autism articles

Coping With Autism – Support For Families

Based on the U.S. Department of Education’s 2002 report to Congress on IDEA the number of students with autism in U.S. schools has increased by 1354% in an eight-year period from 1991-1992 to 2000-2001 (as cited by the Autism Society of America, 2003). This increase is almost fifty times higher than all disabilities (excluding autism), which has increased in the U.S. by 28.4%. From 1991-1992 to 2000-2001 school years, the number of students with autism that are being served under IDEA has increased from 5,415 to 78,749 respectively (as cited by Autism Society of America, 2003).

According to the Center for Disease Control in 2001, autism affects an estimated 2 to 6 per 1,000 individuals and it is the most common of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (as cited by the Autism Society of America, n.d.). Based on these statistics, it is estimated that 1.5 million Americans are believed to have some form of autism (Autism Society of America, n.d.). Autism has been found to affect all races, cultures, socioeconomic statuses, and educational backgrounds (Autism Society of America, n.d.). This rate of growth in autism not only signifies a need for more professionals to be trained to teach individuals with autism, but the need for increased training and support for families of children with autism. Parents of children with autism are coping with a considerable amount of stress and an overwhelming amount of information about the disability. Families of children with autism can benefit from support from professionals, other family members, and society, in order to manage the stress effectively. Read the rest of this entry »

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Autism Causes – Genetics and Environment

As far as we know today, most cases of autism or the related autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) are not like a typical inherited disease – where a damaged gene is responsible for causing the symptoms. The inherited aspects of autism are best understood as an increase in susceptibility. This means children with autism are born with genes that leave them more sensitive to damage inflicted by their surroundings. However, the fact that the incidence of autism (the number of people diagnosed or receiving treatment) has increased dramatically since the early 1980′s strongly suggests genetics alone cannot be responsible. Some say that the troubling increase in the rate of autism is just a result of better diagnosis. There may be some truth to this, but since 1956, there has been a pretty good set of criteria used to diagnose autism called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Although it has been improved over the years, it has not changed much since 1994 and the rate of autism diagnosis has only increased since then. As a parent of a child with autism, you should ask yourself if your child’s disease could have gone undiagnosed?

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Autism Causes, Symptoms and Treatments – Effective Strategies for Children on the Autistic Spectrum

No matter how you look at it, autism is complicated. It is best understood as a spectrum of related disorders because it encompasses a broad range of abilities and symptoms all sharing common traits such as difficulties with language and social interactions. The ASD umbrella includes people who have severe communication deficits and a total inability to cope with the world, to people who can live independently, but lack the breadth of interests and social skills we expect in adults.

Many people still believe ASD is an educational issue, a mental health disorder, or the result of bad parenting. Unfortunately, many medical professionals still do not accept that there are biochemical problems (flaws in the chemistry our bodies require to function normally) at the root of ASDs. The current standard of care for most ASD patients is prescription drugs to “manage” symptoms. This might make it easier for others to live with an ASD person, but it cannot be considered an effective treatment, as it doesn’t address the root causes of the disease. However, if you are open to understanding ASD as a set of unique biochemical problems and are willing to fight to make your child better, you will almost certainly succeed.

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