Does anybody know anything about Autism?

Question

I saw something online about an autistic girl. She functioned just like a normal girl she could talk walk and do everything anyone else could. But she had bad angry out burst and tantrums and she also didnt really know how to interact with people and never had anyfriends. Does anybody know about this? i know someone that has all these signes but i thought it was just a behavior disorder? does anybody know?

Answer 1

When I suspected my son had autism (he was diagnosed with it last July) I found that the Autsim Society of America(ASA) was very useful. I knew he had it before he was evaluated.

This is some of the  info that comes from the ASA.

The central features of Autistic Disorder are the presence of markedly abnormal or impaired development in social interaction and communication and a markedly restricted repertoire of activity and interest. The manifestations of this disorder vary greatly depending on the developmental level and chronological age of the individual.

The essential features of Asperger's Disorder are severe and sustained impairment in social interaction and the development of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interest, and activity. The disturbance must clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning. In contrast to Autistic Disorder, there are no clinically significant delays in language. In addition there are no clinically significant delays in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior, and curiosity about the environment in childhood.

Criteria for diagnosing Autsim:

A. A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3):

1. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

*Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction

*Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

*A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest)

*Lack of social or emotional reciprocity

2. Qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following:

*Delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gestures or mime)

*In individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others

*Stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language

*Lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

3. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:

*Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus

*Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals

*Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)

*Persistent preoccupation with parts of object

B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years:

*Social interaction

*Language as used in social communication

*Symbolic or imaginative play

C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by Rett's Disorder or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.

Criteria for diagnosing Asperger's:

A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

*Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction

*Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

*A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)

*Lack of social or emotional reciprocity

B. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:

*Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus

*Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, non-functional routines or rituals

*Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)

*Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

D. There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)

E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood.

F. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia.

If you visit their website, they have tons of info about Autism, Asperger's, the other PDD's (Pervasive Developmental Disorders) - Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD); Rett's Disorder; PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS);  and other related syndromes/disorders. They cover what is autism, characteristics, causes, facts, diagnosis/consultation, treatments, education, etc.

Answer 2

That was the nightline show - it's Asperger's that they were talking about - and how difficult it is to get girls w/ autism diagnosed.

It's not a behavior disorder, it's a neurobiological disorder.

Read about it here -

http://www.aane.org/description.html

Answer 3

I'm doing some research on it as someone was brave enough (thank god) to approach me with the concern my 2 year old may have a form of it.  There is a broad spectrem and it can be paired w/other disabilities as well.  While I don't feel he has autism, I feel he may have a sensory disorder.  Had that person not approched me, I wouldn't have caught this so soon.  I may be wrong as so many of these conditions have some of the same symptoms, but I'll know more after he starts the long process of being tested and diagnosed.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/navigating/p...

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.c...

A good friend of mine has an autistic daughter and a son with a sensory disorder.  She thought he was autistic until ,upon being tested, she was told about the sensory disorder.  I'd do some research and then go to your friend? with your concerns, gently.  Hopefully she'll be as open minded as I.

I said symtoms, but I think behaviors is a better word.

Answer 4

my dd has autism. we moved to canada from the usa.

she could have aspergers she could also have undx mentall illness as well. i am posting you a site that even the govt of caanda refers to a lot

www.medlineplus.gov

and the www.cdc.gov sites see symptom finders or autism and mental illness.

in the us she could be easily tested even in the school.

go to www.canada.gc.ca see health or disabilitites good luck.

Answer 5

autism, persuasive developmental disorder (PDD), aspergers all fall in the catagory of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).. It can range from the severly mentally retarded to very high functioning individuals.

When i worked at the local middle school, one of my friends was a special education teacher and she had to do an initial eval on a 7th grade student and in gifted classes. It turns out that he has aspergers. While i worked there there was a student dx of autistic that was so profound they couldnt do an accuracte IQ score on him.

This shows that there is a WIDE range of this complex disorder.

Answer 6

Here is one place to start - it is clear that what you think is Autism is not what it is.  It is a complex Neurological Disorder than has a wide range of severity.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/lea...

Answer 7

i got the chance to take care of a 5 year old girl with autism during the summer

she would run around and not listen

and she would constantly bite her shirt so it would get wet.  then she would take her shirt off.  she also liked to take her shoes off (and we were in a public environment with other kids her age)

she also seemed to not be able to follow directions.  she couldn't communicate very well.  she repeated statements over and over and when it was drawing time, she would draw numbers everywhere.  

she was so cute i miss her