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What is Autism and Aspergers Syndrome?
by Karen Sennie
Cherokee
We were blessed with 2 two little boys named Garrett and Dominick.
While Dominick attended school, he was tested and we discovered that he has an IQ of 139 and qualified to take part in the gifted program for math and science. Dominick was sick a lot when he was a baby. He had lots of ear infections and general illnesses. He had to have PE tubes ("pressure equalization" tubes) put in. He has been having speech services in and outside of school since the age of 2 and is now 12 years old.
Back in 2004, we found out that Dominick has Aspergers Syndrome. His symptoms are lacking in social skills and difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language). People with Asperger's have obsessions (cards, bottle tops). Dominick has an obsession with Yu-Gi-Oh cards. He's been collecting them for 3 years. He just recently found out that he has an anger management problem and recently began seeing a psychologist.
Now my son Garrett. Oh when he was born, we were so happy. Of course, Dominick was a GOD SEND as well. (He was my first born.) Garrett developed normally. Had a vocabulary of 10 words by the age of two. In April of 2001, we moved to Tampa, Florida and he had regressed. His vocabulary went down to zero. We started hearing a lot of grunting, screaming and seeing a lot of finger pointing. Within a year, we had his hearing tested twice. The stress was escalating on me. We were so hoping the cause of his speech delay would be like his older brother, Dominick - a lot of ear infections and being sick. But, we found out later that wasn't the case.
After a few tests, including an over-night stay at a children's hospital to check for any seizure-like activity, we were told that the tests were all normal. Then, after a few more tests, we found out that he has Pervasive Developmental Delays - NOS (Not Otherwise Specified) with autistic features. He is also severely speech delayed.
After trying a couple of different schools for him, we found one that specializes in Autism. He's been at this school for three years now and he has made so much progress. The last three years have been remarkable. He's starting to get more verbal-almost like when a child first learns to speak at the ages of 1 or 2.
Just recently, other moms with autistic children have noticed Garrett having more autistic features. So the question was brought to me to see if Garrett has autism. More research was conducted and we paid more attention to knowing the characteristics of autism.
Garrett is a bright child. In the 3 years he's been at this school, he has received 6 citizens of the month ribbons, one perfect attendance and 4 certificates for citizen of the month, as well as a letter from the Governor of Florida. He has also gotten coupons from a grocery store for ice cream and orange juice, gift cards from 6 restaurants, and 2 free admissions to the Florida Aquarium. He does remarkably well in school. Garrett is now 7 years old and going into the 2 nd grade. He has speech at school and twice a week after school along with an Occupational Therapy. This school year he will be receiving OT services at school as well. His class goes on 2 field trips a month to work on socialization skills (how to behave in stores and restaurants).
For those out there that don't know what autism is: Autism is a brain disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate, reason and to interact with others. It is a spectrum disorder that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees of severity, and it is often found in a combination with other disabilities. The term "autism" (from the Greek "auto" for "self") and "autism spectrum disorder" are often used interchangeably and refer to 3 of 5 disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The three "autism spectrum disorders" are: Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorders, and PDD-NOS (Not Otherwise Specified). The other PDDs, which are less common, are Child Disintegrative Disorder and Retts Syndrome.
Autism is more common than childhood cancer, cystic fibrosis and multiple sclerosis combined. It is also a lifelong disability.
One out of every 250 babies born today will develop some form of autism. This means that an estimated 1.5 million Americans (children and adults) have autism today, and another 15 million Americans (loved ones, health care professionals, caregivers, and educators) are directly impacted by autism.
Autism is four times more common in boys than girls, and it is found equally in all walks of life and all populations around the world. Both autism and Asperger's have similar signs:
SIGNS OF AUTISM
Spins objects
Sustained odd play
*Little or no eye contact
*Severe language deficits
*Insistence on sameness
Uneven gross/fine motor skills
(may not kick a ball but can stack blocks)
*Laughs, cries, or shows distress for no apparent reasons
Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity
*Difficulty expressing needs, gestures or points instead of speaking
Not responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf but tests in normal range
*Echolalia (repeats words or phrases in place of normal responsive language)
Inappropriate attachment to objects
May not want cuddling or act cuddly
Unresponsive to normal teaching methods
*Oversensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain (pinching, hitting hard on ones self, other things-windows, mirrors, throws self on floor and/or carpet, ground) - it can be scary.
*Aloof manner; difficulty mixing with others
(Where the asterisk are, is what traits my children have)
Autism was first identified in 1943; its cause remains unknown. Whatever the cause, it is clear that children with autism are born with the disorder or the potential to develop it. In our case, Garrett developed it. Autism is not caused by bad parenting, and children with autism are not unruly kids who choose to misbehave.
Autism typically appears by age 3, though diagnosis can and should be made as early as possible so that treatment can begin early. An accurate diagnosis is based on observation of the person's communication, behavior, and developmental levels by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals. There are no medical tests for autism. However, because many of the behaviors associated with autism are shared by other disorders, medical tests may be ordered to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms being exhibited.
There is no cure for autism. Evidence, however, shows that early intervention results in positive outcomes for children with autism; and the earlier treatment begins, the better. Those with autism respond well to a highly-structured, specialized education program tailored to their needs. Some may need one-on-one or small group support, while others may be successful in a fully inclusive general education environment with supports.
For those out there that think they may have a problem with their children, get them tested ASAP. It could be normal development/growing or it could be autism. Especially look at the speech delay. If your child is not speaking at the same approximate time as other children his/her age; then have them tested.
References
- Autism Society of America: Aspergers: Autism, Rett's Syndrome , Childhood Disintegrative Disorder ... and Asperger Syndrome , describes individuals with ... More Information . Working with an Individual with Asperger Syndrome , found at www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename= Aspergers - 17k - Cached - More from this site - Save
- Autism Society of America: Autism Society of America Autism Society of America: Autism Society of America Autism Society of America: Autism Society of America Jamie McMurray announces the Driving Autism Awareness campaign for the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Season. ...
www. autism -society.org - More from this site
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