Autism and Asperger
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Autism and Asperger
NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Autism "Most parents of autistic children suspect that something is wrong by the time the child is 18 months old and seek help by the time the child is 2. Children with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, and pretend play. In some, aggression -- toward others or self -- may be present. Some children with autism appear normal before age 1 or 2 and then suddenly "regress" and lose language or social skills they had previously gained. This is called the regressive type of autism. People with autism may perform repeated body movements, show unusual attachments to objects or have unusual distress when routines are changed. Individuals may also experience sensitivities in the senses …"
NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Asperger syndrome "The child with Asperger shows below-average nonverbal communication gestures, fails to develop peer relationships, has an inability to express pleasure in other people's happiness, and lacks the ability to reciprocate emotionally in normal social interactions. The condition appears to be more common in boys than in girls. There are likely genetic factors, but some theories suggest a prenatal infection may be to blame. While people with Asperger syndrome are frequently socially inept, many have above-average intelligence, and they may excel in fields like computer programming and science. There is no delay in cognitive development, in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, or in curiosity about the environment. Generally, there is no language development delay."
NHS (UK) - Autistic spectrum disorder "Autistic spectrum disorder is the term that is used to describe a group of disorders, including autism and Asperger syndrome. The word 'spectrum' is used because the characteristics of the condition vary from one person to another. Those with autism may also have a learning disability. Those who have Asperger syndrome tend to have average, or above average, intelligence, but still have difficulty making sense of the world. The causes of ASD are still unknown, and research is ongoing. However, research suggests that genetic factors may be involved, and there is also some evidence to show that the condition may be linked to environmental factors, such as pollution, or viruses like rubella (German measles). Recent research suggests that around 1 in 100 people have ASD in the UK. It is thought to affect four times as many males than females, although the reason for this is unknown."
NHS (UK) - Autistic spectrum disorder: Diagnosis for adults "Describing your experiences AS is characterised by something known as the triad of impairments. People with AS will be affected in some way by each of these impairments. The autistic spectrum is very broad and two people with the condition may have very different symptoms. No one person will have all the traits but most people with AS will usually have problems in the following three areas. Social communication Difficulty understanding gestures, body language and facial expressions, a lack of social motivation and difficulties making friends Social understanding Difficulties in group situations, problems understanding double meanings and jokes, and choosing topics that are not appropriate to talk about. Imagination This can include difficulty with imagining alternative outcomes and finding it hard to predict what will happen next. This frequently leads to anxiety and can show itself as: An obsession with rigid routines and severe distress if routines are disrupted. Problems with making plans for the future. Problems with sequencing tasks. Secondary traits of Asperger syndrome People with AS tend to have difficulties which relate to the triad but are not included within it. These can include: obsessive compulsive behaviours, obsessive interests in just one topic, social phobias, acute anxiety, depression, social isolation and clumsiness, often linked to a condition known as dyspraxia."
Highlighted Articles
Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in the First 3 Years of Life (Nature Clinical Practice Neurology 2008) “The age at diagnosis of ASD ranges from 3 to 6 years, but there is increasing evidence that diagnosis in the second year of life is possible in some children. Early diagnosis will lead to earlier behavior-based intervention, which is associated with improvements in core areas, such as social functioning and communication. Early detection of—and intervention to treat—ASD is crucial because it is likely to lead to an improved outcome.”
A Prospective Study of Response to Name in Infants at Risk for Autism (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2007) "Conclusions Failure to respond to name by age 12 months is highly suggestive of developmental abnormality but does not identify all children at risk for developmental problems. Lack of responding to name is not universal among infants later diagnosed with ASD and/or other developmental delays. Poor response to name may be a trait of the broader autism phenotype in infancy."
Structure of the Autism Symptom Phenotype: A Proposed Multidimensional Model. (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2007) "Conclusions: The pervasive developmental disorder symptom phenotype is composed of three domains or factors: social-communication, inflexible language and behavior, and repetitive sensory and motor behavior. Each child with pervasive developmental disorder can be characterized by these dimensions, which give an informative picture of the clinical presentation and a quantitative estimate of the severity of the disability."
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Notes
The Guidelines section will contain the 2006 and certain 2005 updated published guidelines. To view Guidelines from previous years, view year 2005 InfoMedlinks (Articles section) or our Monthly Online Newsletter (under the Guidelines section).
