|
 Autism
One in 166 children will be diagnosed with autism
in the United States. It is the fastest growing
serious developmental delay in the U.S. with
a new case being diagnosed every twenty minutes.
From a financial perspective, autism costs the
U.S. over $90 billion dollars a year. Of important
note, boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed
with autism spectrum disorders than girls.
Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) covers
a wide range of behaviors and abilities. Autistic
disorders are most commonly known as ASD but
may also include pervasive developmentally disorder
not other specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger Syndrome.
All have the same symptoms but differ when the
different symptoms start. They are further differentiated
by how fast symptoms appear, how severe they
are manifested and their exact nature.
The behaviors and abilities noted with these
individuals include social skills in terms of
interaction, eye contact and their ability to
understand their own feelings or others feelings.
These individuals may be interested in people
but now know how to talk, play or relate to those
around them. Forty percent of these patients
do not talk at all. Of those who do have the
ability to speak, they may have echolalia (speak
back exactly what is said to them), speak a lot
about one subject, or not engage in two-way conversation.
It is suspected that there are multiple causes
with a complex interaction of genetic and environmental
factors. In research studies that have been performed
within families, identical twins have had a 75%
rate that both siblings have autism. In contrast,
in those families where one fraternal twin has
been diagnosed there is only a 3% rate that their
sibling also has the same diagnosis. ASD occurs
more frequently than expected in the following
diagnosis: Fragile X, Congenital Rubella Syndrome,
and Untreated Phenylketonuria.
There remains no cure for ASD. Early intervention
and intensive education provides these individuals
and their families the most hope. There are medications
that can help with some of the symptoms listed
above. The best intervention comes from behavioral
intervention as offered through occupational
therapy, speech therapy and similar forms of
therapy.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Autism: What are the Symptoms (2006). Retrieved
October 2006 from www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/asd_symptoms.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Autism: What causes ASDs and is there a treatment?
(2006). Retrieved October 2006 from www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/asd_treatments.htm.
Autism Speaks. Facts about Autism. (2006). Retrieved
October 2006 from www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/facts.php.
For more information on this issue please
see Contact Us
and see how our services can work for you.
|
