Autism

Spectrum
Disorder

https://www.youtube.com/ Parker Thorneburg

watch?v=I KmDGvquzn2k
 What is Autism?
Autism is a neurodevelopmental
disorder characterized by impaired
social, verbal, and nonverbal
communication, and restricted and
repetitive behavior. Commonly
known as ASD, Autism has many
spectrums that include Asperger's
Syndrome, Pervasive
Developmental Disorder, and Rett
Syndrome.
“On the Spectrum”
● Each person who has autism is unique.
Many who are on the autism spectrum
have remarkable abilities in visual skills,
music, and academic skills.
● About 40% have average to above
average intellectual abilities.
● Some are able to live on their own, while
many need assistance and are unable to
live independently.
● About 25% of people with ASD are
nonverbal, but find other ways to
communicate.
 Diagnosis
● Currently, we do not have a medical test that can determine whether or not a child
has autism.

● Parents are often the first ones to notice abnormal behaviors in their child, such as
failing to make eye contact, not responding to their name, and playing with unusual
toys repetitively.

● The Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers is a series of questions about your

child that can determine whether they should be taken to a specialist.

● Between the age of birth- 36 months, every child should be screened. This includes
a hearing and lead exposure test that can help determine if a child has autism.

● Genetic testing is also recommended.

Symptoms
● Behavioral- inappropriate social
interaction, self harm, persistent
repetitive actions etc
● Developmental- learning disability
or speech delay in children
● Psychological- unaware of people’s
feelings
● Also common to have is anxiety,
change in voice, sensitivity to sound
or a tic
What causes Autism?
● Scientists have discovered through research that there is no one cause of
autism and no one type of autism.
● Scientists have identified a number of rare gene changes/ mutations
associated with autism.
● Most cases of autism appear to be caused by a combination of autism gene
risks and environmental factors that influence early brain development.
● Maternal illness during pregnancy, parental age during conception, difficulties
in giving birth (specifically those in which the baby is deprived of oxygen), can
increase the risk of a child having autism.
Risk factors: Gene-Environment Interaction
Children possessing a specific gene risk factor appear
more likely to develop ASD when prenatal exposure to air
pollution occurs.
Gene-only analyses have shown inconsistent
evidence of a link between common alleles
and development of ASD.

The following video will explain the research beyond this study:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
How Autism affects the brain
Autism seems to root in early development of the brain. Signs begin to show around age 2-3

Grey Matter (non-myelinated) and White Matter (myelinated) are both destroyed overtime, mainly
causing the symptoms and behavior related to autism.

Studies have shown that children with Autism have too many
nerve cells that are unable to facilitate in communication with
the various parts of the brain.

Genetic defects during birth can lead to factors of abnormal

brain development such as irregularities in the corpus callosum
(facilitates communication between left and right hemispheres),
amygdala (affects emotional and social behavior), and
cerebellum (involved in motor activity, balance, and coordination).

Neurotransmitters, Serotonin and Glutamate, are affected and cause autistic behaviors.
Age of Onset, Conditions, Catalyst
Onset-Age & Gender

● After going through many medical screenings, the most reliable age to diagnose is 2.
● Studies reveal autism is more prevalent in males than females and that at least fifty percent of the children with ASD also have mental
retardation (MR) (Bhasin & Schendel, 2007).

Conditions

● The conditions of the disorder can vary. The disorder can be very mild and may just have speech problems. But, ASD can also cause an
individual to be violent and depressed.

● There are many causal theories of autism; however, one theory is Roger’s (2008) idea that the increased prevalence of ASD is likely the
result of an increase in pregnant women taking folate supplements (Waterhouse, 2008, p. 274). Roger wrote that “this allowed increased
fetal survival of infants, with a genetic polymorphism that does not maintain normal folate levels, which resulted in an increase in
children at risk for diminished methylation and abnormal neurodevelopment, resulting in ASD” (Waterhouse, 2008, p. 274).

