High Functioning Autism Definition and Description
July 2, 2009
High functioning autism research has given many professionals insight into this disorder. Many believe it should be considered a disorder of its own. It’s seen as different from Asperger’s syndrome, in which many sufferers are better able to function than those with autism disorder. High functioning autism, HFA, does not occur in people whose IQ is less than seventy-five. Therefore these are people who are able to enter and remain in school until graduation. People with HFA have a wide range of strengths and weaknesses like any person with autism; they are just able to get by better.
Socially, those diagnosed with high functioning autism, are inept. They try, but the social niceties that children are taught simply do not stick. Therefore, they can inadvertently make social errors without realizing that what they have done is improper. For example, they may just walk into a home, or room, without knocking and not understand someone being upset about it. Social pleasantries like hello or how are you may go unused or unresponded to. They could be characterized as socially naive and so they are best shielded from others who may take advantage of them.
Sensory overload is definitely a problem even for those who are high functioning. Party situations or just being in a big group of people may prove to be too much for them to deal with. They may overreact to loud noises. Trying to get a job is another area of difficulty since making eye contract is still a problem. If they are not able to present well then this leads to a lack of income which then means long term government help required though because they are higher functioning they may find themselves denied this help or at least have trouble getting it.
Some people with high functioning autism actually have motor skill difficulties. They may even walk oddly because of coordination problems. When they are young children they would be called clumsy but as adults this becomes an issue that gets them ridiculed. Frequently they compensate for this by being obsessively neat and organized.
Children who have High Functioning autism may not be diagnosed until they are seven to ten years old. The symptoms are often mistaken for a child who is just developing slower or a child who perhaps is having troubles at home and so acting out at school. But in they end they will do well in school if they are recognized to have HFA and are lucky enough to have good teachers who will take the time to stimulate them and keep them interested in their studies.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Autistic Students Teaching and Training Strategies Can Enhance Special Needs Programs Dramatically
July 2, 2009
With autistic students a teacher must be able to be to adjust their program, even a special needs program, to meet the individual needs of these special children. They must understand that despite sharing a particular set of neurodevelopmental symptoms, each child with autism presents with their own set of what they deal with and their degree of ability will be different as well.
Autistic students have difficulty understanding emotional reactions. This includes the facial expressions made by their teachers. They do not understand changes in vocal tone or what this means when someone is trying to communicate with them. These are the normal methods by which children are taught but they will not work with autistic students. Not understanding what someone is trying to tell you is very stressful for both the pupil trying to assimilate the information and the teacher trying to explain something. So, if you are going to teach an autistic child you must rethink your teaching method.
One method used with some success is visual schedules. These are plans that the child can see so they know what happens next in their day. This is especially useful, as autistic students require structure and routine. Variations in routine can cause them a lot of stress. A visual schedule can help them to prepare for what is coming next. There are no surprises since all they have to do is look at their visual schedule and know what will the next event of their is.
Studies have shown that isolation is one of the worst enemies for autistic students. These same studies suggest trying to partner up an autistic child during part of their day at school. This guarantees them some social interaction, which even if they are not good at, can help them feel more comfortable at school. It makes them feel less like an outsider in the classroom.
A teacher’s aid can often be a good idea in helping an autistic child who is mainstreamed. They can provide consistency in class with ongoing one-on-one help or give the child the ability to rely on one person to help only when they need it. The need for routine makes an aid a useful tool in educating someone who likes things always the same. Especially if the child is high functioning they have a better chance of working at a similar level to their counterparts when they are mainstreamed if they have a teacher’s aid to offer a little extra help along the way.
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Sometimes autistic children can be aggressive and overreact when they cannot cope well in their classroom situation. Teachers must learn to develop some approaches to modifying this behavior so that there are no emotional explosions and the classroom can be a calming environment where the child can learn and develop.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Infantile Autism – The Interesting Orgin of the Disorder is Suprising and a Curiosity to Researchers
July 2, 2009
Early infantile autism was the name first given to the neurodevelopmental disorder first written about by Dr. Leo Kanner in the early 1940s. Usually diagnosed before the age of three infantile autism disorder is characterized by a social ineptness, impaired communication skills both verbally and non-verbally and an inability to partake in normal imaginative play. Before Dr. Kanner was able to differentiate this disorder from other difficulties many autistic children were thought to be schizophrenic.
In the early 1800s a textbook called Observations on Madness and Melancholy relates the case of a five year old child who was admitted into a hospital with what appeared to be childhood schizophrenia but which researchers now feel certain was early infantile autism.
