OUR TARGETS• AUTISM PRE QUIZ• BRIEF CLASS

DISCUSSION ON AUTISMVIDEO AND TAKE NOTES

• NOTES• GENETICS-

PARENTS• ENVIRONMENT• WHERE DO THE

KIDS FALL IN THE SPECTRUM

• TREATMENT• WARNING SIGNS

OUR TARGETSLECTURE

In your journal take notes on the following:1. Definition of Autism2. Symptoms3. Cause4. Genetic and Environmental

Links5. Therapies6. Statistics7. Different degrees of Autism8. Connection between Vaccines

and Allergies to Autism

AUTISMOBJECTIVES OF AUTISM UNIT

•DEFINITION OF AUTISM•CAUSES OF AUTISM

•SYMPTOMS OF AUTISM•TREATMENT FOR AUTISIM BY LEVEL OF ANALYSIS

•CONNECTION TO THE BIO LEVEL OF ANALYSIS•WARNING SIGNS OF AUTISM

•CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE CAUSE OF AUTISM

POSSIBLE TEST QUESTIONS FOR AUTISM UNIT•DESCRIBE AND EVALUATE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE CAUSE OF

AUTISM•DESCRIBE AND EVALUATE THE CAUSES AND TREATMENT OF AUTISM WITHIN EACH LEVEL OF ANALYSIS

AUTISMDEFINITION:•Called Autism Spectrum Disorder•Group of serious developmental problems that happen before the age of 3.•Affects a child’s ability to communicate and interact with others.•Affects 1 in 68 births in the US. 1 in 150 in 2000.

SYMPTOMS •Three crucial areas-social language, interaction and behavior•Many children shows these problems in early infancy but some may show symptoms later in early childhood. SOCIAL SKILLS(LEARNING PERSPECTIVE)•Fails to respond to his or her name •Has poor eye contact •Appears not to hear you at times •Resists cuddling and holding •Appears unaware of others' feelings •Seems to prefer playing alone — retreats into his or her "own world"

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12 Qualities a woman looks for in a man

1. Honesty

2. To be able to protect

3. Get up and go

4. Belief

5. Sense of humor

6. Reliability

7. Commitment

8. Respect

9. Attuned to feelings

10. Attractiveness

11. Assertiveness

12. Faithful

VIDEO-AUTISM X6• NOTES• GENETICS-PARENTS• ENVIRONMENT• WHERE DO THE KIDS FALL IN

THE SPECTRUM• TREATMENT• WARNING SIGNS

OUR TARGETSAUTISM LECTURE• MORE SYMPTOMS• CAUSES• RISK FACTORS• WARNING SIGNS• TREATMENTVIDEOAUTISTIC SAVANT TWINS

LANGUAGE (COGNITIVE LEVEL OF ANALYSIS)•Starts talking later than other children •Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences •Does not make eye contact when making requests •Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm — may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech •Can't start a conversation or keep one going •May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but doesn't understand how to use themBEHAVIOR • Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping •Develops specific routines or rituals •Becomes disturbed at the slightest change in routines or rituals •Moves constantly •May be fascinated by parts of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car •May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch and yet oblivious to pain

AUTISMCAUSES

Autism has no single, known cause. GENETIC ERRORS(Biological Level of Analysis)

“Researchers have discovered a number of genes that appear to be involved in autism. Some may make a child more susceptible to the

disorder; others affect brain development or the way brain cells communicate. Still others may determine the severity of symptoms. Each

genetic error may account for a small number of cases, but taken together, the influence of genes may be substantial. Some genetic errors seem to be inherited, whereas others occur spontaneously.” Mayo Clinic

2008

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Researchers are currently exploring whether viral infections and air

pollutants, for instance, play a role in triggering Autism.

OTHER FACTORS (BLA) “under investigation include problems during labor and delivery and the

role of the immune system in autism. Some researchers believe that damage to the amygdala — a portion of the brain that serves as a danger

detector — may play a role in autism. “-Mayo Clinic 2008

CONTROVERSY•Link to early vaccines especially Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)•Vaccines with thimerosal, a preservative that contains a small amount of mercury. Since 2001, this preservative has been removed. RISK FACTORS (BLA)Your child's sex. Studies show that boys are three to four times more likely to develop autism than girls are. Family history. “Families who have one child with autism have an increased risk of having another child with the disorder. It's also not uncommon for the parents or relatives of an autistic child to have minor problems with social or communication skills themselves or to engage in certain autistic behaviors.” Mayo Clinic 2008Other disorders. “Children with certain medical conditions have a higher than normal risk of having autism. These conditions include fragile X syndrome, an inherited disorder that causes intellectual impairment; tuberous sclerosis, a condition in which benign tumors develop in the brain; the neurological disorder Tourette’s syndrome; and epilepsy, which causes seizures.” Mayo Clinic 2008 Paternal age. “Research increasingly suggests that having an older father may increase a child's risk of autism. One large study showed that children born to men 40 years or older were almost six times more likely to have autism spectrum disorder than were children born to men younger than 30 years. Maternal age, on the other hand, seems to have little effect on autism risk.” Mayo Clinic 2008

OUR TARGETS• Autism Lecture

• Warning Signs • Asperger’s

• Autism Articles

WARNING SIGNS• Doesn't babble or coo by 12 months

• Doesn't gesture — such as point or wave — by 12 months • Doesn't say single words by 16 months

• Doesn't say two-word phrases by 24 months • Loses previously acquired language or social skills at any age

TREATMENT AND DRUGSBEHAVIOR AND COMMUNICATION THERAPY(Learning

Perspective)• Addresses social, language and behavior difficulties• Reducing behavior problems and teaching social skills• Teach them how to act in different social situations and communicate

betterEDUCATIONAL THERAPY(LEARNING PERSPECTIVE)

• Autistic children respond to structure environments. Where they have a team of specialists.

• Variety activities that improve on social, communication and behavior issues.

• Preschool students work well with individualized structured environments.

AUTISM

DRUG THERAPY• There is no specific medication that treats Autism.• Anti-depressants may be prescribed for anxiety and some Anti-

Psychotic drugs for behavioral problems.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIESCREATIVE THERAPY- Play, Music, Art or Music Therapy.• Sensory Integration therapy-focuses on reducing a child’s sensitivity to

touch and sound.SPECIAL DIETS(BIOLOGICAL)• Restriction to food allergens such as-yeast, dairy and gluten.• Adding dietary supplements- such as Omega 3, Folic Acid, B-vitamins.CHELATION THERAPY (BIOLOGICAL)• Remove Mercury from the diet. • But there is no specific research with a connection between Autism

and Mercury.

AUTISM

ASPERGER’S SYNDROME • Developmental disorder that affects children to socialize and

communicate with others. They are socially awkward and are focused with specific topics.

SYMPTOMS• Engaging in one-sided, long-winded conversations, without noticing

if the listener is listening or trying to change the subject • Displaying unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye

contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures

• Showing an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects.

• Appearing not to understand, empathize with, or be sensitive to others' feelings

• Having a hard time "reading" other people or understanding humor • Speaking in a voice that is monotonous, rigid or unusually fast • Moving clumsily, with poor coordination Having an odd posture or a

rigid gait

CAUSE• Strong genetic component

AUTISM