Autism-Articles

Autism Spectrum Disorder (also referred to as Autism Spectrum Conditions, Autism Spectrum, and Autism) is something that six out of every thousand children in the United States have been diagnosed with. Many times this condition is very misunderstood and some parents don't even truly understand what the signs of it are. During this article, you'll learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder, its symptoms, and how it's managed. At the time that this article was written, all of the information provided below was scattered around the internet which urged us to bring it into one easy-to-understand article. What are the different types of Autism Spectrum Disorder? There are three different primary forms of Autism as well as two uncommon conditions. Over the years it became know that the symptoms aren't always the same and branching it off would help treat Autism Spectrum a lot more efficiently than having one broad diagnosis. The three main types of Au...

I am almost positive your life at home can be extremely draining and frustrating, living with an autistic individual. How can you change and improve this? One way for you to improve your life at home is, keep your family strong. You can do this by supporting and helping each person understand the dynamics of autism within your family. Explain to your children who are younger and who do not have autism, what the disorder is, what to expect and the various complexities of autism. Allow your family members to know and understand that there may be unexpected challenges and changes within your home, but it will improve with time. Give explanations of how it will change. As parent(s), caregiver(s), you may be tempted or think you can improve your life at home by trying to be a strong person and make the changes by yourself, without any help. You may feel you need to be strong for everyone in your family and you must know what to do and have all of the answers. If you cho...

Rett syndrome is not a degenerative disorder, but rather is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Rett syndrome affects one in every 10,000 to 15,000 live female births. It occurs in all racial and ethnic groups worldwide. Parents later reflected on how it was nearly impossible to comfort them during their episodes. As many as 75% of all girls with RS had been previously diagnosed with the Autism Spectrum Disorder. Adult women with Rett syndrome show many individual differences in the severity of their disability.All women with Rett syndrome are incapable of living independently and require constant care throughout their lives. Innovative and flexible living arrangements such as group homes are becoming the norm in many cases. There are several treatments options available treat for rett-sydrome. Occupational therapy , physiotherapy, and hydrotherapy may prolong mobility. Medication may be needed for breathing irregularities and motor difficulties, and antiepileptic dru...

Children with Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD) appear to develop normally for the first two years of life, but then lose skills in areas such as language, play, and bowel control and manifest impaired social interaction and communication associated with restrictive, repetitive, stereotyped behaviors. This disease and autism are among several developmental disorders known as pervasive developmental disorders or autism spectrum disorders. Childhood disintegrative disorder is also known as Heller's syndrome after the Viennese educator, Theodor Heller, who first described the condition. Childhood disintegrative disorder is perhaps 10 times less common than more strictly defined autism. It is a rare serious disorder in which a child older than age 3 stops developing normally and regresses to a much lower level of functioning, typically following a serious illness, such as an infection of the brain and nervous system. Childhood disintegrative disorder cann...

There are five distinct types of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) that are considered to be related to Autism because of the neuro development portions that have been identified under the Autism Spectrum. They are Autism Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS). Each of the five disorders are classified as pervasive in nature rather than Specific Development Disorders (SDD) because they are characterized by multiple disabilities in a variety of areas rather than focused on one particular issue. Let's take a brief look at each of the five types of Autism on an individual level. While many of the characteristics may be similar, the differences are distinct enough for them to fall under different categories. Classic Autism, commonly called Autism, is also sometimes called Kanner's Syndrome after the Psychiatrist Leo Kanner. He studie...

Autism is on the rise. Today the risk of having a child with autism stands at about 1:110. No one is sure if it is on the rise because of better diagnosis procedures or because of more children being diagnosed. Whatever the reason, it stands that you are more likely to have a child with autism, or know a child of autism than ever before. While scientists haven't been able to pin down one precise cause of autism, there are several things which occur prenatally which may cause autism. It has also been found that there is a strong genetic element to autism. Studies have found that the chances for a child to have autism increases if there is a sibling or other close blood relative with autism. None of the prenatal causes for autism have been proven 100% to be a cause of autism, but there is significant information to show that they are linked to autism. One of those things is parental age. The age of the parents when the child is born has a direct impact on the r...

What are the best treatments for Autism? Regardless of which ones are chosen, the overall goals are: A) make the autistic person functionally independent, and B) to improve his or her quality of life. There are several types of Western treatments available for Autism. Here are some of the most common ones, along with some of their benefits and drawbacks: 1. Gluten-Free, Casein-Free (GFCF) Diet Certain types of diets (i.e. gluten-free and casein-free diets) are often used to treat Autism patients. The goal of the GFCF diet is to eliminate the proteins Gluten and Casein from autistic people. Pros: Some clinical studies have indicated that GFCF diets can be somewhat beneficial in treating the various symptoms related to Autism. However, it should be stressed that the results are inconclusive at best. Cons: There is conflicting evidence that there's a link between Autism and digestion disorders. In fact, clinical studies on the issue are somewhat conflicting. It s...