Understanding Autism

BY BUZZ

By Dr Richard Rudgley

Most people will have heard of Autism and Asperger syndrome but we often form false impressions based on what we have seen via the media.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a range of conditions that affects development and includes both Autism and Asperger syndrome. The film “Rain Man” depicts an autistic savant which is not typical of people with autism; do not expect the average person with ASD to memorise the phone book or beat the casinos at Las Vegas!

ASD begins in childhood and is a lifelong condition with no cure. Parents usually become concerned about their child at about 18 months and it can normally be diagnosed at about the age of two. However, many cases are not diagnosed for many years and some go unrecognised into adulthood.

It is not known what causes ASD but genetic factors are probably the most important. The MMR vaccine has been conclusively shown not to cause autism. About one in 100 children in the UK are affected with the rates slowly increasing. This increase doesn’t mean that the condition is becoming more widespread but is probably due to experts being better at recognising it.

It’s important to realise that people with ASD are very different from each other but all individuals will have difficulty in three main areas. Firstly, difficulties with social interaction as some will appear aloof whereas others will want to interact but will be clumsy with one-sided conversation. The second area is problems with language and communication; some adults with ASD will have little or no useful speech whilst others will have good language skills but show problems with intonation or facial expression. Lastly, people with ASD will have difficulties thinking imaginatively. This may be shown as the child who cannot pretend play or will do so in a very repetitive manner.

Diagnosis is made by specialists and input provided from a multidisciplinary team which may involve psychologists and doctors together with specialised teachers. The focus is on helping the child understand and then change behaviour. Language and communication skills are broken down into small tasks and positive behaviour is reinforced.

People with Asperger syndrome have milder symptoms than those with Autism but it is important to emphasise the huge range in intellectual abilities of people with ASD from those individuals with severe learning disability. They may however have problems in the work place and at home because of the social demands and changes in routine. By understanding the limitations that people with ASD have can make a big difference to their lives. Remember that breaking routine can be very stressful for the person with ASD. Be aware they may struggle with jokes, proverbs or sarcasm even if their language seems good and pain thresholds may differ from other people and often being hypersensitive to crowds and noise.

Further information can be found by contacting http://www.autismberkshire.org.uk/

National Autistic society