this presentation gives you basic information about autism spectrum disorder

1. Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Arooba Asmat Dev
Speech Language Pathologist

2. Definition
• Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related
to brain development that impacts how a
person perceives and socializes with others,
causing problems in social interaction and
communication.
• The disorder also includes limited and repetitive
patterns of behavior.

3. What is autism?
• Very complex, often baffling
developmental disability
• First described by Leo Kanner in
1943 as early infantile autism
• “Auto” – children are “locked
within themselves.”
• For next 30 years, considered to
be an emotional disturbance

4. What is “Spectrum” in autism?
• The term "spectrum" in autism spectrum
disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms
and severity.

5. Age of Emergence
• Autism spectrum disorder begins in early
childhood and eventually causes problems
functioning in society.
• Often children show symptoms of autism within
the first year.
• A small number of children appear to develop
normally in the first year, and then go through a
period of regression between 18 and 24 months
of age when they develop autism symptoms.

6. What are the signs of Autistic
Spectrum Disorder?
• social communication (including verbal and
non-verbal communication, such as body
language)
• social interaction (difficulty recognizing or
understanding other people's emotions and
feelings, and expressing their own)
• social imagination (difficulty understanding
and predicting other people's behavior)

7. Social communication and interaction
• Fails to respond to his or her name or appears not to hear you at times
• Resists cuddling and holding, and seems to prefer playing alone, retreating into his or her
own world
• Has poor eye contact and lacks facial expression
• Doesn't speak or has delayed speech, or loses previous ability to say words or sentences
• Can't start a conversation or keep one going, or only starts one to make requests or label
items
• Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm and may use a singsong voice or robot-like
speech
• Repeats words or phrases verbatim, but doesn't understand how to use them
• Doesn't appear to understand simple questions or directions
• Doesn't express emotions or feelings and appears unaware of others' feelings
• Doesn't point at or bring objects to share interest
• Inappropriately approaches a social interaction by being passive, aggressive or disruptive
• Has difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, such as interpreting other people's facial
expressions, body postures or tone of voice

8. Patterns of behavior
• Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand flapping
• Performs activities that could cause self-harm, such as biting or head-banging
• Develops specific routines or rituals and becomes disturbed at the slightest
change
• Has problems with coordination or has odd movement patterns, such as
clumsiness or walking on toes, and has odd, stiff or exaggerated body
language
• Is fascinated by details of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car,
but doesn't understand the overall purpose or function of the object
• Is unusually sensitive to light, sound or touch, yet may be indifferent to pain
or temperature
• Doesn't engage in imitative or make-believe play
• Fixates on an object or activity with abnormal intensity or focus
• Has specific food preferences, such as eating only a few foods, or refusing
foods with a certain texture

9. Additional Signs
• Many people with autism have sensory
sensitivities.
• They experience sensory experiences very
strongly so that, for example, bright lights,
loud noises, certain smells or tastes, the feel
of certain fabrics may all be distressing to
them.

10. Causes
• Genetics
• Environmental factors

11. 5 Types of Autism Spectrum Disorders

12. Types
• Autism spectrum disorder includes conditions
that were previously considered separate
Autism
Asperger's syndrome
Childhood disintegrative disorder
An unspecified form of pervasive
developmental disorder

13. Asperger's Syndrome
• A form of autism where the language aspect is
less of a disability.
• People with Asperger's Syndrome often have
good language skills, though their
communication with other people will still be
impaired because they lack social
understanding.
• Autism (or ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder)
is a lifelong condition.

14. Asperger’s Disorders
 Most common type of Autism .
 Usually misdiagnosed as Obsessive-
Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention-
Deficit Disorder (ADD).
 Children are unskilled in communication
and any type of social interaction.
 Carry repetitive motions and are fixated on
patterns of all types.
 Often clumsy due to their under developed
motor skills.
 They carry a talent that they focus
specifically on and are thought to be very
skilled at.
 It is claimed that Albert Einstein may have
carried this characteristic.

