AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Kristen Burke

Due 12/10/10

The autism spectrum disorders

The Autism Spectrum Disorders

PDD-NOS Retts Syndrome Asperger’s syndrome Childhood Disintegration Syndrome

1 in every 110 children are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

The prevalence rate increases from 10% to 17% every year

Autism Spectrum Disorders are more common than childhood cancer, pediatric AIDs, and juvenile diabetes combined

1.5 million Americans are affected and 10s of millions are affected world wide

Boys are more likely to develop autism than girls

1 out of every 70 boys is diagnosed in the US alone

Boys are diagnosed 3-4 times more often than girls

Autism

What is autism?

“Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developments brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)”

~ from the autismspeaks website

What causes autism?

Most causes are idiopathic, meaning we don’t know what causes them

When autism was first discovered, people thought that it was caused by bad mothering

During the 1960s and 70s, Dr. Bernard Rimland helped correct that theory

He proved that it is caused by a biological disorder, not by bad parenting

Dr. Bernard Rimland, who had a son with autism, later went on to found the Autism Society of America

We do know some factors that may contribute to autism

Genetic Disorders

o Fragile X

o Tuberous Sclerosis

o Angelman’s syndrome

Environments agents (possibly infectious) (affects during pregnancy)

o Maternal rubella

o cytomegalovirus

Environmental Agents (chemical) (affects during pregnancy)

o Thalidomide o Valproate

Role of the immune system

o Possibly caused by inflammation of the central nervous system

o Animal studies show that an inflamed central nervous system can cause autism like behaviors

NOT cause by bad parenting o Autism was first described as a

“unique condition” by Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943

o He declared that it was a condition caused by “cruel, cold, unloving mothers”

How do you diagnose autism?

There isn't currently a specific medical test to test for autism

It is diagnosed through observation and psychological testing

Symptoms vary, and so do the methods for diagnosing autism

Sometimes a pediatrician doesn’t take a parents concern seriously and a diagnosis is delayed

What are the symptoms of autism?

Symptom types: Background to symptoms Social symptoms Communication difficulties Repetitive behaviors

Background to Symptoms Autism affects the way a child interprets the world It can make communication difficult It can make social interaction difficult There can be repetitive behaviors There can be very intense interests One child with autism may have very different

symptoms than another child with autism symptoms of autism usually last throughout

someone's life time When a person is severely affected, they may not

be able to speak or care for themselves Early intervention can make huge differences on

the severity of a person’s symptoms

Social Symptoms

Most children, form the beginning, are very social. They smile, wave, and turn towards voices. Affected children can be indifferent to average human interactions. They have trouble picking up simple social interactions that other children learn subconsciously. In their first year of life, and affected child may not interact or make eye contact.

Affected children may be indifferent to other peoples interactions and they may prefer being alone. They may accept hugs and affection passively or resist it.

Later on, they might not look to their parents for affection. They can react differently to anger or affection from their parents. Kids with autism are attached to their parents, but have a different way of showing their affection. To parents, it may seem like their child is not attached at all.

Social Symptoms

Children with autism may take longer to what others are thinking or feeling. They don’t understand social cues like a smile, wave, or grimace, as easily as other children.

Children may have trouble seeing things from another person’s perspective, and therefore, they have trouble predicting how others will react to certain things. They can have trouble regulating emotions, which can take the form of “immature behavior.” They may cry, have verbal outbursts, be disruptive in certain settings, or be physically aggressive. When in an overwhelming environment, they can “lose control,” which can result in actions like hair pulling or arm biting.

Communication Difficulties

Some children with autism will remain mute all their life and learn other forms of communication like sign language or picture sign language. Other children learn to talk and babble when they are little and then lose the skills they have gained. Others wont talk until ages 5,6,7,8 or even 9 years old.

Children with autism have a harder time expressing to others what they need or want and as a result may jut grab things or scream. As kids grow up, they may become aware of this difficulty and become anxious or depressed.

Repetitive Behaviors

Children with autism may not look physically different, but they can have odd, repetitive motions. These motions can range from abrupt and obvious actions to very subtle ones. Some children may flap their arms, some may walk on their toes, and some may just freeze in a position they are in.

Children with autism spend more time lining up their toys, like toy cars, in specific orders rather than playing imaginary games with them. If somebody disrupts the order of the toys, it can be very stressful to the child.

Repetitive behaviors can also take the form of interests. Some of these interests can be very intense interests even if it is in something many people don’t find all that interesting.

Children with autism need consistency in their environment. Changes in the environment or in their schedule can be extremely stressful.

What are other medical issues that may accompany autism?

