A collection of information about Autism Spectrum Disorder definition,symptoms,therapies,last researches about behavioral analysis and a comaparaison between signs in children ,adolescents and adults

1. KERMOUN Faiza
4th year Medical student
UMMTO Algeria

2.  Autism spectrum disorder is a condition
related to brain development that impacts
how a person perceives and socializes with
others, causing problems in social interaction
and communication. The disorder also
includes limited and repetitive patterns of
behavior. The term "spectrum" in autism
spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of
symptoms and severity.

3.  Some children show signs of autism spectrum
disorder in early infancy; Other children may
develop normally for the first few months or
years of life, but then suddenly become
withdrawn or aggressive or lose language
skills they've already acquired. Signs usually
are seen by age 2 years.
 Each child with autism spectrum disorder is
likely to have a unique pattern of behavior
and level of severity — from low functioning
to high functioning.

4.  Some children with autism spectrum disorder
have difficulty learning, and some have signs
of lower than normal intelligence. Other
children with the disorder have normal to
high intelligence — they learn quickly, yet
have trouble communicating and applying
what they know in everyday life and adjusting
to social situations.
 Below are some common signs shown by
people who have autism spectrum disorder.

5.  Signs of Autism in young
children:
 not responding to their names
 avoiding eye contact
 do not smile when you smile
with them
 getting very upset if they do
not like taste, smell or sound
 repetitive movements
 do not talk as much as other
children
 repeating the same phrases
 Signs of autism in older
children:
 not seeming to understand
what others are feeling or
thinking
 find it hard to express their
feelings
 liking a strict daily routine and
getting upset if it changes
 having a very keen interest in
certain subjects or activities
 getting very upset if you ask
them to do something
 find it hard to make friends or
preferring to be on their own
 taking things very literally

6. There are three types of autism spectrum disorders:
 Autistic Disorder
 This is sometimes called “classic” autism. It is what most people
think of when hearing the word “autism”. People with autistic
disorder usually have significant language delays, social and
communication challenges, and unusual behaviors and interests.
Many people with autistic disorder also have intellectual disability.
 Asperger Syndrome
 People with Asperger syndrome usually have milder symptoms of
autistic disorder. They might have social challenges and unusual
behaviors and interests. However, they typically do not have
problems with language or intellectual disability.
 Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified
 This is sometimes called “atypical autism,” or PDD-NOS. People who
meet some of the criteria for autistic disorder or Asperger
syndrome, but not all, may be diagnosed with atypical autism. These
people usually have fewer and milder symptoms than those with
autistic disorder. The symptoms might cause only social and
communication challenges.

7.  Autism spectrum disorder has no single
known cause. Given the complexity of the
disorder, and the fact that symptoms and
severity vary, there are probably many
causes. Both genetics and environment may
play a role.

8.  Genetics: Several different genes appear to be involved in
autism spectrum disorder. For some children, autism
spectrum disorder can be associated with a genetic
disorder, such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome. For
other children, genetic changes (mutations) may increase
the risk of autism spectrum disorder. Still other genes may
affect brain development or the way that brain cells
communicate, or they may determine the severity of
symptoms. Some genetic mutations seem to be inherited,
while others occur spontaneously.
 Environmental factors: Researchers are currently
exploring whether factors such as viral infections,
medications or complications during pregnancy, or air
pollutants play a role in triggering autism spectrum
disorder.

9.  Some people have had concerns that ASD might be linked to
the vaccines children receive, but studies have shown that
there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing
ASD. In 2011, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) on eight
vaccines given to children and adults found that with rare
exceptions, these vaccines are very safe.
 A 2013 CDC study added to the research showing that
vaccines do not cause ASD. The study looked at the number
of antigens (substances in vaccines that cause the body’s
immune system to produce disease-fighting antibodies) from
vaccines during the first two years of life. The results showed
that the total amount of antigen from vaccines received was
the same between children with ASD and those that did not
have ASD.

10.  The number of children diagnosed with autism
spectrum disorder is rising. It's not clear whether
this is due to better detection and reporting or a
real increase in the number of cases, or both.
 Autism spectrum disorder affects children of all
races and nationalities, but certain factors
increase a child's risk. These may include:
 Your child's sex:Boys are about four times more
likely to develop autism spectrum disorder than
girls are.

11.  Family history: Families who have one child with
autism spectrum disorder have an increased risk of
having another child with the disorder. It's also not
uncommon for parents or relatives of a child with
autism spectrum disorder to have minor problems
with social or communication skills themselves or to
engage in certain behaviors typical of the disorder.
 Extremely preterm babies: Babies born before 26
weeks of gestation may have a greater risk of autism
spectrum disorder.
 Parents' ages: There may be a connection between
children born to older parents and autism spectrum
disorder, but more research is necessary to establish
this link.

