Autism

The related question "What are signs of Asperger's Syndrome?" has a list of characteristics associated with Asperger's Syndrome - many of which are also associated with autism. It is often easier to diagnose autism at age 3 than Asperger's Syndrome at age 3, but the conditions have many traits in common. The related question also includes some traits that are more often seen in children than adults, but many traits can be seen to one extent or another in both children and adults.

At the age of three, atypical language use, social interaction, and play could be noticeable. Unusual or avoidant eye contact could have been apparent before age three. Sensory issues, such as oversensitivity or undersensitivity to touch or sounds, could have been an issue since the child was born. A preference for routine, such as the same food, same drinking glass, same chair, same play area, could become more noticeable as the child ages and voices his or her preferences (or distress over the change). You also might notice repetitive behaviors.

"Worse" is a subjective measure, and there is no answer for this. ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder can be a difficult condition to live with. Adding Hyperactivity Disorder to it only makes it worse. Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder is a completely different matter and bears no comparison to ADD or ADHD.

One of the greatest helps an aspie adult can receive is introduction to other aspies, either in person or through online communities. Through mutual sharing and support, aspies are often able to bring understanding and insights to this difficult situation.

An aspie is capable of learning to behave more like a neurotypical person. However, this education is rather like teaching a left handed person to write with their right hand. It will never feel as natural for them as it does for people born right handed. In the same sense an aspie can learn acceptable rules of social behavior, but may never quite feel intuitive or natural in applying them.

It depends on what country you're looking at. In the UK around 80% of autistic people are neither in education or full-time employment, most people are capable and willing to work but prejudice prevents them finding full-time work. I would imagine that figures are similar in the US and other Western contries too.

Most studies focus on autism or autism spectrum disorders, rather than Asperger's Syndrome specifically. More than one chromosome is linked to autism spectrum disorders. The chromosomes involved according to various studies are listed below.

A few sites providing information on the genetics of autism highlight results about several of the chromosomes:

Exploring Autism: A Look at the Genetics of Autism

Autism is Likely to Be Linked to Several Genes

There are also articles that could be available through your library's electronic database subscriptions or available in journal form from an academic library. Some hospitals also subscribe to electronic databases with medical information and allow public access.

Autism: In Search of Susceptibility Genes - abstract (August, 2002)

Links to the articles at ScienceDaily.com about studies on certain chromosomes are provided below in the related links section.

Chromosome 2:

Researchers Identify First Gene Variant That Appears to Increase Risk of Autism in Significant Portion of the Population (April 1, 2004)

Chromosomes 3, 4, 7, and 11:

Different Genes May Cause Autism in Boys and Girls (July 31, 2006)

Chromosome 7:

New Genetic Link to Autism Discovered by Studying Speech (Jan 11, 2008)

New Protein Implicated in Autism (Mar 27, 2007)

Chromosomes 7 and 21:

Study Links Regions of Two Chromosomes to Susceptibility for Type of Autism (June 9, 2005)

Chromosome 11:

Gene That May Lead to Autism Identified (Mar 14, 2007)

Chromosome 13:

Study Points to Chromosome Site of Autism Gene (Dec 3, 1999)

Chromosomes 15 and 22:

Gene Screen to Identify Causes of Autism (Oct 17, 2008)

Chromosome 16:

Novel Chromosome Abnormality Appears to Increase Risk of Autism (Jan 10, 2008)

Recurrent Genetic Deletion Linked to Autism, Study Shows (Jan 10, 2008)

Chromosomal Abnormalities Play Substantial Role in Autism (Jan 22, 2008)

Chromosome 17:

UCLA Scientists Pinpoint Region of Autism Gene on Chromosome 17 (May 4, 2005)

Yes, it can be. A new scanning method that takes approximately 15 minutes has been developed to help diagnose an autistic spectrum disorder accurately. This is a procedure that confirms or clarifies ASD in a very reliable manner. Scientists have managed to identify parts of the brain associated with autism, when comparing with an ordinary functioning brain. This is with 90% accuracy, according to the institute of psychiatry at Kings College, London.

