All About Autism Spectrum Disorders

"Autism spectrum disorders" is a term used by medical professionals for children who suffer from autistic developmental disabilities. Symptoms range from mild to quite severe. In general, these symptoms include poor social behaviors such as not wanting to be touched and avoiding eye contact. An autistic child might not show any signs of separation anxiety or happiness to be reunited with his mother. The child might ignore conversations and have difficulty speaking. He will generally show little interest in activities going on around him yet will become obsessive over certain repetitive behaviors. Throwing tantrums and being destructive are also common among autistic children. They can even have a limited sense of pain and be oblivious to dangerous situations. These children appear to live in worlds all their own with little care for other people or activities.

Treatment for autistic disorders is thought to be more successful if it is started early in the child's life. Early detection is important. The child's doctor may order genetic testing which is able to detect about 15% of cases. The remaining cases are determined by patient observation, history, and applying the guidelines in standard testing tools such as the Childhood Autism Rating Scale.

Autism spectrum disorders include these particular disabilities:

Classic autism. Autism can usually be identified by a physician during the child's first two years of life. Indicators of this increasingly common disorder include problems with communication, repetitive behavior, and poor social interaction.

Asperger syndrome. Asperger syndrome is sometimes referred to as High Function Autism. These individuals often perform well on standardized tests and even excel in areas of their interest. They tend to have obsessive behaviors which are sometimes socially unacceptable and beyond their control.

Childhood disintegrative disorder. A child with this rare condition exhibits symptoms consistent with autism. However, this condition differs from classic autism because the child develops normally for the first few years of life then becomes autistic.

Rett Syndrome. A child with this condition develops normally until he is around 5 months old. At that time he begins to slow his development and loses motor skills previously acquired.

The number of autism spectrum disorders appears to be increasing yet medical researchers are not sure of the cause. There has been debate surrounding the suspected link between autism and vaccinations. Some people believe that the thimerosal contained in vaccines given to young developing brains might trigger autism. Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey are two outspoken proponents of this theory. Research studies done to date have yet to prove a conclusive link however. Still, many doctors and parents support the idea of continued research in this area. Meanwhile, several research studies and clinical trials are underway to discover the cause and treatment of autistic disorders.

Unfortunately there is no cure for autism spectrum disorders today. There are many forms of treatment to control the symptoms which include medications, supplements, behavioral therapy, and dietary changes. Just as the symptoms of autism vary from mild to severe, an effective treatment course will also vary among individuals.

The outcome for children with autistic disorders depends upon the severity of the illness but many autistic children do grow into fully functional adults who are able to hold down jobs and lead fulfilling social lives.

For more information on autism and down syndrom statistics, check with your family physician.