Five Autism Types Explained

                

 

Autism used to be the term used for anyone with that particular condition. Today, there are several different sub categories for different levels of disability or function. No two children diagnosed will be the same, but there will be many things that they do have in common. With some high functioning autistics most people may not even be aware that they have autism, while others need assistance in almost any part of life, and they are obviously living a very different life than other children. More is being discovered about each of these different autism types as time goes on.

Asperger?s Disorder

This type of autism is something that you hear more and more about. These children are often misdiagnosed at first, and are thought to have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or perhaps Attention Deficit Disorder. These children are very unskilled with social interactions and have problems with communicating. They have repetitive motions, and are fixated on patterns of all types. They can have above average language skills, though they don?t use them well in social situations. They are often clumsy, as motor skills are under developed. Those with Asperger?s are thought to have a talent that they focus on almost exclusively, and are considered to be highly intelligent. Recent findings indicate that Albert Einstein may have had this condition.

Kanner?s Syndrome (classic autistic disorder)

This particular type of autism was named after a Dr. Kanner. He described and studied it in the 1930s and into the 1940s. This is the well-known type of this condition that is very common. Those with Kanner?s have very limited emotional connection with anyone, and they are very into their own little world. They want everything to be the same all of the time, and this includes routine (sometimes down to the exact minute) clothing, food, and television shows or movies. They can be deeply effected by noises, bright lights and smells. They are generally considered to be low functioning, but how well their mind works is largely unknown because of extremely poor social and communication skills.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder--Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).

This term is used to describe children who have most of the same symptoms as classic autism. They will need the same interventions and help that autistic children require. The differences between PDD-NOS and autism are minor and usually only obvious to researchers and doctors.

Rett?s Syndrome

Rett?s is a rare and relatively little-known type of autism, and it seems to only happen in girls. This branch of autism was first described by Dr. Rett. These patients often have problems with muscle atrophy, and tend to do repetitive hand motions. They area almost always mentally retarded to some degree. These girls are very low functioning and will need care for most of their lives. This particular type of autism has been diagnosed since the sixties, but in the late 1990s a gene that might cause this condition was found.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

This is also thankfully pretty rare and something that strikes children who appear to have normal development from birth. Usually between two and four years of age this changes. These children begin to regress, and often do not potty train. They will lose the will and the ability to interact with other children, and will lose an interested in play. They will also have problem with the motor skills that were something they at one time had mastered. They will stop talking, or their communication skills will regress to some degree.

Though there are more autism types out there, these tend to be the most common. They are all things that take parents by surprise, and each comes with their own set of difficulties. Most children will need to be cared for long after their peers have established independence, even though the will to be on their own is very strong.

By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter about autistic and discover more on the signs and symptoms of autism

How To Improve The Behavior Of A Child With Autism

                

 

All children are blessings. The same is the case with those who bear a neurological disorder called autism. As such, just like any blessing, they too should be treasured and cared for. It is our responsibility to make them feel better by guiding them towards a normal and happy life.

As a neurological disorder, autism cannot be dealt with through psychiatric treatments, contrary to the former dominant beliefs of the early 20th century. However, there is still hope when it comes to modifying behavior through the provision of appropriate stimuli. This behavior modification process will take some tools such as autism toys and autism behavior checklists. Some autism behavior management treatments are also advised such as autism behavior cognitive therapy. When combined, these procedures and tools will surely result to an observable positive change in an autistic child?s behavior and outlook in life.

Autism Behavior Checklist

The autism behavior checklist is the first stop to make. This will include certain aspects of behavior which need to be modified such as manners, attention span and a child?s level of maturity. It is crucial to monitor the progress a child is making, or in some cases, failing to develop.

In order to make the checklist work, cognitive behavior therapy should be applied. This can happen with the help of special education centers which teach children with autism the right ways of life through thoroughly researched manners. Hand in hand with such professional help should be the parent?s or guardian?s devotion into reinforcing the lectures whenever the kid spends time with them.