15. Kanner’s Syndrome
 Known as the “Classic Autistic Disorder.”
 Named after Dr. Leo Kanner who
described and studied it in the 1930s – 40s.
 Carry very limited emotional connection
with anyone.
 Very routine-based – wants everything
to be the same including: clothing, food,
music, and TV shows.
 Deeply affected by noise, bright lights
and smells.
 Generally considered to be low-
functioning, but how well their mind works
is unknown due to their poor social and
communication skills.

16.  Used to describe
children who have most
of the same symptoms
as classic autism.
 They require the
same interventions and
treatments.
 Differences between
PDD-NOS and autism
are minor. Only doctors
and researchers are able
to differentiate.

17. Rett’s Syndrome
 Rare type of autism and appears
to only happen to girls.
 First discovered by Dr. Rett.
 Patients often have muscle
atrophy and carry repetitive hand
motions.
 Very low-functioning and will
require care for most of their lives.
 This type of autism has been
diagnosed since the 60s, but in the
1990s, the gene that was said to
have caused this condition was
found.

18. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
 Very rare and strikes children
who appear to have normal
development from birth.
 Changes usually take place
between 2-4 years of age.
 Do not potty train, will lose the
ability to interact with other
children and will lose interest in
play.
 They will regress and eventually
lose the motor skills they had once
mastered.
 Communication skills will
disappear and will even stop talking
at one point.

19. Risk factors
• Child's sex
• Family history
• Other disorders
• Extremely preterm babies
• Parents' ages

20. Child’s Sex
• Boys are about four times more likely to
develop autism spectrum disorder than girls
are.

21. Family history
• Families who have one child with autism
spectrum disorder have an increased risk of
having another child with the disorder. It's
also not uncommon for parents or relatives of
a child with autism spectrum disorder to have
minor problems with social or communication
skills themselves or to engage in certain
behaviors typical of the disorder.

22. Other disorders
• Children with certain medical conditions have a
higher than normal risk of autism spectrum
disorder or autism-like symptoms.
• Examples include fragile X syndrome, an inherited
disorder that causes intellectual problems;
tuberous sclerosis, a condition in which benign
tumors develop in the brain; and Rett syndrome,
a genetic condition occurring almost exclusively
in girls, which causes slowing of head growth,
intellectual disability and loss of purposeful hand
use.

23. Extremely preterm babies
• Babies born before 26 weeks of gestation may
have a greater risk of autism spectrum
disorder.

24. Parents' ages
• There may be a connection between children
born to older parents and autism spectrum
disorder, but more research is necessary to
establish this link.

25. What might we notice in a child with
autism?
• They may not speak.
• They may not understand what other people say.
• They may copy what other people say.
• They may only talk about their favourite subject.
• They may be very interested in one thing and know a
lot about it.
• They may not want to take part in games or activities
with other people.
• They may find group situations, such as assembly,
dinner time or playtime, very difficult.
• They may prefer to be on their own, at home or at
school.

26. Cont..
• They may like to play the same game or do the same
thing every day.
• They may get upset, angry or withdrawn if routines
change or something different happens (such as their
teacher being away or coming to school by a different
route).
• Their reactions to things may be unusual.
• They may not understand implicit social rules, such as
not standing too close to someone.
• They may not have much sense of danger.
• They may be very fussy about what they eat and how it
is presented.

27. When to see a doctor
• Doesn't respond with a smile or happy expression by 6
months
• Doesn't mimic sounds or facial expressions by 9
months
• Doesn't babble or coo by 12 months
• Doesn't gesture — such as point or wave — by 14
months
• Doesn't say single words by 16 months
• Doesn't play "make-believe" or pretend by 18 months
• Doesn't say two-word phrases by 24 months
• Loses language skills or social skills at any age

28. Complications
• Problems with social interactions, communication
and behavior can lead to:
o Problems in school and with successful learning
o Employment problems
o Inability to live independently
o Social isolation
o Stress within the family
o Victimization and being bullied

29. How to support people with autism

30. Cont..

31. Thanks