Not currently, no. Asperger's is a psychological diagnosis, based on behavioral traits. Those aren't detectible via an MRI.

At some point a Functional MRI may be able to determine a diagnosis based on reactions in the brain to specific stimuli, but this is not currently possible.

For the most part, the same as any child. Since autism is a mental disability, not a physical one, their physical needs aren't very different.

However, the parts of the brain responsible for processing sensory information and planning out movement can be affected in autism, making the child have poor coordination and react more or less intensely to sensory stimulation. This can result in issues.

For example, some autistic kids can't feel pain, so they aren't careful to avoid injuries and to avoid worsening an existing injury. I heard of one woman with a high functioning form of autism who broke her arm and wandered around for half a day before she noticed that her arm hurt a little bit. She even tried to join in a tennis game!

Clumsiness can result in increased risk of injury, for obvious reasons. Also, it can lead to a kid avoiding movement (especially since clumsy kids are often bullied) which results in problems such as obesity and poor cardiovascular health. It's important to encourage a clumsy kid to keep trying, and make sure not to tolerate other kids laughing at them for failure. Physical therapy can sometimes reduce clumsiness.

Some autistic kids are picky eaters, due to hypersensitivity to taste, smell and tactile sensations in the mouth. While most picky eaters still get a balanced diet, occasionally severe pickiness will result in a child getting malnutrition, or else starving themselves when their preferred food isn't available. It's important not to turn pickiness into a power struggle - the kid isn't choosing to be picky - but instead figure out healthy foods they are willing to eat.

There's also evidence that some autistic people have trouble feeling the physical sensations of hunger and/or thirst. This is mostly a problem in adulthood, for those high-functioning enough to live independently. Building a routine whereby the child always eats and drinks at certain times, even if they're not hungry, can be a big help.

There is some suggestion that a subset of autistic kids may be prone to asthma/allergies, digestive problems and autoimmune problems. There is not much evidence for this yet, but if a child has any of those problems, the treatment is the same regardless of autism.

No, Jedward do not have autism.

No it a diagnosis dumb dude

Asperger's Syndrome is named after Hans Asperger, one of the first persons to research conditions later known as autism and Asperger's Syndrome. For more information about him, see the link in the Related Questions section.

48% of people in north America know about autism

Autism rates are higher in boys simply because more boys are diagnosed as Autistic than girls. It was believed that Autism was a 'boys disorder' but as understanding of Autism grows we're starting to realize that girls may be equally likely to be Autistic but that Autism symptoms display differently in girls so it isn't being picked-up as easily when a girl is Autistic.

Asperger is different from autism because people with Aspergers are less restricted with behavioral interactions than those with autism. Asperger's is a form of autism, but it is high-functioning and Aspergers is not as severe as actual autism is (Take it from me: I have aspergers and my younger brother has autism)

The term autism came about decades before the disorder was recognized. Autismus, the New Latin word that autism is derived from, was coined by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1910. He used the term as a descriptor of symptoms of schizophrenia. The word Autismus was derived from the Greek word autos meaning morbid self-admiration which is in reference to the tendency of his patients to have a preference to be alone. It was not until 1938 that this word was used in its current sense. Austrian Hans Asperger began using Bleuler's term "autistic psychopaths" when studying an autism spectrum disorder that was eventually named after him, Asperger's Disorder. This disorder was not classified as a different diagnosis from autism until 1994 (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Around the same time of Asperger's studies in Austria, American Leo Kanner (1943) began studying what he called "early infantile autism." He was also the first person to use the English word "autism" in 1943 when he identified 11 children with very similar behaviors. Many of the characteristics that Kanner used to describe early infantile autism are still used today when describing autism, such as social impairments and insistence on sameness.