Autism Toys

To reinforce the lessons and therapy, a child with autism should gain access to the best neurological toys. These are playthings which stimulate and enhance the brain?s function, in order to make up for an autistic child?s way of thinking. Mostly, these consist of easy to moderate puzzles and colored toys. The use of these toys will also train the children to lengthen their patience, a trait which most autistic kids lack.

There are also toys which produce sounds and visuals which easily catch a child?s attention. The development of such toys is a clever move since children with autism often suffer from short attention span.

By utilizing all these tools, anyone will be able to treat a child with autism with utter warmth and care. As you can see, these methods are very easy and the tools aren?t too expensive. As such, bringing light and joy to an autistic child?s world is as easy as can be.

If you are experiencing troubles with your child regarding autism, just apply all that you have read in this article. Combine it with a lot of love and care and you?ll see that bringing happiness to life?s greatest blessings is as easy as one- two- three.

Child autism behavior Detect symptoms of autism in a child How to guides

My Child has Autism! What is My Role in His Education?

                

 

I am the proud mother of two young children that were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder a few years ago. One is now in grade one and the other will register for kindergarten in the spring.

As a teacher, I already had some experience with IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) meetings which helped me a great deal with my son?s first IEP. I was able to also inform my husband which also did a lot of research on the matter so he was already well prepared to face our son?s IEP.

Over the 17 years of teaching experience that I possess, I soon discovered that most parents tend to lack both information and confidence in their role and what type of services they can obtain for their child.

One of the sad things that I also have learned is that depending on the school, the services vary and if you do not ask for them, you will not necessarily have them offered to you either.

Both my children are situated on opposite ends of the spectrum, my daughter being on the higher end making her diagnosis ?light Autism? while my son is non-verbal which puts him on the lower end, diagnosed with ?moderate to severe Autism?.

Having both their special needs, they also need different services. For example, my daughter needed some physiotherapy but my son benefits from the use of the sensory room at school as he is hypersensitive in several areas.

What does the term ?special needs? really mean? Well, it simply means that your child needs special services and material to help him grow and reach his full potential in life. Henry Winkler, the actor known as the Fonz in Happy Days, who gave an amazing presentation as a keynote speaker at the NMSA (National Middle School Association) annual conference held at Minneapolis two years ago, explained his challenges with Dyslexia and the way education and his parents helped him out succeed in life. He also made it clear that his Dyslexia made him a child with special needs. This child has grown up as a successful man and actor cherished by his fans. One of the things that I remember the most is the fact that he thanked both educators and his parents for not giving up on him.

All this made me realize that the role of a parent of a child with ASD is not only to raise him with love and patience but also to provide him with the best services, materials and tools possible to help him live a full and happy life. And one of the multiple roles that a parent has to fill is the role of advocate. It does not matter if your child is verbal or not, if his diagnosis is light, moderate or severe on the spectrum. You have to remember that your child has a disorder that affect his communication skills and makes him unable to fend for himself. But foremost, your child is four going on five years old and sees you as his voice. The person that he can trust will fight for him, his best interests and his rights.

As your child advocate, it is not only your role to fight for your child but also to research the various schools, their services and all the opportunities that are available to your child. Do not enter the meeting room like a bull in a china shop as doors will be closing on you?and your child. Don?t be shy! Ask questions; investigate the various services that can be offered to your child. Meet with various school administrators, school divisions and the people responsible for the special needs programs.

For instance, in several schools where I taught, the following services which are provided in my son?s school were never an option there. Such services are: Music Therapy, occupational therapy activities including: bowling, skating and swimming, sensory room, physiotherapy equipment such as a swinging beam, a modified bike, a weighted vest, a special chair, a pressure vest, the use of PECS (Pictures Exchange Communication System), the participation to Special Olympics activities and more.

Another tip that I can give you is to set up a meeting with the administrator of your school prior to the first day of school. Share with them your child?s habits, needs and explain to them how to deal with their frustrations, hypersensitivities issues, needs, routines and more. Introduce your child to them. At the IEP meeting, ask them for the creation of a social story book to introduce your child to his new surroundings by looking at various pictures in advance: future teacher(s), classroom, gym, teacher aid, music room, sensory room, secretary, administrators, etc. You will see the level of anxiety diminishing in both your child and you.

