Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3

years of life, and affects the brain's normal development

of social and communication skills.
By: Brittany Allen
Early signs of Autism

Delayed or lack of
speech.
Repetitive movement of
body such as Arms,
and head.
Impaired social skills.
Interest in activities or
play.
Seldom eye contact
with others.
Children and Autism

Autism effects boys 3-4

times more then girls.
Family income, educa-
tion, and lifestyle
don't seem to effect
the risk of autism.
Exact number of chil-
dren living with autism
is not known.
 Related Developmental Disorder

Asperger Syndrome (similar to

autism but with normal lan-
guage development).
Rett Syndrome(Very different
from autism, and only occurs
in females).
Childhood Disintegrative Disor-
der (Rare condition where a
child learns skills, then loos-
es them by age 10).
Pervasive Developmental Dis-
order (Also called typical
autism).
 Symptoms

Children with difficulties usu- Some children appear normal

ally have trouble with: before the age of 1 or 2
Pretend play. and then suddenly
Social interactions “regress” and lose lan-
Verbal and non-verbal com- guage or social skills.
munication. When they loose these skills
Usually it is not noticed that at the age of 1 or 2 it is
the child has something called the regressive type
wrong until they are at the of autism.
age of 18 months old. Some people with autism
Help is usually not seeked may also be sensitive to
until the child is about 2 sight, hearing, touch,
years of age. smell, or taste.
Social Interaction

Very withdrawn.
Does not play interactive
games well with others.
Is not very good at making
friends.
Does not respond very well
with eye contact or smiles
and almost always avoids
eye contact.
Shows a lack of empathy.
Prefers to spend time by
themselves, rather then
with others.
I can't tell
you
how I
feel
 Play and Behavior

Play:
Does not imitate others.
Prefers solitary or ritualistic
play.
Does not pretend play.
Does not imaginative play.

Behavior:
Acts up.
Short attention span.
Strong need for sameness.
Narrow interests.
Signs and Tests
Babbling by 12 months.
Gesturing by 12 months (Point-
ing or waving).
Saying single words by 16
months.
Saying two-word spontaneous
phrases by 24 months.
Losing any language or social
skills at any age.
These children should receive
a hearing test, blood/lead
test, and screening test
since they show signs of
autism.
All I can do is be
me!
 Medicine

Medicines are often used Aggression

to treat behavior or Anxiety
emotional that people Attention Problems
Hyperactivity
with autism may have, Irritability
including: Mood Swings
Sleep difficulty....etc.
 Treatment

Treatment is most successful when it is applied toward the

child's needs. An experienced team should design the
treatment for that particular child's needs. Those programs
include:
ABA (applied Behavior Analysis).
Medications depending on the behavior.
Occupational therapy.
Physical Therapy.
Speech-language therapy.
Response to Sensory Information

Does not get startled or get unfocused by loud

noises.
Has low senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell or
taste.
May stay away from physical contact because it
is overwhelming or to hard to handle/take in.
Rubs surfaces, mouth, or licks objects.
Has a high tolerance for pain.
Diet
It has been shown that some
children with autism react
well to gluten-free foods.
Gluten is found in foods that
have wheat, rye, and bar-
ley.
Not all studies have been
proven that a diet change
works to help people with
autism, but it has been
shown that it helps!
 References
Autismsupport.dmum.org
Http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002494/
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