The boy had been ill with measles in his first year. When he was two his parents noticed that he was more livelily than other children. Yet, he did not walk until he was two and a half and did not speak until he was four. When brought to the hospital he exhibited almost no separation anxiety when his mother left him. After numerous tests one thing that was noted was the child seemed to have no understanding of distance. The little boy would reach for something that was very obviously too far away for him to be able to get. This odd behavior would be described now, in the jargon of the day, as a faulty awareness of ego limitations.
Socially he kept to himself although he did like to watch the other children when they played. He exhibited repetitive play with some toy soldiers he had. He was able to whistle tunes he had heard but they were unable to teach him to read. Oddly the child always referred to himself in the third person. As well, although he seemed to know the names of many objects he was unable to use them in the correct manner.
The thing that makes this case so remarkable is not so much the study of the time, but the fact that it has been studied since and that the facts all point to this likely being the first recorded case of early infantile autism as the little boy was found to have seventeen of the thirty potential symptoms of autism. Researchers feel that this account is the best, most clearly written before Kanner identified early infantile autism in 1943; including for the previous one hundred and forty years between this account and Kanner’s pronouncement.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Child PDD Issues Need to be Identified as Soon as Possible for Quick Diagnosis and Treatment
July 2, 2009
Chelation therapy is the use of an amino acid, often EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic), which can attach itself to the toxic metal in the child’s system. It is put into the body through intravenous means and then flushed out through urine taking the toxins with it. Other similar treatments are given by using nasal sprays or creams that are absorbed into the skin.
This chelation treatment has been recognized as being useful for a variety of conditions including Parkinson’s, Schizophrenia, Cancer and Alzheimer’s. But, the FDA, Food and Drug Administration, does not recognize it as a treatment for autism. Chelation treatment is only when tests prove that there has been contamination of the patient by toxic metals. It especially is not recognized as a treatment for children with autism.
Despite researchers coming out against this therapy desperate parents are willing to try anything to cure their children of the incurable disorder of autism. One such attempt met with disastrous results last year. Recently an autistic child, who was only five years old, was undergoing repeated chelation therapy and on the third treatment session, in his doctor’s office, he died.
This news was received with great sadness by the community, but was used as a caution to other parents anxious to try anything possible to help their children. Those in the know in the autism community, professionals who follow these experimental treatments, had sadly expected an outcome like this to occur. It is being used as a warning to parents. While it’s understood that they want to try everything they can to help their children caution must be taken, not all treatments available are actually safe to use on children. Parents must allow researchers the opportunities to fully investigate alternatives before rushing in desperation to attempt unproven treatments.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Chelation Treatment – Weighing Your Child’s Safety When Considering the Risk of Chelation Treatment
July 2, 2009
Chelation treatment is a therapy where the body is purged of toxins that may have caused autism. Some people feel, though research does not support this belief, that the mercury in childhood vaccinations is a contributing factor in the increased cases of autism. They believe also that children with autism somehow wind up with too much toxic heavy metal in their systems and that this metal has detrimental effects on the child’s brain. Supporters of this chelation treatment claim that not only is the mercury from childhood vaccinations an issue but so are the metals in foods and the environment. The feeling is that other children are able to rid themselves of his metal whereas children who develop autism are unable to purge their bodies of the toxins and so need help to do so. This is where chelation therapy comes into the equation.
Chelation therapy is the use of an amino acid, often EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic), which can attach itself to the toxic metal in the child’s system. It is put into the body through intravenous means and then flushed out through urine taking the toxins with it. Other similar treatments are given by using nasal sprays or creams that are absorbed into the skin.
This chelation treatment has been recognized as being useful for a variety of conditions including Parkinson’s, Schizophrenia, Cancer and Alzheimer’s. But, the FDA, Food and Drug Administration, does not recognize it as a treatment for autism. Chelation treatment is only when tests prove that there has been contamination of the patient by toxic metals. It especially is not recognized as a treatment for children with autism.
Despite researchers coming out against this therapy desperate parents are willing to try anything to cure their children of the incurable disorder of autism. One such attempt met with disastrous results last year. Recently an autistic child, who was only five years old, was undergoing repeated chelation therapy and on the third treatment session, in his doctor’s office, he died.
This news was received with great sadness by the community, but was used as a caution to other parents anxious to try anything possible to help their children. Those in the know in the autism community, professionals who follow these experimental treatments, had sadly expected an outcome like this to occur. It is being used as a warning to parents. While it’s understood that they want to try everything they can to help their children caution must be taken, not all treatments available are actually safe to use on children. Parents must allow researchers the opportunities to fully investigate alternatives before rushing in desperation to attempt unproven treatments.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Autistic Savant – Amazing Stories of Super Gifted People Living with Autism Disorder
July 2, 2009
Autistic savant? Yes, there are many amazing heart-warming stories that baffle even the most talented people in the world. According to Dictionary.com a savant is “a person of profound or extensive learning; learned scholar”. It is a remarkable thing to think that someone with the debilitating symptoms that often accompany autism may also have the amazing mental powers of being a savant. Interestingly studies have shown that about ten percent of all those with autism are savants. Researchers also think that one percent of all non-autistics have some savant abilities. One theory is that these abilities come out because of some type of head trauma. In some autistic savants the feeling is the trauma may be a caused by a seizure or a fall.
