2. Prevalence in the United States is
estimated at 1 in 68 births.
Some facts about Autism:
• More than 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum
disorder.
• Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability.
• Autism in U.S. children increased by 119.4 percent from 2000 (1
in 150) to 2010 (1 in 68).
• Autism services cost U.S. citizens $236-262 billion annually.
• A majority of costs in the U.S. are in adult services – $175-196
billion.
• Compared to $61-66 billion for children.
5. • The term “spectrum” refers to the wide range
of symptoms, skills, and levels of impairment or
disabilities that children with ASD can have.
Some children are mildly impaired by their
symptoms, while others are severely disabled.
6. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by:
•Persistent deficits in social communication and social
interaction across multiple contexts;
•Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests,
or activities;
•Symptoms must be present in the early
developmental period (typically recognized in the first
two years of life); and,
•Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in
social, occupational, or other important areas of
current functioning.
7. What are the causes?
• Scientists don't know the exact causes of autism
spectrum disorder (ASD), but research suggests
that both genes and environment play important
roles.
8. Genetic factors:
• Most people who develop ASD have no reported family
history of autism; suggesting that random, rare, and
possibly many gene mutations are likely to affect a
person's risk.
• Any change to normal genetic information is called a
mutation.
• Mutations can be inherited, but some arise for no
reason.
• Mutations can be helpful, harmful, or have no effect.
9. Environmental factors:
• In medicine, "environment" refers to anything outside of
the body that can affect health.
• This includes the air we breathe, the water we drink and
bathe in, the food we eat, the medicines we take and
many other things that our bodies may come in contact
with.
• Environment also includes our surroundings in the
womb, when our mother's health directly affects our
growth and earliest development.
10. What are some of the environmental factors
researchers believe may be associated with ASD?
• Advanced parental age at time of conception
• Prenatal exposure to air pollution
• Maternal obesity or diabetes
• Extreme prematurity and very low birth weight
• Any birth difficulty leading to periods of prenatal oxygen
deprivation to the baby’s brain
• Prenatal exposure to certain pesticides
11.
12.
13. Sensory, audio and physical touch are
some things I don’t like or maybe I really
do like them?
14.
15. How can we help people with autism?
• 35 percent of young adults (ages 19-23) with autism have
not had a job or received postgraduate education after
leaving high school.
• It costs more than $8,600 extra per year to educate a student
with autism.
• The average cost of educating a student is about $12,000
16. Loud noise scares me!
• Over or under reactions to pain or loud noise is common among
children with ASD.
17. I love dirt and sometimes eat it!
• Abnormal eating habits are another symptom, with some
children preferring only a few foods and others eating nonfood
items like dirt or rocks. Chronic constipation and diarrhea may
occur.
19. Are there any treatments for autism
spectrum disorder?
• While there's no proven cure yet for autism spectrum
disorder (ASD), treating ASD early, using school-based
programs, and getting proper medical care can greatly
reduce ASD symptoms and increase your child's ability
to grow and learn new skills.
• Research has shown that intensive behavioral therapy
during the toddler or preschool years can significantly
improve cognitive and language skills in young children
with ASD.
• One type of a widely accepted treatment is applied
behavior analysis (ABA).
20. What can ABA do?
• The goals of ABA are to shape and reinforce new
behaviors, such as learning to speak and play,
and reduce undesirable behaviors.
• ABA, which can involve intensive, one-on-one
child-teacher interaction for up to 40 hours a
week, has inspired the development of other
similar interventions that aim to help those with
ASD reach their full potential.