Seizure Disorders o Called Epilepsy o Occurs in 39% of people with autism o It occurs more often in people with “cognitive defects” than in

people with outo some studies say its more common in children that have had a

regression of skillso There are different types of seizures

o Grand mal – easy to spoto Petite mal – sometimes only seen on and EEGo Sub clinical – not clear whether these affect language

development o usually start early in life, but can happen any timeo Tests:

o EEG (electroencephalogram)o MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)o CT (computed axial tomography)o CBC (complete blood count)

o People can be treated with anticonvulsant to reduce/eliminate occurrences

Genetic Disorders

o Fragile X Syndrome o Angelman’s Syndromeo Tuberous Sclerosis o Chromosome 15 Duplication

Syndromeo Or another chromosome disorder

Gastrointestinal Disorders Gastritis Chronic constipation Colitis Celiac disease Esophogitis

o The exact number of children with autism and gastrointestinal problems is unknown

o Studies say it is anywhere between 46% and 85%

o A popular “solution” to these problems is to remove dairy and gluten from the child’s diet

Sleep Dysfunction

o When the dysfunction is caused by a medical disorder like obstructive sleep apnea or gastrointestinal reflux, it can be cured by a doctor

o When it isn’t caused by a medical problem, it can be treated with “sleep hygiene.” that means doing things like setting up a regular bedtime, having a bedtime routine, and limiting the hours of sleep

Sensory Integration Dysfunction o Many children with autism react differently to

sensory input or stimulation o Hearing, vision, touch, smell, taste, sense of

movement, and sense of position can all be affectedo Information is being senses normally by the child,

but is being perceived much differentlyo stimulation that may seem normal to another child

can be perceived as painful, unpleasant, or confusing

o Sensory Integration Dysfunctions include:o Hypersensitivity

o Not being able to wear clothso Not able to be touched o Not able to be in a room with normal lighting

o Hyposensitivity o Increased tolerance of pain o Constant need for stimulation

Pica

o Pica is an eating disorder that includes eating things that aren’t food

o This is normal behavior between 18 and 24 months, but it can continue after this period of time with an autistic child

o They tend to eat things like dirt, clay, chalk, and paint chips

o A sign of pica is if a child is constantly mouthing on fingers or other objects

o Children that do this should be tested for lead in their blood

Red Flags of Autism

If there is no warm or joyful expressions by 6 months or after

If there is no back and forth or sounds, smiles, or facial expressions by 9 months or after

If there is no babbling by 12 months or after If there is no back and forth gestures

(pointing/showing/reacting/waving) by 12 months or after

If there are no words by 16 months or after If there are no two word meaningful phrases

(not imitation/repetition) by 24 months Any loss of speech or babbling at any age

Asperger’s syndrome

What is Asperger’s Syndrome?

Asperger’s Syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder that is milder than autism but shares most of the same symptoms

What causes Asperger’s Syndrome?

Cases of Asperger’s Syndrome are idiopathic, meaning we don’t know what causes them

What are the symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome?

An obsessive interest in any subject

Trouble recognizing common social

cues

Difficulty with motor skills

Poor communication skills

Retts syndrome

What is Retts Syndrome?

Retts Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins to show its affects in early childhood. It is almost exclusively found in females, but all racial and ethnic groups can be affected by it.

What causes Retts Syndrome?

Retts Syndrome is caused by a mutation in the MECP2 gene in the X chromosome

What are the symptoms of Retts Syndrome

3-5 months: slowing of head growth 6-18 months: learning to crawl later than

usual, ceasing to learn new skills, diminished muscle tone, decreased eye contact, inattentive behavior

1-4 years: loss of previously acquired skills 2-10 years: recession of skills stops, motor

skill difficulties become more pronounced, seizures become more pronounced

10 years and older: developing motor skill difficulties, muscle weakening gets worse

Childhood disintigration disorder

What is Childhood Disintegration Disorder

Childhood Disintegration Disorder is a condition where a child will develop normally, but when they reach the age of about 3 or 4, they lose their language, motor, social, and other skills that they have already learned

What causes Childhood Disintegration Disorder

Childhood Disintegration Disorder is an idiopathic condition, meaning we don’t know what causes it

What are the symptoms of Childhood Disintegration Disorder?

Lose communication skills Lose nonverbal behaviors Lose skills already learned Decay of spoken language Lack of spoken language Inability to start or maintain a conversation Lack of playingLose bladder/bowel controlLose language skillsLose social skills Problems forming relationships with friends

and family members

PDD-NOS

What is PDD-NOS?

Pervasive Developementa Disorders – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) are conditions on the autism spectrum that exhibit some, but not all of the symptoms of autism

What causes PDD-NOS?

PDD-NOS are idiopathic conditions, meaning we don’t know what causes them

What are the symptoms of PDD-NOS?

People may appear unemotional to others

People may possibly be unable to speak

People have trouble holding eye contact

People have trouble transitioning activities

Bibliography

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/index.ph

p

http://www.rettsyndrome.org/about-rett-syndro

me.html

http://www.wemove.org/rett/rett_sym.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/articl

e/001535.htm

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/aspe

rger.html#

http://www.autismspeaks.org/navigations/pdd_

nos.php