1. Due
12/10/10
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
Kristen Burke

2. The autism spectrum disorders

3. The Autism Spectrum Disorders
 PDD-NOS
 Retts Syndrome
 Asperger’s syndrome
 Childhood Disintegration Syndrome

4. 1 in every 110 children The prevalence rate
are diagnosed with an increases from 10% to 17%
Autism Spectrum every year
Disorder
Autism Spectrum
Disorders are more
Boys are more common than childhood
likely to develop cancer, pediatric AIDs,
autism than girls and juvenile diabetes
combined
Boys are diagnosed 3-4 times more often
1.5 million
than girls
Americans are
affected and
1 out of every 70 boys is 10s of millions
diagnosed in the US alone are affected
world wide

5. Autism

6. What is autism?

7. “Autism is a general term used to describe a
group of complex developments brain
disorders known as Pervasive Developmental
Disorders (PDD)”
~ from the autismspeaks website

8. What causes autism?

9.  Most causes are idiopathic, meaning we don’t
know what causes them
 When autism was first discovered, people
thought that it was caused by bad mothering
 During the 1960s and 70s, Dr. Bernard Rimland
helped correct that theory
 He proved that it is caused by a biological
disorder, not by bad parenting
 Dr. Bernard Rimland, who had a son with
autism, later went on to found the Autism
Society of America

10.  We do know some factors that may contribute
to autism

11. Genetic Disorders
o Fragile X
o Tuberous Sclerosis
o Angelman’s syndrome

12. Environments agents (possibly
infectious) (affects during
pregnancy)
o Maternal rubella
o cytomegalovirus

13. Environmental Agents (chemical)
(affects during pregnancy)
o Thalidomide
o Valproate

14. Role of the immune system
o Possibly caused by inflammation of the
central nervous system
o Animal studies show that an inflamed central
nervous system can cause autism like
behaviors

15. NOT cause by bad parenting
o Autism was first described as a “unique
condition” by Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943
o He declared that it was a condition caused by
“cruel, cold, unloving mothers”

16. How do you diagnose autism?

17.  There isn't currently a specific medical test to
test for autism
 It is diagnosed through observation and
psychological testing
 Symptoms vary, and so do the methods for
diagnosing autism
 Sometimes a pediatrician doesn’t take a parents
concern seriously and a diagnosis is delayed

18. What are the symptoms of autism?

19.  Symptom types:
 Background to symptoms
 Social symptoms
 Communication difficulties
 Repetitive behaviors

20. Background to Symptoms
 Autism affects the way a child interprets the world
 It can make communication difficult
 It can make social interaction difficult
 There can be repetitive behaviors
 There can be very intense interests
 One child with autism may have very different symptoms
than another child with autism
 symptoms of autism usually last throughout someone's life
time
 When a person is severely affected, they may not be able to
speak or care for themselves
 Early intervention can make huge differences on the severity
of a person’s symptoms

21. Social Symptoms
 Most children, form the beginning, are very social. They
smile, wave, and turn towards voices. Affected children can
be indifferent to average human interactions. They have
trouble picking up simple social interactions that other
children learn subconsciously. In their first year of life, and
affected child may not interact or make eye contact.
 Affected children may be indifferent to other peoples
interactions and they may prefer being alone. They may
accept hugs and affection passively or resist it.
 Later on, they might not look to their parents for affection.
They can react differently to anger or affection from their
parents. Kids with autism are attached to their parents, but
have a different way of showing their affection. To parents, it
may seem like their child is not attached at all.

22. Social Symptoms
 Children with autism may take longer to what others are
thinking or feeling. They don’t understand social cues like a
smile, wave, or grimace, as easily as other children.
 Children may have trouble seeing things from another
person’s perspective, and therefore, they have trouble
predicting how others will react to certain things. They can
have trouble regulating emotions, which can take the form
of “immature behavior.” They may cry, have verbal
outbursts, be disruptive in certain settings, or be physically
aggressive. When in an overwhelming environment, they can
“lose control,” which can result in actions like hair pulling or
arm biting.

23. Communication Difficulties
 Some children with autism will remain mute all their life and
learn other forms of communication like sign language or
picture sign language. Other children learn to talk and
babble when they are little and then lose the skills they have
gained. Others wont talk until ages 5,6,7,8 or even 9 years
old.
 Children with autism have a harder time expressing to others
what they need or want and as a result may jut grab things or
scream. As kids grow up, they may become aware of this
difficulty and become anxious or depressed.

24. Repetitive Behaviors
 Children with autism may not look physically different, but
they can have odd, repetitive motions. These motions can
range from abrupt and obvious actions to very subtle ones.
Some children may flap their arms, some may walk on their
toes, and some may just freeze in a position they are in.
 Children with autism spend more time lining up their
toys, like toy cars, in specific orders rather than playing
imaginary games with them. If somebody disrupts the order
of the toys, it can be very stressful to the child.
 Repetitive behaviors can also take the form of interests.
Some of these interests can be very intense interests even if
it is in something many people don’t find all that interesting.
 Children with autism need consistency in their environment.
Changes in the environment or in their schedule can be
extremely stressful.