Lets use the example of a twenty six year old autistic savant in the United States. This young man is unable to drive a car. He cannot tell right from left, but he is able to recollect pi to the 22,514th decimal place. He says he can see the numbers in front of him. This young man, who has difficulty with social skills and cannot make eye contact, has mastered six languages as well as English. He is even working on a language of his own. He will not take a walk on the beach because to him it would pose an unanswerable mathematical problem. How many pebbles would there be? There would be way too many to count and this would be very disturbing to him. A grocery shopping can be sensory overload, with all the shapes, colors and sizes to choose from, but a math problem, which he can solve faster than most calculators, is comforting.
There is a blind autistic savant, also an American, who could play a Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto after hearing it only one time and this without so much as a piano lesson. Or what about the British savant that was able, after only one helicopter ride over London, to draw an incredibly concise map of the London skyline. This was done solely from memory; he had taken no notes and no photographs.
The movie Rain Man, where Dustin Hoffman played an autistic savant was in fact based on a man, who though a savant, was not autistic. He has brain damage and though he is unable to button his shirt he can read two pages of a book at the same time, and claims to have read over 7500 books. He has fantastic abilities when it comes to memory and can recollect for you the story in any of the books he has read no matter how long ago.
Don’t ask an autistic savant how they do whatever it is that they do, they have no idea. So many of them have difficulty with language, likely have a severely limited vocabulary, yet their skills in math and memorizing are unbelievable.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Autism Treatments – Questions You Should Ask Your Caregiver Before Selecting a Treatment Options
July 1, 2009
Autism treatments can help reduce the severity of symptoms in many children and some adults, but you must understand that there is no cure. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder where the child has an inability to have normal social interplay; they exhibit repetitive behaviors and have abnormalities in their verbal and non-verbal communication abilities. Autism treatments can only reduce the symptoms in some cases and allow the person to have a better quality of life. These are very worthwhile goals. Each child will deal with slightly different symptoms and so before getting involved in any programs you must first determine what your child’s needs are.
Before putting your child into any program perhaps you should ask yourself, and the caregivers, some of the following questions. These are guidelines suggested by autistic organizations.
1. Has the program helped other autistic children? If so, how?
2. Could the program do anything to harm my child?
3. Does the program use recognized methods to help autistic children?
4. Has this program helped other children be mainstreamed into regular school classes?
5. Does it give the child structure and predictable routines?
6. Will my child get enough one on one attention?
7. Is there a minimum of distractions so my child can remain focused?
8. Is this program designed to be one that can be continued at home and so give my child consistency?
9. Will some type of reward be given to help motivate my child?
10. How much will the program cost? Is there government assistance? What is the location of the program, its hours and expectations?
Once these questions are answered parents can begin to narrow down the search for the right program to meet their child’s needs. If the child is under three years old your health care provider will likely recommend beginning a program in the home or childcare location. These will be simple tasks to begin with that will use what the child is interested in to build on. This will hopefully allow the child to slowly make positive steps. Research has shown that the more parental involvement in the child’s autism treatments program the better the child does and the more progress they make.
When the child is a little older, over three years old, the school-based program will be designed specifically to fit the child’s needs. Routines will be maintained to allow the autistic child the structure that they crave. The child will learn by doing. They will repeat tasks until they are able to do them. There will be activities to promote body awareness and coordination. These will include doing simple puzzles or placing beads on a string. Asking for juice or to use the bathroom will be taught to promote language use. It will be a long hard task but with support and intervention from parents and family the child will learn.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Therapy for Autism Include Multisensory Stimulation, Biomedical Interventions, Neurofeedback
July 1, 2009
There are so many diverse autism therapies to choose from that one must carefully identify the needs of the child before choosing which one, or set of therapies, are best. Unfortunately there are also many ideas out there from overwrought parents and well meaning but unqualified therapists that some of the options available are either not safe or not proven to benefit the autistic child.
The feeling amongst educators of autistic children is that early intervention programs must focus on behavioral and cognitive abilities that are disrupted by having autism. Special needs education programs that can focus on these areas of need, with an early start, can assist autistic children to learn, maybe even be taught to speak. As adults their education must continue, but now some researchers are talking about using antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs to assist with the daily living of these adults. Others feel that these drugs will do no good and may cause harm.