Arnsberger Syndrome is a mild state of cognitive impairment that often precedes dementia.

Yes, Autism is known as Autism Spectrum Disorder and is a neurological disorder. However many Autistic people prefer it to be referred to as a neurological difference - disorder implies that Neurotypical is the norm, the ideal, or the perfect and that Autism is a broken version so worth less.

The symptoms, characteristics and outcomes of these two conditions are quite different. Down syndrome is a developmental disorder. Rett syndrome is classified more specifically as a pervasive developmental disorder. A child with Down syndrome can also have a pervasive developmental disorder. At least one girl has been confirmed as having both Down syndrome and Rett syndrome by laboratory testing.

Rett syndrome is a neurological and neurodevelopmental disorder that mostly occurs in females and is the result of a chromosomal abnormality. It is caused by mutations in the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) gene in many of the cases. Infants with Rett syndrome seem to grow and develop normally at first but then they begin to lose skills and abilities before age three. The child loses skills rapidly with purposeful hand movement and speech among the first skills lost. The ability to walk is also lost. Rett affects approximately 1 in 10,000 children. Children with Rett syndrome will grow into adulthood but will need constant care. Down syndrome is one of the most frequently occurring chromosomal abnormalities affecting as many as 1 in 753 children. It causes delays in physical and intellectual development. Children with Down syndrome have certain physical characteristics including a flattened facial profile, low muscle tone and an upward slant to the eyes. They have developmental delays but should be given every opportunity to develop their talents through education, vocational, and independent living training. With appropriate support children with Down syndrome can become quite successful adults. An abundance of information relating to both disorders is available online.

It may be a habit that they like to do I have autism and I did that as well especilly when I am bored

We don't know for sure that they are. It is a common belief that females are as likely to be autistic as males but because of our limited understanding of how it manifests in females we can miss diagnose autistic females or they can go without any support. It may be figures between males and females on the spectrum will level out as our understanding of autism grows.

WikiAnswers will not write your introduction for you, but we WILL help you learn how to do it yourself! Click on the related link to learn more about topic sentences.

You need to decide what is the most interesting point of this assignment for you, because writing is easiest if you write about something you find interesting!

Nobody else can give you a "good topic" because our ideas will not be interesting to you. Pick the thing that you think is most interesting or most important, and make that the topic.

If you just start writing, you will be through with your assignment before you know it!

yes - eventually - yes. it takes a lot of work and prayer and therapists. my son has 5 different therapists for different symptoms and it is all working and he is speaking "normal." it is very rewarding to be really involved in getting your child help. it takes a lot of effort and patience and understanding and learning how to be a parent therapist because what they know and teach us parents does really work well!!!! Praise Jesus Christ for helping our autistic children and adults!!!!! Thank You Jesus for the therapists and doctors and medicines - they do help. The Lord uses these wonderful people to be a huge blessing to my boy and us!

Roughly 1 in 100 people have autism. 1 in 4 of autistic people are female.

I don't know why any family would kick their own child out of the house, I highly doubt it. They may be kicked out of a store, but people need to understand that children with autism can't control themselves sometimes. They may be overwhelmed by so many people, it may be too loud, etc.

Their interests are as diverse as those of children without autism. You will have to meet the child and find out.

One thing that's unique about autistic children's interests is that they are often unusually strong--for example, a youngster fascinated with a TV show to the point that he watches videos of it over and over; or a teenager who is fascinated with Paris, France and has learned its history, geography, and layout to the point that he knows more than most tour guides.

These strong interests can often become bridges to friendship or even routes to employment.

Unfortunately organisations such as Autism Speaks are working on a cure for Autism. It should be noted that Autism is a neurological difference, it doesn't need to be cured and it cannot be separated from the individual so the only way to 'Cure' Autism is to wipe out Autistic people. A 'cure' for Autism would basically be Eugenics, preventing Autistic people being born.