AUTISM AWARENESS

NAME: SUZIANAH BINTI ABDUL TALIB NORHASLINDA BINTI AHMAD NOOR AZLINA BT MT SHAHIR WAN INTAN SOFINA WAN YUSOFF FARA AZMIRA BT ABDUL GHANI

AUTISM

Autism Spectrum Disorder starts out at a young age and continues into adulthood with delays in social interaction, communication, and different skills that are developed. Although there has been many new studies, there is still no known cure, and that is why we never stop trying to solve the puzzle.

The word autism comes from the Greek word autos which means self. For the past 100 years this disorder autism spectrum disorder. In the year 1911 Eugen Bleuler a psychiatrist who was the first to diagnose the disease. When autism was found it was used to describe emotionally disturbed children, still not knowing the entire mean of the disorder. This was because it was still early and the researchers have not looked into the autism disorder as much.

History
*Autism comes from Autos, Greek *Eugen Bleuler first to discover in 1911 *Emotionally disturbed children *The word autism has been used for over 100 years.

In 1943, Dr. Leo Kanner explained what autism was and how it worked. He was able to explain this because he had been observing eleven children since they were born for six years who showed the early signs of autism. The years were 1938 to 1943. By his research and understanding this study made it more clear. Kanner observed different children and had to do many tests and compare the difference in each child to make sure his studies were correct.

History *Leo Kanner was the first to introduce autism to the world. *1960s medical researchers had an understanding of autism. *1980s-90s, when learning facilities opened up for autism.

Some childrens symptoms begin right at infancy and others may not develop until they are toddlers. Those who have autism usually have a certain routine they are used to. If that routine were to change they might tend to get confused.

Signs of Autism

*Main Problem Areas *Social, Language, Behavior *Signs usually start when child is born.

What is autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them. Children and adults with autism have difficulties with everyday social interaction. Their ability to develop friendships is generally limited as is their capacity to understand other people's emotional expression. People with autism can often have accompanying learning disabilities but everyone with the condition shares a difficulty in making sense of the world. There is also a condition called Asperger syndrome, which is a form of autism used to describe people who are usually at the higher functioning end of the autistic spectrum. "Reality to an autistic person is a confusing, interacting mass of events, people, places, sounds and sights. There seems to be no clear boundaries, order or meaning to anything. A large part of my life is spent just trying to work out the pattern behind everything.

*Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects how the brain functions. It affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them. *A person who has autism is said to have ASD. This is because the symptoms of autism can vary from person to person, and can range from mild to very severe. Aspergers syndrome is an ASD, on the mild end of the spectrum.

Symptoms
The first symptoms of ASD usually appear when the person is under two years old, and last throughout life. Some people who have autism also have a learning difficulty. This is when they find it harder than most people to learn new skills. Symptoms of ASD can be divided into three main groups. They are: *social interaction, *communication, and *routine and repetitive behaviour.

Social interaction Issues

*A child who has ASD may find it hard to get on with other people. They may: seem distant or detached, have little or no interest in other people, and find it difficult make friends, not seek affection in the usual way, or resist physical contact such as kissing and cuddling, find it difficult to make eye contact with other people, not understand other peoples emotions, and prefer to spend time alone.

Communication Issues
A child who has ASD may develop speech later than other children, or never learn to speak. When their speech does develop, the language and choice of words they use may be wrong. A child with ASD may also: not be able to express themselves well, not be able to understand gestures, facial expressions, or tones of voice, use odd phrases and use odd choices of words, use more words than is necessary to explain simple things, make up their own words or phrases, not use their hands to make gestures when they speak, and find it difficult to understand difficult commands.

Children with ASD may: play the same games over and over, or play with games designed for children younger than themselves, get upset if their daily routines are interrupted in any way, and repeat actions, such as rocking back and forth or head banging. These symptoms may lead to hyperactivity in younger children. Older children and adults may develop obsessions. For example, with specific objects, lists, timetables or routines.

Routine and repetitive behaviour

Sensory difficulties
Some children with ASD also have sensory difficulties. This means that they may get upset if they are over or under stimulated. For example, they may prefer being indoors if they are over sensitive to light, or they may bump into people if they are under sensitive to touch. Sensory difficulties can also lead to problems with movement. A person with ASD may appear clumsy or have an unusual way of walking.

