Autism need not be a life sentence

Autism, what is it, why does it occur, how to avoid it and if your child has been diagnosed with ASD, how can your child be helped?

It was the middle of the twentieth century when there was  a name given for a disorder that now appears to affect an estimated 3.4 % of  every 1,000 children aged 3-10, a disorder that can cause enormous  disruption in families and unfulfilled lives for many children. [It is interesting to note that Autism was not recognised nor did it appear to be prolific until after the end of the Second World War, WW2]

In 1943 Dr. Leo Kanner of the Johns Hopkins Hospitalstudied a group of 11 children and introduced the label early infantile autism into the English language. At the same time a German scientist, Dr. Hans Asperger, described a milder form of the disorder that became known as Asperger syndrome. Thus these two disorders were described and are today listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR [fourth edition, text revision] as two of the five pervasive developmental disorders [PDD], more often referred to today as ‘Autism Spectrum Disorders’ [ASD]. All these disorders are characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills, social interactions, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior.

The ‘Autism Spectrum Disorders’ can often be reliably detected and diagnosed by the time the child is 3 years of age and in some cases as early as 18 months. Studies suggest that many children eventually may be accurately identified by the age of 1 year or even younger. The appearance of any of the warning signs of ASD is reason to have a child evaluated by a professional specializing in these disorders.

Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviours in their child. In some cases, the baby seemed “different” from birth, unresponsive to people or focusing intently on one item for long periods of time. The first signs of ASD can also appear in children who seem to have been developing normally. When an engaging, babbling toddler suddenly becomes silent, withdrawn, self-abusive, or indifferent to social overtures, then something is wrong. Research has shown that parents are usually correct about noticing developmental problems, although they may not realize the specific nature or degree of the problem.

The pervasive developmental disorders, or ‘Autism Spectrum Disorders’, range from a severe form, called autistic disorder, to a milder form, Asperger syndrome. If a child has symptoms of either of these disorders, but does not meet the specific criteria for either, the diagnosis is called pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified [PDD-NOS]. Other rare, very severe disorders that are included in the ‘Autism Spectrum Disorders’ are Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder.

So why is it that so many children are debilitated by these  dreadful conditions?  Autism and its associated diagnoses has long been a passion of mine and I will be releasing a new and updated program shortly through the Sounds from Source sites.

This week we support Autism Week

Peace Love and Light

Sheila