Autism remains much a mystery.Byline: The Register-Guard Autism autism (ô`tĭzəm), developmental disability resulting from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain. It is characterized by the abnormal development of communication skills, social skills, and reasoning. is a brain-based developmental disability developmental disability n. A cognitive, emotional, or physical impairment, especially one related to abnormal sensory or motor development, that appears in infancy or childhood and involves a failure or delay in progressing through the normal that affects communication and social interaction. Characteristics may include engagement in repetitive activities, resistance to environmental change or routines and unusual responses to sensory stimuli. Symptoms typically surface before age 3. It is considered a spectrum disorder A spectrum disorder in psychiatry is hard to define precisely but is a mental disorder having something to do with a spectrum of subtypes or closely related disorders. The spectrum model is proposed as a more coherent way of understanding psychiatric symptomatology. , with characteristics occurring in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. It is much more common in males. Sixty percent of sufferers are believed to be mentally retarded. While researchers are learning more about autism all the time, it remains something of a mystery. It has a strong genetic basis, but studies have found environmental factors also play a role. Drugs may temper syzmptoms such as anxiety, but there is no known cure. Early intervention ear·ly intervention n. Abbr. EI A process of assessment and therapy provided to children, especially those younger than age 6, to facilitate normal cognitive and emotional development and to prevent developmental disability or delay. is seen as critically important in helping autistic autistic /au·tis·tic/ (aw-tis´tik) characterized by or pertaining to autism. people fulfill their potential. Asperger's syndrome As·per·ger's syndrome n. A pervasive developmental disorder, usually of childhood, characterized by impairments in social interactions and repetitive behavior patterns. is a disorder believed to be at the high-functioning end of the spectrum. People with Asperger's typically have high verbal intelligence but poor social skills; fixed, limited interests; a lack of physical coordination; and unusual sensory sensitivity. They often lack the intuitive understanding of the normal reciprocity of human interaction. The incidence of autism has skyrocketed in the past decade. While better diagnosis has played a large role - particularly in regard to Asperger's syndrome, which was recognized only recently - most experts don't believe that fully explains the phenomenon. Theories abound, but no culprit has been positively identified. RESOURCES The Asperger Advocacy Coalition meets the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Autism Training & Support Inc., 1355-B River Road, Eugene. For information or to be added to the mailing list, call Nan Lester at 345-3467. Autism and Asperger's syndrome Web sites: Autism Society of America The Autism Society of America (ASA) was founded in 1965 by Bernard Rimland, PhD, and claims to be the oldest and largest grassroots organization in the autism community with over 50,000 members and supporters connected through a network of nearly 200 chapters in the United States. , www.autism-society.org/ Autism Society of Oregon,www.oregonautism.com |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion