Autism Spectrum Disorder June 7, 2011 Candace Mills Paul Felker Temple University - Harrisburg

Long, C., Gurka, M., Blackman, J. (2011, January) Cognitive skills of young children with and without autism spectrum disorder using the BSID-III. Creative Commons Attribution License, 1-7. There has been a rapid increase in the number of children that are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The prevalence of children with autism spectrum disorder is one per 100, with males being diagnosed with the disorder four times more than females. The estimated prevalence of intellectual disability in children with autism was about 90% in 1990; with rates of comorbidity about 50%. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorder IV notes that 70% to 75% of children have both; autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability ranging from mild to profound. Early diagnosis is recommended so that children and families can receive effective intervention services. The article that I read goes on to say that inclusion of a broader definition of children with autism spectrum disorder, along with more studies, have been conducted and these have looked at developmental profiles of children with this disorder, which include IQ, motor, and language skills. It also state that children over two years of age were more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and demonstrated lower cognitive scores than younger children or children without autism spectrum disorder. Children ranging from ages 16 to 38 months were used in this particular study, with 107 of them being males and 40 females. They were given the cognitive and language tests from the Bayley Scales of Infant DevelopmentThird Edition. The topic of the week is Children of Mental Health. The readings centered around disorders usually diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence. This article speaks of one of these disorders; which is autism spectrum disorder. The DSM-IV-TR states that the three major characteristics of autism are impairment in social interactions, impairment in communication,

and restricted behavior, interests, and activities. As stated earlier, this is a disorder that is diagnosed in children. Early assessment means that children with autism spectrum disorder can be referred to appropriate educational programs and can be provided valuable information for intervention strategies. All children can have some type of language delays, but autism spectrum disorder children usually have severe problems with communicating and will require more intensive services tailored to their specific strengths and challenges. In the center that I work in, the member who is an adult autistic always pauses before he speaks. He takes great care in making sure that he processes everything he says before he speaks, although when singing, he does so without hesitation.