Let your love for your child guide you. Be your child?s advocate and his voice.

If you wish to have more information on how to participate actively to an IEP meeting and other important matters and tips related to Autism, I encourage you to visit the following site: http://autism-spectrum-disorder.com Believe me, my husband and I would have appreciated to get all this information prior to our children's diagnosis of Autism.

Learn and understand the basic autism symptoms

                

 

Autism is a condition that affects perception, attention, interaction with others, thought, and many other vital abilities. Unfortunately, because we know so little about how the brain functions, we can't explain why autism appears or how can it be treated. The only thing we can do for autistic people is to try to help them integrate and fit in as much as possible, and to make them feel good about themselves.

The first thing that can be done in order to help an autistic person is need to discover if he/she is suffering from autism or not by checking the symptoms, because it's up to the ones around those with autism disorders to discover them due to the fact that they are not aware of their own condition and will never visit a doctor on their own. In the children's case it's up to the parents or the family to see if their son or daughter have the autism condition.

Autism is a term that covers a wide-range of disabilities, from mild to severe ones, so there aren't some specific symptoms of this so-called illness, but it is known that it affects behavior, interaction with others and communication skills, so those with problems of this kind and that present some other signs that seem to be common in autism cases are diagnosed with the autism disorder.

Here follows a list of the most encountered symptoms and signs of autism, but as mentioned before this affection does not follow a certain pattern, so don't jump to any conclusions on your own. Only a certified doctor can put an accurate diagnosis.

The first autism symptoms can be detected during the childhood, and until the child reaches the age of 3 or 4 years old the disorder is usually very visible. Adults and children that suffer from autism disorders are completely ignoring other people, they are indifferent to whatever is happening around them, they like to be alone, they reject contact and communication with others and they stare for hours at a single thing sometimes. They are living in a world of their own and they are very sensitive to sensations such as strong smells or loud noises.

Austists cannot speak right, they have problems with the language skills, so they express their needs through gestures rather than through words. Young children with autism don't like to be cuddled, tickled, or touched at all. The way they play is very different from other children's play.

The world is a strange place that they don't understand, so autistic persons need special treatment and special care, they need to be loved and protected because they are in danger all the time. For them it does not seem dangerous to cross the street when the traffic lights are red for example.

Therefore, discovering and properly diagnosing and treating autism is the first and most important step in helping those that suffer from it. So seek advice from a specialized doctor if you suspect your child or anyone else to be an autistic.

More informations about autism causes or about autism symptoms can be found by visiting http://www.autism-info-center.com/

Choosing an Autism Treatment Center

                

 

I don't have experience with?using Autism treatment centers?for ABA programs; but, in our area, more clinics are opening, so these opportunities are present for parents now.? I can't speak to the structure or scenarios that are best to look for when choosing a clinic, if you go that direction, but I can tell you what you should look for in a consultant regardless of the setting.

Consultants, whether in a clinic or at home, should provide the following at minimum:

1. Ongoing analysis of your child, his programming and behavior.

2. Knowledge of multiple training procedures for training the same thing?( each child is different. One size does not fit all.)

3. A high prioritized systematic approach for data collection and it's use.

4. Training and honest critique of your child's therapists.

5. Regular team meetings (two to three times?a month) with therapists and parents present.

6. In home visits for training for the carry through of clinic principles in the home.

7. Ongoing training of parents in behavioral principles.

8. Regular (once to twice a month) meetings with the parents to address concerns.

9. An ear to listen and a heart to include parents as a major?partner in decision making for their child.

10. A positive outlook for the children and a determination to help each child reach his and her best outcome

Good luck in your pursuit of treatment for your child.

