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Autism: Questions & Answers Search
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Therapies There are many baffling expressions used to describe Autism: Questions & Answers
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which are officially diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Visitors around the year at Shema
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Disorder (ASD). Autism is a Pervasive Development The Graduation Struggles in
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appearance. However, they spend their free time
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occupying themselves with confusing behaviors which March 2011
are noticeably different from those of typical children
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What is Autism?
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What is Autism?
Our understanding of the Autism Spectrum Disorder
Books and Articles
Links (ASD) has advanced rapidly in recent years. ASD’s
Schools are a family of neurodevelopmental conditions
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characterized by unusual patterns in social interaction,
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communication, and range of interests and activities.
While this profile is generally applicable for the entire
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ASD population, much variation actually exists. No two
individuals exhibit the exact same symptoms and as
such ASD is a heterogeneous disorder.
Autism is called an invisible disability because you can
not tell if a person has autism simply by looking at him.
Instead, you have to examine the person’s behaviors.
If you think that you or someone you love may be
autistic, you’ll probably have noticed certain
symptoms. Perhaps you’ve observed a lack of eye
contact, difficulty with social relationships, speech
delays, or odd physical behaviors such as rocking,
finger flicking or toe walking. These are the “red flags”
that suggest something might be wrong — and that
something might be autism.
Autism cannot be diagnosed with a medical test,
screening. Diagnosis involves interviews, observation
and evaluations. A precise diagnosis must be based

2. on observation of the individual’s communication,
behavior, and developmental levels. However,
because many of the behaviors associated with
autism are common with other disorders, a variety of
medical tests may be planned to rule out or identify
other possible causes of the symptoms being
exhibited as well parental interview.
Autism diagnosis is based on clinical observation and
testing by a professional using one or more
standardized tests. Professionals most likely to
diagnose autism are psychologists, psychiatrists,
developmental pediatricians, and school
psychologists. Some of the screenings and tests which
may be used in the diagnostic process are: CARS
(Childhood Autism Rating Scale), Autism Diagnostic
Checklist Form E-2, CHAT (Checklist for Autism in
Toddlers), M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in
Toddlers), Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Screening Test -2, ADOS (Autism Diagnostic
Observation Scale), and ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic
Interview – Revised).
There are five disorders under the PDD umbrella
which include Autism, Aspergers, Rhett’s Syndrome,
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and PDD-NOS (not
otherwise specified).
What Causes Autism?
While there is no known distinctive cause of autism,
there is increasing evidence that autism most likely
has a number of causes or etiological factions that
contribute to its manifestations. There is some
indication of a genetic influence in autism. There is a
greater likelihood that identical twins will have autism
than fraternal twins. In the case of identical twins,
there is a 100% overlap in genes; whereas in fraternal
twins, there is a 50% overlap in genes, the same
overlap as in non-twin siblings.
Currently, a great deal of research has focused on
locating the ‘autism gene; however, many researchers
speculate that in the end, a hundred or more genes
will likely be associated with the heterogeneity of
autism. There is also evidence that the genetic link to
autism may be a weakened or compromised immune
system. Other research has shown that depression
and/or dyslexia are quite common in one or both sides
of the family when autism is present.

3. There is also evidence that a virus can cause autism.
There is an increased risk in having an autistic child
after exposure to rubella during the first trimester of
the pregnancy. In addition, there is also a mounting
fear by parents that viruses linked to vaccinations,
such as the measles component of the MMR vaccine
and the pertussis component of the DPT shot may
cause autism. However, there is no known research
that supports this assumption and recently the MMR
vaccine theory has come under extreme criticism.
There is increasing alarm that toxins and pollution in
the environment can also lead to autism. There is a
high prevalence of autism in some parts of California,
various areas in Queens and Staten Island, as well as
certain parts of New Jersey. Several agencies are
now attempting to uncover the reasons for the high
percentage of autism in this community, which may be
related to environmental conditions.
Canadian researchers have become the first to identify
specific behavioral signs in infants as young as 12
months that can predict, with incredible accuracy,
whether a child will develop autism.
The preliminary findings, published recently in the
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience,
were taken from an ongoing study of 200 Canadian
infants, the largest study of its kind in the world. The
infants, many of whom have been followed from birth
to 24 months, are younger siblings of children who
have been diagnosed with autism.
Studies show that families with one autistic child have
a roughly five to10 percent chance of a second child
being diagnosed with autism, a rate of recurrence
about 50 times higher than the general population.
Chaired by Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, a developmental
pediatrician with the Offord Centre and McMaster
Children’s Hospital and a lead investigator for the
Canadian study, the Canada – U.S. Baby Sibs
Research Consortium is supported by the National
Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) and the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD) in the U.S. It is widely regarded as one the
most exciting developments in autism research today.
Dr. Zwaigenbaum was also a noted speaker at the
Icare4autism Conference in Jerusalem this past July
co-sponsored by Shema Kolainu-Hear Our Voices.

4. “This is a groundbreaking work that is pushing the
frontier of what we know about the biological nature of
autism, and why it emerges so early in life,” says Dr.
Zwaigenbaum. “Our hope is that it will lead to the
development of new and earlier treatments that could
make a huge difference for these children.”
While autism is difficult enough to detect in young
children, it can be even more complex to diagnose in
older children especially when the child appears very
intelligent and can speak.
According to Lorna Wing, an internationally recognized
researcher, children on the spectrum: “share a triad of
impaired social interaction, communication, and
imagination, associated with a rigid, repetitive pattern
of behavior …The triad can be recognized at all levels
of intelligence and can occur alone or together with
any otherphysical or psychological disorder.” Wing,
L.(1996) Autistic Spectrum Disorder. British Medical
Journal,312
There is also the challenging distinctiveness of ‘high-
functioning autism’ or Asperger’s Syndrome, which
includes:
• Social Deficits: Even though they may be very
intellectual, they are socially immature and have great
problems and usually little interest in making friends.
This presents particular problems for school age
children who are often the victims of bullying.
• Perseverating: many children become expert in
certain topics in which they accumulate
comprehensive information that they repeat
excessively. They do not fully comprehend the notion
of taking turns and are insensitive to the needs of
other people they are in conversation with.
Is There A Cure For Autism?
There is no known cure for autism. However, autism
can be treated and those with autism can learn to
communicate and to share in family life. Most parents
try a variety of interventions to find what is effective
with their child. Research has shown that Applied
Behavioral Analysis (ABA) can be very successful with
people with ASD, ideally at as early an age as
possible.
Some people who appear classically autistic as young

5. children are able to overcome their symptoms and
become high functioning, usually as a result of their
needs being met through an effective early
intervention program. Research has shown that the
functional ability of most people tends to improve with
age. However, if they are not taught communication
skills, frustration can lead to severe behavior
problems.
Will People with ASD ever be Able to Live
Independently?
• Many people with autism do flourish and go on to
hold responsible jobs and live independently. Others
have the intellectual abilities to be employed but are
held back by their inability to adapt socially to the
stresses of everyday life.
• The focus of every intervention program for the
person with autism should be to work on helping them
adapt to living in society. Their quality of life and ability
to function is far more important than how they do on
an I.Q. test.
Autism doesn’t have to be a life sentence; it is an
illness that can be treated and offers much hope for
parents and caretakers if they take the necessary
steps early on to combat it. By becoming more aware
of the options open to you one can do much in
alleviating many of the problems children with autism
will face later in life.
We can establish a mutual connection and relationship
with each child, which is the stage for all education
and growth.
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