Catalyst

● Many researchers have found causes of ASD; however, they have not concluded that there is a singular catalyst.
Prognosis (Course of Disease)
● Since there is no one kind of autism, every
person’s prognosis is different.
● As long as children with autism are given the
correct treatment, it is possible for them to be
functioning adults with jobs when get older.
● People with mild cases of autism are allowed
to obtain a license and may drive limited
places.
● They also have a normal life expectancy and
can eventually develop a sense of
independence through many years of
treatment and therapy.
Effects of Autism on a family
● When a child is diagnosed with Autism, it becomes the primary focus of the
family.
● This may put stress on a marriage, finances, other siblings, and personal
relationships.
● Most of the income made by the parents goes towards the Autistic child’s
medical care.
● Introducing Autism to a young sibling can be difficult for them to
understand. They may face challenges with coping and understanding the
disorder.
● Parents, siblings, and the autistic child can become frustrated in public,
such as during social events or holidays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHC0FzywHGY
 A Child with Autism
The brain anatomy of a child with autism has no significant
difference to children without autism.
Specific mirror neuron activity in the inferior frontal gyrus,
anterior cingulate cortex, angular gyrus, insula, brainstem,
and cerebellum have been founded to reduce in an autistic
brain.
● A child with autism is still giving the same academic opportunities as any
other child, which is a free and appropriate education.
● The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement mandated that every
state provide all eligible children with a free and appropriate education that
meets their unique individual needs.
● This also guaranteed children with disabilities, including autism, is entitled to
early intervention services and special education.
● Autistic people tend to learn better visually instead of verbally.
● They have trouble with long sequences of instruction, so short instructions are
encouraged.
● People with autism tend to become fixated on one thing, so by using that
object you can teach them math or reading (Ex: if a person is fixated on
trains, use it to teach them)
 An Adult with Autism
● Autistic symptoms -- impaired verbal and nonverbal
communication, social interaction, and rigid/repetitive
behaviors -- decrease over time.
● Independent living skills = stable
● Depression and Anxiety increase
● 50% chance for Parkinson-like movement problems
● Few-little adult services available
● http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-770085
Outbursts
● Research have done studies on how people
with autism lack a “theory of mind,” which
means they do not realize that we have different
needs of them.
● This frustrates the person with autism, causing
outbursts.
● An outburst can be as long as 1-12 hours and
often happen in public places.
● Another cause of outbursts is anger caused by
lack of communication issues.
● They often cause damage to the house or the
family.
● Outbursts can also be a form of communication;
it can be a way to express anger and
frustration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_23z9yJAq0
Interventions
The type of intervention
depends on the individual.
There are many different
types of interventions,
including behavioral,
developmental, educational,
social care services, and
many more.
Treatments
Early recognition alongside therapy may reduce
symptoms and support development and learning

● Therapies- anger management, family therapy,

applied behavior analysis, behavior therapy,
sensory processing
● Medications- antipsychotics, reduces or
improves symptoms of certain psychiatric
conditions
● Specialist- Speech therapist, occupational
therapy, clinical psychologist, neurologist, and
primary care provider(pcp)
Treatments (cont.)
According to the specific needs of the child:
1. Family and personal therapy
2. Floortime -- focusing in on “who they are” instead of “what their diagnosis says”
● Preschool/Toddlers: therapeutic activities at least 25
hours a week.
● Children & Adults: Rarely move off “the spectrum”
-- mature to the “best outcome” status.

