Stamford Lights It Up Blue today to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day.
At Stamford Nation we celebrate diversity and honour the learning styles and needs of all of our students. Today we shine a light on Autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development.
What is Autism?
These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication and repetitive behaviours. They include autistic disorder (sometimes referred to as “classic autism”), Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger syndrome. ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art.
What Causes Autism?
Not long ago, the answer to this question would have been “we have no idea.” Research is now delivering the answers. First and foremost, we now know that there is no one cause of autism just as there is no one type of autism. Over the last five years, scientists have identified a number of rare gene changes, or mutations, associated with autism. Research has identified more than a hundred autism risk genes. In around 15 percent of cases, a specific genetic cause of a person’s autism can be identified. However, most cases involve a complex and variable combination of genetic risk and environmental factors that influence early brain development.
How Can I Tell if My Child has Autism?
Though autism cannot be definitively diagnosed until around 18 to 24 months, research shows that children as young as 8 to 12 months may exhibit early signs. Parents should look for symptoms such as no back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by 9 months; no babbling or back-and-forth gestures (e.g. pointing) by 12 months; or any loss of babbling, speech or social skills at any age.
How Do I Deal with this Diagnosis?
For adults, an autism diagnosis may bring relief in terms of an explanation for their lifelong struggles. For parents, the first months after learning that their child has a developmental disorder can be emotional, confusing and challenging. For this reason, Autism Speaks has developed the 100 Day Tool Kit, to help families navigate the often-tumultuous first 100 days after a child’s diagnosis. Press control click on the picture on the right to download your free copy “100 Day Tool Kit”.
Information provided by
www.autismspeaks.org