," Living
as an Autistic (a 1st-person account) Site
Awards: Autism Society of Florida Member's Choice for helpful websites Featured on Newstalk 920 am Melbourne, Florida |