Coping and accepting the reality of having Autism is the best treatment.
There is no cure for Autism.
Complications of Treatment

● Location
● Limited availability
● Cost
● Family stressors
● Lack of cultural understanding

With some symptoms such as anxiety it is also very hard for a person with
autism spectrum disorder to want to get help
Demographics & Financial Barriers

● 1 in 68 children have been identified on the

autism spectrum.
● Autism is 5 times more common in males
than females.
● It costs about $17,000 more per year to take
care of an autistic child than it does a regular
child.
● In total, it can cost up to $60,000 a year to
give the right treatment and care to a person
with autism.
 Daily Routines
● Getting up and going to bed at a set time each day.
● Getting dressed and ready at a specific time.
● Breakfast and other meals follow the same process daily.
● At meal time, the child could have a routine to wash their hands, sit in their
seat, say their prayers, eat, and then help to clean up.
● Having a scheduled playtime, TV time, and school time daily.
● If a situation occurs and the child isn’t in his/her normal routine, explain it to
them and help them to cope with the worry.
 Nature vs. Nurture
There is nothing a mother can do during the pregnancy to
prevent ASD. However, nurturing can affect the intensity of
the disorder. ​The nature of ASD can be helped with nurture
provided by professionals and parents. Nurture can
influence the behaviors of individuals with ASD. The main
focus for treatment for children with ASD is therapies that
involve intense one-on-one interaction and/or a specially
structured teaching environment. The main categories of
treatment include: developmental, behavioral, and
organizational.
A .N -
● Verbal/non-verbal difficulties vs. normal verbal communication
● Difficulty with maintaining eye-contact vs. normal eye-contact
interaction
● Highly sensitive to light and sounds vs. normal sensitivity to
stimulations
● Difficulty interpreting body language and tone vs. regular
interpretations
● Having specialized education vs. being able to attend regular
school programs
● Having others attend and care for you vs. independently living
● Unable to complete full sentences vs. easily can complete full
sentences
● Having difficulties expressing how they feel vs. being able to
express themselves
Is there a cure for ASD?
● There is no current cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder; however, there is research being conducted to
find a cure.
● Glowatz (2017) discusses autism cure research and the hormone oxytocin reverses attention and social
dysfunction in rats. The rats used in the study were bred to have the same genetic mutations found in
humans with Phelan-McDermid (Glowatz, 2017).
● According to Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, “Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a
neurodevelopmental disorder associated with a terminal deletion affecting chromosome 22 that results
in the loss of function of the SHANK3 gene.
● SHANK3 has also been identified in gene-linkage studies to be associated with ASD” (Oberman,
Boccuto, Cascio, Sarasua, & Kaufmann, 2015). The rats in the study demonstrated comparable
symptoms of ASD. When the researchers treated the rats with oxytocin, a hormone our brains naturally
create and release, those ASD symptoms improved (Glowatz, 2017).
Helpful Organizations
● Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT)
● Autism Consortium
● Autism National Committee
● Autism Research Institute (ARI)
● Autism Society of America (ASA)
● Autistica
● The Color of Autism Foundation
● Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation
● Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism
● Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT)
● First Signs
● Generation Rescue
● National Autism Association (NAA)
● Talk About Curing Autism (TACA)
● Train4Autism
● International Mental Health Research Organization
 FACTS ABOUT AUTISM!!
DID YOU KNOW…

● Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.

● There is no blood test, scan, and image that can detect autism.

● It is widely speculated that Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Andy Warhol, and even Bill Gates are on
the autism spectrum.

● Autism is more common than childhood cancer, diabetes, and AIDS put together.
references
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/development-disorder
www.youtube.com
http://www.autism-society.org/living-with-autism/family-issues/
http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/autism-behavior-problems.htm
http://www.tacanow.org/family-resources/tantrums-outbursts/
https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/about/stories/unraveling-how-autism-affects-the-brain/
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/rett/detail_rett.htm
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_2006_pdf_Article4/
http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Different_Levels_of_Autism
www.indinana.edu
http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Everyday_Life_with_Autism
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/mental-health-aspergers-syndrome?page=2
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html http://www.mychildwithoutlimits.org/understand/autism/autism-prognosis/
http://www.healthcommunities.com/autism/children/treatment-for-autism.shtml
https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/resource-library/other-autism-organizations
https://www.asws.org/WhatisAutism.aspx
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
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