Autism and Asperger
Daily Treatment Report
Cognitive Therapy-CBT-Psychotherapy
Effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy on anxiety for children with high-functioning autistic spectrum disorders. (Singapore Med J. 2008) “Children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) often demonstrate difficulties in interacting with others; they often engage in stereotypic, repetitive types of behaviour and may sometimes have obsessive interest patterns, as well as severe language and cognitive impairments.(1,2) Very often, the prognosis for children with this disorder is generally poor, resulting in significant lifelong disability.(3) Children with ASD often exhibit one or more comorbid disorders, including anxiety, disruptive behaviour, mental retardation, and depression. In recent years, there is a growing body of research on anxiety in children with ASD. For example, children with high-functioning autism (HFA) were found to score higher on measures of anxiety than children with specific learning impairments and normal developing children.(4) In another study on adolescents diagnosed with conduct disorder, and those diagnosed with HFA or Asperger’s Syndrome, indicated that the latter had significantly higher levels of anxiety than those with conduct disorders.(5) The development of anxiety among children with ASD may be related to their cognitive impairment.(6,7) For example, children with ASD may have executive dysfunction and lack the cognitive flexibility to generate strategies to adapt to varying circumstances.(8) … Conclusion: Findings from the present study provided some evidence of the effects of CBT for high-functioning autistic children in reducing anxiety, parental and teacher stress.”
Device Therapy
Drug Side-Effects and Interactions
Drugs
Exercise
General Information
Autism study panned by critics “The leading US government funder of autism research is drawing fire over its proposal to run a randomized clinical trial of a treatment widely viewed by experts to be useless and potentially harmful, but that is broadly used for autism. Chelation therapy, in which agents such as dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) are used to bind metal ions in the blood so that they can be excreted easily, is an approved treatment for heavy-metal poisoning. Parents are using such therapy on children with autism because of their belief — which has been scientifically discredited — that mercury from vaccinations caused their children’s condition. “
Evidence-based comprehensive treatments for early autism. (J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2008)
Caution Urged for Autism Treatments “As more parents hear these diagnoses, they are searching, understandably, for a way to make their children's lives better. "They desperately want their children to have a future," Mulick says. "The average parent has tried seven different therapies," Mulick says, citing the results of a survey his research team found on the Internet. Unproven treatments are often marketed aggressively, he tells WebMD, and information often includes testimonials from other parents, making them difficult to resist. As a result, he says, it's sometimes difficult for parents to evaluate the treatment objectively and to avoid totally unproven approaches. The unproven treatments can escape oversight from the FDA, says Mulick, because many are not drugs or devices. ... “An intensive approach using behavior therapy, often called applied behavior analysis, is uniformly recommended by experts, including a recommendation by the U.S. surgeon general. The basic research for this approach was done years ago at the University of California, Los Angeles. This program is intensive –– one–on–one for 40 hours a week. Similar programs are offered in major metropolitan areas around the country, Mulick says. The goal of these types of programs is to reinforce desirable behavior and decrease undesirable ones. For instance, the child is taught to perform tasks in a series of simple steps and is given a predictable schedule. The treatment is continued at home. “
Artificial Playmates for Autistic Children “Children with autism spectrum disorder are unable to sustain play, make-believe games, and fluid social interaction--at least with real people. But psychologist and linguist Justine Cassell of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, says that interaction with virtual peers releases hidden social skills in these children. A virtual child is a cartoonish-looking, gender-neutral 8-year-old that appears on a TV or projection screen. When it interacts with a real child, half of the action takes place in the real world, and half in the virtual world.“
Guidelines
Internet Sites
Treatment Information
Drug-Food-Supplement Information
DrugDigest (drug interactions)
FDA - Drug Interactions: What You Should Know
NIH - Botanical Dietary Supplements: Background Information
NIH - Drug, Supplements, and Herbal Information
NIH - Herbal Supplements: Consider Safety, Too
NIH - Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Fact Sheets
Nutrition
Other
Other Treatments
Autistic Mannerisms Reduced By Sensory Treatment “A new study from Temple University researchers, presented this month at the American Occupational Therapy Association's 2008 conference, found that children with autistic spectrum disorders who underwent sensory integration therapy exhibited fewer autistic mannerisms compared to children who received standard treatments. Such mannerisms, including repetitive hand movements or actions, making noises, jumping or having highly restricted interests, often interfere with paying attention and learning.“
Experimental
'Virtual Peers' May Teach Children With Autism
Supplements-Vitamins-CAM
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America 2008)
Role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the management of Egyptian children with autism. (Clin Biochem. 2008)
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