My heart is with you,

Katherine Lee

Katherine Lee is a highly regarded consultant in the areas of Applied Behavior Analysis and & Relationship Development Intervention. She is author to numerous columns on Autism, ABA and RDI. Join Kat for her popular WEBLOG- "'Reality ABA' - An Online Autism Diary" at http://www.autismtreatment.info/reality+aba.aspx

What is Autism?

                

 

There seems to be a lot of confusion as to what autism and autism spectrum disorders actually are. It's understandable, because persons on the autism spectrum can be so individually different. Some cannot talk. Some talk early. Some are highly intelligent, others have some degree of mental retardation. Some have extreme sensory issues and some don't. Some have motor planning problems, and some are very athletic. And the list goes on. So with all of these differences between individuals, what do these people have in common? Regardless of diagnosis - Asperger's Syndrome, PDD, PDD-NOS, Autism or any other autism spectrum disorder, what all persons with autism spectrum disorders seem to have in common is their core deficit. Autism spectrum disorders arise from a neurological condition; a weakened area that seems to be located somewhere along the pathway that runs from the prefrontal cortex to the hippocampus of the brain. No one yet knows definitively what causes this condition. Individuals on the autism spectrum seem to have this weakened pathway, which results in the following core deficits: Deficits in: comparative thought and interpretation, flexibility and adaptability to change, creative thought, decision-making, judgment, and memory of past positive feelings about events. In typical individuals, this pathway creates a hierarchy of comparison, and interprets everything we see, hear, do and feel. It compares one thing to another, compares past to present situations, compares how we felt before to now, separates important from the unimportant, and then uses all of that information to judge situations and come up with with unique solutions. Typical people spend most of the day using this part of their brain effortlessly, sailing through thousands of little moment-to-moment decisions with ease. But for a person on the autism spectrum, all of those tiny moment to moment decisions can be quite difficult and often scary. Because of the weakened brain pathway, individuals on the autism spectrum have a limited ability to compare, interpret and solve new situations. As a result, they remain tied to using solutions they already know, and have limited ability to deal with new or changing situations. Decision-making and judgment abilites that most of us take for granted, such deciding which way to go to the store today, interpreting and understanding the actions of other people, or even figuring out how near or far to walk next to someone often cause confusion and fear in a person with an autism spectrum disorder. As a result, the world often seems chaotic and scary to individuals on the spectrum, and other people seem to act in abrupt and unexpected ways that are just impossible for them to understand. To try to control some of this chaos and keep things predictable, autistic individuals tend to rely heavily on formulas and repetitive sequences to get through their day. These sequences and formulas rely on a different part of the brain that usually functions quite well in persons on the autism spectrum. It's the area of the brain that runs our "red = stop, green = go", "2+2=4" type thinking - very formulaic, very predictable , and very absolute thought. Unfortunately, this area of the brain is unable to compare, interpret, adapt, or see possiblities. Of course when faced with new or changing situations, when most formulas won't work, persons on the spectrum often fall apart, out of fear of the unknown. Most of the tantrums, escape, or aggressive behaviors that we see at these times are usually "fight or flight" responses, motivated out of fear, not from being stubborn, manipulative or "bad". One of the reasons Relationship Development Intervention is effective is because it addresses this pathway directly, by using different activities to exercise and strengthen it, much like what we do for other persons with weak or damaged brain pathways, such as persons with stroke or head injury, etc. You can find out more about Dr Gutstein and Sheely's work via rdiconnect. Until recently, trying to understand autism has been very confusing - it's only been explained as a series of seeminly unrelated symptoms. But once one understands the core deficit - the brain pathway that ties all those seeminly scattered symptoms together into one cohesive piece, autism becomes much easier to understand, and as a result more easily targeted and treated.

Sandra Sinclair is a parent of a child with PDD-NOS. Sandra assists parents of children with autism spectrum disorders to create a life that they love - life by design, not demands - through her 6-step program. She is also author of Newly Diagnosed Autism Spectrum - A free mini-course with 7 clear steps you can take to help your child with Aspergers, Autism, PDD-NOS, and other autism spectrum disorders. http://www.autismvoice.com/blog/7Ste