25. What are other medical issues
that may accompany autism?

26. Seizure Disorders
o Called Epilepsy
o Occurs in 39% of people with autism
o It occurs more often in people with “cognitive defects” than in people
with out
o some studies say its more common in children that have had a
regression of skills
o There are different types of seizures
o Grand mal – easy to spot
o Petite mal – sometimes only seen on and EEG
o Sub clinical – not clear whether these affect language development
o usually start early in life, but can happen any time
o Tests:
o EEG (electroencephalogram)
o MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
o CT (computed axial tomography)
o CBC (complete blood count)
o People can be treated with anticonvulsant to reduce/eliminate
occurrences

27. Genetic Disorders
o Fragile X Syndrome
o Angelman’s Syndrome
o Tuberous Sclerosis
o Chromosome 15 Duplication Syndrome
o Or another chromosome disorder

28. Gastrointestinal Disorders
 Gastritis
 Chronic constipation
 Colitis
 Celiac disease
 Esophogitis
o The exact number of children with autism and
gastrointestinal problems is unknown
o Studies say it is anywhere between 46% and 85%
o A popular “solution” to these problems is to
remove dairy and gluten from the child’s diet

29. Sleep Dysfunction
o When the dysfunction is caused by a medical
disorder like obstructive sleep apnea or
gastrointestinal reflux, it can be cured by a
doctor
o When it isn’t caused by a medical problem, it
can be treated with “sleep hygiene.” that
means doing things like setting up a regular
bedtime, having a bedtime routine, and
limiting the hours of sleep

30. Sensory Integration Dysfunction
o Many children with autism react differently to sensory input
or stimulation
o Hearing, vision, touch, smell, taste, sense of movement, and
sense of position can all be affected
o Information is being senses normally by the child, but is
being perceived much differently
o stimulation that may seem normal to another child can be
perceived as painful, unpleasant, or confusing
o Sensory Integration Dysfunctions include:
o Hypersensitivity
o Not being able to wear cloths
o Not able to be touched
o Not able to be in a room with normal lighting
o Hyposensitivity
o Increased tolerance of pain
o Constant need for stimulation

31. Pica
o Pica is an eating disorder that includes eating
things that aren’t food
o This is normal behavior between 18 and 24
months, but it can continue after this period of
time with an autistic child
o They tend to eat things like dirt, clay, chalk, and
paint chips
o A sign of pica is if a child is constantly mouthing
on fingers or other objects
o Children that do this should be tested for lead in
their blood

32. Red Flags of Autism
 If there is no warm or joyful expressions by 6
months or after
 If there is no back and forth or sounds, smiles, or
facial expressions by 9 months or after
 If there is no babbling by 12 months or after
 If there is no back and forth gestures
(pointing/showing/reacting/waving) by 12
months or after
 If there are no words by 16 months or after
 If there are no two word meaningful phrases (not
imitation/repetition) by 24 months
 Any loss of speech or babbling at any age

33. Asperger’s syndrome

34. What is Asperger’s Syndrome?

35. Asperger’s Syndrome is an autism spectrum
disorder that is milder than autism but shares
most of the same symptoms

36. What causes Asperger’s Syndrome?

37. Cases of Asperger’s Syndrome are
idiopathic, meaning we don’t know what causes
them

38. What are the symptoms of
Asperger’s Syndrome?

39.  An obsessive interest in any subject
 Trouble recognizing common social cues
 Difficulty with motor skills
 Poor communication skills

40. Retts syndrome

41. What is Retts Syndrome?

42. Retts Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental
disorder that begins to show its affects in
early childhood. It is almost exclusively found
in females, but all racial and ethnic groups
can be affected by it.

43. What causes Retts Syndrome?

44. Retts Syndrome is caused by a mutation in the
MECP2 gene in the X chromosome

45. What are the symptoms of Retts
Syndrome

46.  3-5 months: slowing of head growth
 6-18 months: learning to crawl later than
usual, ceasing to learn new skills, diminished
muscle tone, decreased eye contact, inattentive
behavior
 1-4 years: loss of previously acquired skills
 2-10 years: recession of skills stops, motor skill
difficulties become more pronounced, seizures
become more pronounced
 10 years and older: developing motor skill
difficulties, muscle weakening gets worse

47. Childhood disintigration disorder

48. What is Childhood Disintegration
Disorder

49. Childhood Disintegration Disorder is a
condition where a child will develop
normally, but when they reach the age of
about 3 or 4, they lose their
language, motor, social, and other skills that
they have already learned

50. What causes Childhood
Disintegration Disorder

51. Childhood Disintegration Disorder is an
idiopathic condition, meaning we don’t know
what causes it

52. What are the symptoms of
Childhood Disintegration
Disorder?

53.  Lose communication skills
 Lose nonverbal behaviors
 Lose skills already learned
 Decay of spoken language
 Lack of spoken language
 Inability to start or maintain a conversation
 Lack of playing
 Lose bladder/bowel control
 Lose language skills
 Lose social skills
 Problems forming relationships with friends and
family members

54. PDD-NOS

55. What is PDD-NOS?

56. Pervasive Developementa Disorders – Not
Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) are
conditions on the autism spectrum that
exhibit some, but not all of the symptoms of
autism

57. What causes PDD-NOS?

58. PDD-NOS are idiopathic conditions, meaning
we don’t know what causes them

59. What are the symptoms of PDD-NOS?

60.  People may appear unemotional to others
 People may possibly be unable to speak
 People have trouble holding eye contact
 People have trouble transitioning activities

61. Bibliography
 http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/index.php
 http://www.rettsyndrome.org/about-rett-syndrome.html
 http://www.wemove.org/rett/rett_sym.html
 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001535.
htm
 http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/asperger.html
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 http://www.autismspeaks.org/navigations/pdd_nos.php