AUTISM

WHO DISCOVERED AUTISM/WHO HAS DONE RESEARCH?

• The first mention of the word Autism was recorded by Martin Luther, a priest and professor of theology from Germany.
• He explained a story of a 12 year old boy who might have severe autism .

COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF THIS DISORDER

• Children with an ASD may fail to respond to their names and often avoid eye contact with other people.
• Difficulty with verbal communication, including problems using and understanding language
• Inability to participate in a conversation, even when the child has the ability to speak
• Difficulty with non-verbal communication, such as gestures and facial expressions
• Difficulty with social interaction, including relating to people and to his or her surroundings

SYMPTOMS CONT..

• Difficulty making friends and preferring to play alone
• Unusual ways of playing with toys and other objects, such as only lining them up a certain way
• Difficulty adjusting to changes in routine or familiar surroundings, or an unreasonable insistence on following routines in detail
• Repetitive body movements, or patterns of behavior, such as hand flapping, spinning, and head banging
• Preoccupation with unusual objects or parts of objects

WHAT BODY SYSTEMS DOES IT AFFECT?

• Digestive
• Muscles
• Nervous
• Senses

HOW IS AUTISM DIAGNOSED?

• There are no specific tests to pinpoint the diagnosis of autism.

This Punnet Square explains the chances of autism. This shows that if both parents were carriers, there would be a 25 percent of their child having autism, a 25 percent chance of their child not having autism, and a 50 percent chance of their child being a carrier of autism.

HOW IS IT TREATED?

• No treatments.
• Behavior and communication therapies
• Educational therapies
• Certain medications (antidepressants)
• Creative therapies

RESOURCES

• ninds.nih.gov
• discovery.yukozimo.com
• answers.com
• webmd.com