Avenues - Understanding Autism

Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. A result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism impacts the normal development of the brain especially in the areas related to social interaction and communications skills.

The condition traditionally called "autism" is part of a set of five closely related conditions which all share symptoms and fall under the broad diagnostic umbrella of "Pervasive Developmental Disorders." They each share three primary symptoms of impaired social interaction, impaired communication, and characteristic behavior patterns. Following is a brief summary of the conditions:

Autistic Disorder

Occurs in males four times more than females and involves moderate to severe disturbances in communication, socialization and behavior.

Rett's Disorder

Diagnosed primarily in females who exhibit typical development until approximately 18 months when children begin to regress especially in terms of motor skills and loss of abilities in other areas. A key indicator of Rett's Disorder is the appearance of repetitive meaningless movements or gestures.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Involves a clear regression in multiple areas of functioning including motor skills, bladder control and social skills following two years of normal development.

Asperger's Syndrome

Typically diagnosed later in life than other disorders on the spectrum, persons with Asperger's Syndrome usually function in the average to above average intelligence range and have no delays in language skills. Deficits appear most often in the areas of social skills, concentration and coordination.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder

Not Otherwise Specified -- includes children that do not fully meet the criteria for the other specific disorders or those that do not have the degree of impairment associated with those disorders.

Understand

Individuals with autism interact with others differently. They often appear to live a life of isolation, have difficulty understanding and expressing emotion, and may express attachment in a different manner.

Approximately 40 percent of individuals with autism do not speak. Others have echolalia, a parrot-like repeating of what has been said to them. Persons with autism often have difficulty understanding the nonverbal aspect of language such as social cues, body language and vocal qualities (pitch, tone and volume).

Individuals with autism typically have difficulty relating to objects and events and a great need for "sameness" which makes them upset if objects in their environment or time schedules change.

Children with autism may not "play" with toys in the same manner as their peers and may become fixated to specific objects.

Persons with autism may greatly overreact to sensory stimuli that they see, hear, touch, feel or taste. They may also not react at all to various stimuli from the environment.

Children with autism often have a different rate of development especially in the areas of communication, social and cognitive skills. In contrast, motor development may occur at a typical rate. Sometimes skills will appear in children with autism at the expected rate or time and then disappear.

Autism is a lifelong disability that is generally diagnosed before the age of three years old. However, often children are misdiagnosed or not diagnosed until later in life.

Common Interventions and Treatments

A basic rule for treating autism is the earlier the intervention, the better. Coordinated, structured services that take into account the "whole person" and the person's family are most likely to be successful.

Behavior

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Techniques teach appropriate behaviors while attempting to reduce problem behaviors. These techniques focus on teaching small, measurable components of behavior in a systematic manner utilizing principles of reinforcement to help make learning fun.

Communication

Speech therapy

Includes specialized therapeutic services designed to assist individuals with autism in verbal and non-verbal communication development.

Picture Exchange Communication System

Is a functional communication training approach that emphasizes teaching students to give a picture of something they desire to another person in exchange for that item.

Facilitated communication

Is a technique that requires that a trained professional support the hand, arm or shoulder of a person with communication impairments to help them either press keys of a communication device or write out desired words.

Augmentative Devices

includes communication aids such as electronic devices that are often used to support communication.

Sign

Includes programs that teach sign language to individuals with autism who have had difficulty developing speech.

Social Skills

P.L.A.Y. Project

Play and Learning for Autistic Youth):  A parent coaching model that teaches parents how to engage and interact with their child with autism.  Beginning at the level of the child, a parent connects and helps their child learn to interact under the guidance and coaching of a trained professional P.L.A.Y. consultant.

Social Skills Training

A variety of diverse training techniques that may assist persons with autism in learning to recognize social cues, communicate in social situations, or demonstrate the ability to walk. As with other treatments, this training will vary depending on the individual need.

Social Stories

A technique that presents appropriate social behaviors in the form of the story. The goal is to help persons by teaching them to take the perspective of other people in given situations.