12.  Problems with social interactions,
communication and behavior can lead to:
 Problems in school and with successful
learning
 Employment problems
 Inability to live independently
 Social isolation
 Stress within the family
 Victimization and being bullied

13.  Because every child with autismspectrum
disorder (ASD) has unique symptoms, each
child should receive treatment that meets
their specific needs. There are a variety
of therapy options that have been shown to
be successful for improving learning,
communication, and social skills of children
with ASD

14.  Autism is a disorder of brain development
which mainly affects social behaviors and
communication development. Therapists
working with children who are on the autism
spectrum of disorders often use behavior
therapy as a means of treatment. The right
behavior therapy for each individual with
autism may include one or more of the
following techniques.

15.  One type of behavior therapy for children with autism
is applied behavior analysis (ABA). ABA is used to
help children succeed at reaching positive goals and
distinguish negative behaviors. Optimally, a trained
therapist would work one-on-one for 40 or more
hours per week with a child when using ABA. First,
the child would be observed, and then, goals would
be made. To carry out the program, a therapist would
reward the behaviors that she wants the child to
achieve while ignoring undesirable ones. It helps if a
parent or caregiver learns ABA so a therapist does not
need to spend as much time with the child and so the
child can participate in real social situations.

16.  Another option for behavior therapy is relationship
development intervention (RDI). This relatively new
behavior therapy focuses on social behaviors of the
autistic child. The parents are more involved than a
therapist when using RDI. After initial assessments
are made by a professional, goals are set for the
child. The parents attend an intensive workshop or
watch a five-hour video to help them learn how to
carry out the therapy. In addition, parents submit
videos of themselves with the child to get feedback
from the professionals who can give them advice for
further treatments. RDI appears to work best when
children are young, but there is hope for older
children as well.

17.  A third behavioral therapy is sensory integration
therapy. This type of therapy works to improve a
child’s sensitivities to sensory stimuli that may
be overwhelming to the child. Loud noises, bright
lights, and touches may all be addressed. A
therapist using this type of therapy will introduce
the child to increasingly higher levels of the
stimuli being worked on. While the therapist does
need to push the child’s limits, there is no force
involved. Sensory integration therapy does not
require a lot of time per session and positive
results usually occur relatively quickly if this is
going to work.

18.  A fourth behavior therapy that is important for
individuals with autism is communication
interventions. There are a number of different models
used, but all focus on a core deficit in many with
autism: the lack of effective communication. Without
effective communication, you will often see undesired
behaviors out of frustration and misunderstandings
about the situations. Teaching communication skills,
whether they are verbal or by use assistant devices ,
helps an individual express his needs and desires.
Allowing this to happen in social situations makes it
more meaningful to the child. Social learning can
happen through modeling, peer tutoring, games, and
many others.

19.  The TEACCH model is used to help children with
autism achieve positive results with their social
and maladaptive behaviors. It uses an
environment that is structured and organized at
all times. In addition, activities are predictably
sequenced and visually organized to enhance the
environment for the child. Children proceed to
practice activities and skills in a specific fashion.
Outcomes are more positive when the parents
are taught to use a similar method at home.

20.  Over the past 50 years very many different treatments have been
promoted as bringing about significant improvements, or even
cures, for children with autism. However, few interventions
involve controlled studies of any kind; randomised control trials
are virtually non-existent and when appropriate research
methodology has been applied the results are generally far from
positive. Recent research suggests that the most effective results
stem from early intensive behavioural interventions. Although
many questions remain concerning the optimal age at which
treatment should begin, the intensity of treatment and the many
other variables that may affect outcome, there is growing
evidence of general strategies that can be effective in
ameliorating the problems associated with autism.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
W. W. Fleischhacker D. J. Brooks

21.  environmental influences may affect the
manifestation of symptoms at any point in the life
course. An ecological theory of autism argues that
autism is not simply a characteristic of the individual
but reflects a “disordered relationship between the
person and the environment” (Loveland, 2001, p. 23).
Furthermore, interventions, treatments, services, the
family environment, and medications may all alter the
course of development in individuals with ASDs (Lord
& McGee, 2001). Given recent increases in autism-
specific services and educational interventions, such
environmental influences may have benefitted
younger cohorts more than their older counterparts
(Lord & McGee, 2001)

22.  the adolescent cohort tended to be less impaired than the adult
cohort in their ability to communicate nonverbally, in their ability
to engage in reciprocal conversations, and in their overall level of
language. However, with respect to verbal symptoms, the
adolescents were more impaired than the adults, particularly in
their likelihood of making inappropriate statements. For both
adolescents and adults, there was a general pattern of
abatement of symptoms, reflecting improved overall use of
language, improved ability to communicate nonverbally, and
reduced stereotyped, repetitive, or idiosyncratic speech. There
was one indicator of differential improvement from the lifetime
to the current rating, with the adult cohort showing a greater
improvement in their overall level of language than the
adolescents
 The Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adolescence and
Adulthood
 Marsha Mailick Seltzer ;Marty Wyngaarden Krauss
;Paul T. Shattuck;Gael Orsmond;April Swe ;Catherine Lord

23.  Journal of Autism and Developmental
Disorders
 Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide
 NHS
 Mayo Clinic
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 National Autistic Society
 A COMPREHENSIVE BOOK ON AUTISM
SPECTRUM DISORDERS Edited by Mohammad-
Reza Mohammadi