Classical autism in its more severe form, which results in mental retardation, occurs in about 1 in every 1,000 births, she said. When milder forms of autism like Aspberger's syndrome are included, the incidence is 1 in 500.75% of the individuals affected by autism are males. The common feature among all children with autism is a lack of social relatedness. The disorder hinders development of the abilities not only to communicate, but to form attachments, explore the surroundings, and sometimes even to play. This can result in severe impairment of intellectual, social, and emotional fabric. Autistic individuals often seem completely oblivious to affection, the environment they live in, and the people around them. They rarely talk, often make bizarre responses to common aspects of living, and are quite capable of withdrawing into a world of their own. Early indicators include little eye contact, little reaction to one's touch, prolonged episodes of screaming and head-banging, and long periods of total inactivity. One in 10 autistic individuals shows savant tendencies (such as those depicted in the movie "Rain Man"), where persons with seemingly serious mental handicaps excel in a single area of intellect. Risk of autism has been tentatively linked both to abnormalities in the structure of certain chromosomes (Fragile X syndrome), and to unusually high levels of endorphins, so the causes may be genetically more biological than psychological. Also at risk are offspring of mothers who contract rubella (German measles) during pregnancy. There is no known cure for autism, though a number of activities and therapies do help to bring autistic people out of their shells. Megavitamin therapy with vitamin B6 and folic acid, for example, and the drug naltrexone have improved attention spans and social skills in some sufferers. Early detection can be made either by measuring fetal levels of folic acid, or by conducting prenatal chromosome analyses where Fragile X syndrome is suspected. A number of research projects involving experimental preventive measures have been reported in the current medical literature. Some of these experiments may prove to be helpful either in reducing the risk of autism in offspring, or perhaps preventing it altogether: (1) eating two or three times as much food high in folic acid (bananas, mushrooms, liver, green leafy vegetables, yeast, and fortified cereals), or taking folic acid supplements; (2) cutting back on alcohol, because it interferes with the proper absorption of folic acid through the small intestine; and (3) inoculation for German measles.

The autistic syndromes are variously referred to as: childhood autism, infantile autism, autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, and childhood psychosis. The basic criteria agreed by most experts are: 1) early onset (before 3-5 years of age); 2) severe abnormality of reciprocal social relatedness; 3) severe abnormality of communication development (including language); and 4) restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, activities and imagination, and maybe a fifth: abnormal responses to sensory stimuli.       

Autistic behaviors typically begin appearing between the ages of 18 months and three years of age.

Children with autism can demonstrate a wide variety of behaviors. All of the characteristics listed below do not need to be present in order for autism to be diagnosed.

1. Abnormal responses to sensations of touch, taste, hearing, sight and smell. For example:

• poor attention to sights and sounds
• withdrawal from sights, sounds and touch
• inappropriate smelling, licking or staring
• self-stimulating movements
• hyper or hypo activity

2. Delayed development of motor skills. For example:

• problems with fine motor skills, including speech, grasping objects
• delayed crawling, walking and running
• apraxia of motor skills (difficulty with voluntary motor skills)
• clumsy or awkward movements

3. Delayed development of communication skills. For example:

• absence of language
• inability to name objects
• lack of nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions and gestures.
• echolalia (echoing or repeating what is said)
• poor understanding
• difficulty communicating basic wants and needs
• difficulty answering and asking questions
 
• (The pattern of language development is both delayed and unusual. Children with autism may be mute, their language may be non-fluent and peculiar or their verbalizations may be structurally and semantically correct but non-communicative.)
• failure to communicate, either verbally or through gestures
• abnormalities in the form, content or production of spoken language; and/or failure to use language for social purposes, e.g. automatic speech or echolalia.

4. Inappropriate socialization. For example:

• inappropriate emotional responses or behavior such as crying, giggling, anger or aggression for unknown reason
• resistance to change in routines
• failure to develop cooperative play and friendships
• rituals or repetitive and unusual motions
 
• Repetitive behaviour is abnormal in its form, intensity, frequency and persistence. It ranges from simple, repeated motor activities, through more complex, compulsive rituals to elaborate pseudo-academic pursuits.
• simple repetitive motor acts, involving either self or objects
• a preoccupation with and a rigid, compulsive adherence to routines
• and/or more elaborate academic or artistic pursuits involving rote memory and limited comprehension.
• inappropriate or unusual attachments to objects
• no fear of real dangers

Causes of Autism

Recent research has determined that in children with autism, brain abnormalities arise during early development These abnormalities are genetically linked and new research is being done to determine the exact cause.

The DSM-IV criteria for diagnosing Autistic Disorder:

• 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:

• (a) 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.
• (b) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level.
• (c) 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).
• (d) lack of social or emotional reciprocity.

   

• (2). qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following:
• (a) 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 gesture or mime)
• (b) in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
• (c) stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language
• (d) lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

   

• 3. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years: (1) social interaction, (2) language as used in social communication, or (3) symbolic or imaginative play.

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

• "Infants with Autistic Disorder may be different from birth. Two common characteristics they may exhibit include arching their back away from their caregiver to avoid physical contact and failing to anticipate being picked up (i.e., becoming limp). As infants, they are often described as either passive or overly agitated babies. During infancy, many begin to rock and/or bang their head against the crib; but this is not always the case. Infants with Autistic Disorder fail to develop normal personal interaction in every setting. This may be evident by poor eye-contact (the child rarely looks at your face), not smiling or reacting to smiles, may have a blank expression, or may show little interest in people. As the child develops, interaction with others continues to be abnormal. There may be an inability to develop normal peer and sibling relationships and the child may prefer to be alone. There may be little or no joy or interest in normal age-appropriate activities and the child may fail to imitate others. Affected children do not seek out other children for play. In severe cases, they may not even be aware of the presence of other individuals."

Drug Therapies

Other areas of investigation when looking for the etiology of autism are: food sensitivities, heavy metal toxicity, the "Candida connection", hypothyroidism, and nutritional and neurotransmitter deficiencies."

Fatty Acids

In parts of the world it is becoming standard practice to perform metabolic tests when a diagnosis of autism is made. In the UK  they tend to rely solely on clinical and behavioural observations (with an EEG being performed). In cases of dyslexia(similar temporal lobe disorder) it is reported that there are freguent abnormally high levels of Linoleic Acid (LA) and an abnormally low levels of Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) which is made in the body from LA. The GLA is utilized by the body for the manufacture of the prostaglandins, but it also has a role in maintaining the integrity of the stomach wall. Hence where there is insufficient GLA the stomach wall becomes more permeable and partially digested nutrients could, as pass more readily into the blood stream (Oaten 1993). Given the similarities which exist between autism and some of the symptoms which can often accompany dyslexia, the imporance of these hypotheses is worth considering in the context of autism spectral disorders.

Zinc is involved in this process of conversion of LA to GLA and this metal is sometimes reported as being low in people with autism (although the literature would suggest otherwise). If low levels of GLA are suspected (or found) it is a simple process to suppliment it into the diet in the form of Evening Primrose Oil or Star Flower Oil.

Other Therapies

Another form of therapy that has been effective is auditory integrative therapy( A.K.A. Sensory intergration), which is very specially designed training to change the behavior characteristics of the autistic child. Vestibular stimulation is the focus of sensory integration therapy. This type of stimulation affects not just the vestibular system, but most other systems including visual, auditory, and proprioceptive. How therapy is implemented should be based on careful evaluation and observation by a therapist trained in sensory integrative evaluation and treatment. Through this, they can determine exactly what the childs needs are and which activities and techniques would benefit him most.

Adventures in Autism...

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