Sensory and movement disorders

Very common Over- or under-sensitive to sensory stimuli Abnormal posture and movements of the face, head, trunk, and limbs Abnormal eye movements Repeated gestures and mannerisms Movement disorders can be detected very early perhaps at birth

How is Autism Diagnosed?

No definitive medical test Team uses interviews, observation, and specific checklists developed for this purpose. Team might include neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning consultant, etc. Must rule out MR, hearing impairment, behavior disorders, or eccentric habits

Getting a diagnosis for autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is important, to enable access to the right services and treatments to support individual needs. ASD may be difficult to diagnose as symptoms can vary considerably from person to person, and mild symptoms can be hard to spot. The most common age for diagnosis is between three and four years old. However, some people may not be diagnosed until they are older, especially if they have mild symptoms. ASD isnt usually diagnosed before a child is two years old. Diagnosis in adults Some people arent diagnosed with ASD when they are children, especially when symptoms are very mild. If you have the symptoms of ASD and it interferes with your work or social life, you should speak with your GP.

Diagnosis

Causes
*Symptoms of ASD are caused by an abnormality in the development of the brain that occurs before, or soon after birth. Its now known exactly what causes this abnormality. *Some evidence shows that having a defective gene may be a risk factor in developing ASD. These genes may be inherited, and the chance of you having ASD if your brother or sister has it, is slightly higher than in the rest of the general population. *Some research suggests that environmental factors such as pollution or viruses such as rubella (German measles) may trigger ASD. However, ASD is not a result of anything that a parent has done either during pregnancy or after the child is born.

Tests for ASD

There are no specific tests for ASD, although other tests such as hearing tests and blood tests may be done to rule out other health conditions. no link between the MMR vaccine and ASD. Research shows that more children are diagnosed with ASD now than 10 years ago and the number of children receiving the MMR vaccine has stayed the same.

Treatment For ASD

There is no treatment that can cure autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there are many ways in which a person with ASD can get support to manage their condition. These methods of management and support are often called interventions. Many people with ASD will require specialist care and support throughout their lives. A lot of different health professionals will work as a team to care for them. The aim of interventions is to help a person with ASD to speak and communicate better, and to get along better in education and at work. Health professionals think that interventions work better when a child with ASD starts them from a young age. Because ASD differs from person to person, the type of support a person needs will depend on their own individual circumstances. It will also depend on what services and treatments are available in the area that you live. Not all services are available on the NHS in all areas. Although not a treatment in itself, a psychologist may set tests to help decide the best treatment options.

Interventions
1. Individualization and early intervention are the keys 2. Include life skills, functional academics, and vocational preparation 3. Positive behavior support 4. Social stories (music therapy?) 5. Lovaas model

Children with autism dont make eye contact. They do and can. It may look different than neuro-typical children Children with autism do not show affection. Children with autism do show affection and may be extremely loving of others Children with autism cannot communicate effectively They may develop good, functional language skills where it may be difficult to distinguish them from others

Parents are your BEST RESOURCE and best source of informationthey know their child better than anyone else. But, they go through a grieving process when informed that something may be wrong with their child.

Help parents feel comfortable and assist them through the diagnostic process

Grieving Process Shock - What? Denial - AutismNo way! You are crazy! They like to be heldthey smile, laugh, look at usthey are just late talkers! Anger - How dare you? Bargaining - God, please let them be wrong! Acceptance - Where do we go from here?

The First Questions???

Where do we go from here? What do we do next? What is an Autism Spectrum Disorder? How Can Autism Be Treated?

Some facts and statistics

21% of children with an ASD have been excluded from school at least once
Adults with autism say that finding a suitable job would improve their lives more than anything else People with autism often want to make friends but due to their disability find it difficult

40% of all children with autism wait more than three years for a clear diagnosis Boys are four times more likely to develop autism than girls Around 70% of people with autism have an IQ below 70 (the average IQ of the population is 100). This is classed as a learning disability. Some people with autism have normal or high intelligence.

Many people with Asperger's have normal or above average intelligence and can lead independent lives.

AUTISM

AUTISM

Conclusions on Types
Autism is a spectrum disorder This means that symptoms and characteristics can present themselves in wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe Autistic individuals can be very different from each other Autism is still commonly used to refer to any of the 5 PDDs