Studies have shown that using computers to teach autistic children has made many breakthroughs. Computers allow the child to learn without having to be forced into social situations. The computers stimulate the child without overloading them. They have no need to attempt conversation while comfortably learning at the computer. They can control their situations and this is very pleasing to them and makes learning easier for the autistic child.
For children who are severely affected with autism Multisensory Stimulation has had some positive results. They allow gentle stimulation by use of soothing colors, gentle sounds, music and scents. This is all done in a controlled setting so that the child does not suffer an overload. This therapy is more popular in Europe, especially in Germany.
A still experimental therapy is Neurofeedback. In this there are electrodes put on the child’s scalp. This is to help the autistic child learn to control their brainwaves. A recent pilot study involved eight children. After ten weeks of his treatment five of the children improved when asked to perform tasks that included imitation. This was considered highly successful.
Other children are put into therapies that include restrictive diets or a program to purge the body of toxins. These are referred to as biomedical interventions and are more experimental in nature. Many researchers believe that these are risky therapies and worry that they are tried by desperate parents who may involve their child in something that has not yet been proven to truly have any benefits.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Asperger’s Disorder Symptoms Vary According to the Way Each Individual is Affected
July 1, 2009
Asperger’s disorder symptoms will vary according to the way each individual is affected. But all people with autism with have symptoms characterized by difficulties in the areas of social interactions, communication and focus during play.
To expand further on these let’s first look at social interactions. Asperger’s disorder symptoms are first noticed in children and include trouble developing non-verbal communication, which includes facial expressions, cuddling, and eye contact. These children are not comfortable sharing the moment. They don’t understand when things are going well and that this is something to share with peers. They find is impossible to make friends, even as small children.
Communication is a big area that shows the delays a person with autism suffers from. People with autism have major delays in learning to talk, as many as fifty percent never speak. Some researchers feel this is because of an inability to learn to talk while others believe it’s from choice. For those who are able to speak, they still have limitations on their conversations. It seems to be almost painful for them to carry on a conversation to the point where they may not be able to continue it once its begun. They may be unable to understand humor. Some people with autism repeat a word or phrase over and over. This is called echolalia.
The third category deals with limitations on the interests of a person with autism as well as the focus in play. Children with autism will frequently focus on part of a toy as opposed to play with a toy. It might be the wheels of a car or the eyes of a stuffed animal. Odd things like license plates, television schedules or patterns often fascinate teens and adults with autism. They may focus on these things non-stop. They usually need their lives to be very structured. They may eat the same meal the same way at the same time every day. It might be necessary to take the same route when driving them to school. A disruption in these routines can be disastrous to the autistic person. This category also includes the stereotypical behaviors of rocking and hand flapping.
Parents, babysitters or other caregivers first notice symptoms of autism before the child is three years old. It may start with little things like a child resistant to being held or not making eye contact. Concern will build when the child resists playing baby games like peek-a-boo and will escalate when the child does not begin to speak; especially when friends have children who are developing normally.
Nothing can prevent the onset of autism, nor cure it once it develops, but early intervention and access to good programs will help minimize the severity of asperger’s disorder symptoms that may enable a person with autism lead as normal a life as possible.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Asperger Support Groups Have Proven Beneficial to Parents and Children Coping with Autism Disorder
July 1, 2009
Asperger support groups are not just something for the teen or adult with autism but it’s a great idea for the parents of an autistic child. There are two types of support groups available to parents of autistic children. There are the ones that can be attended by one or both parents that meet regularly over a cup of coffee and sit down and talk about the struggles that they and their children face. This gives parents the opportunity to vent their frustrations as well as learn from others who have been through the struggles that they are trying their best to deal with.
Or, for those who find getting out difficult, maybe because they are not comfortable leaving their autistic child with a babysitter, there are always interactive websites on the Internet. This lets you talk to people all over the world who face the same problems you do no matter how big or small. This allows an exchange of ideas almost the same as the asperger support groups who meet weekly.
Some studies suggest that its healthier emotionally for parents to try to make the effort to join asperger support groups, even if run solely by parents, just because it means they’ll get out once a week.
With the advent of the World Wide Web forums have sprung up that deal with everything that one might want to talk about. Interestingly these forums have proven to be a wonderful thing for those with autism as the written word often comes easier to them then the spoken word. They have such difficulty with social interactions that this gives them a forum to talk without having to carry on a regular conversation. They can speak without the need for spoken words. They can communicate with their fingers and especially for those who are higher functioning they can talk to others like themselves and see how others cope. This gives them the opportunity to talk to their peers. Not just people their own age, but others who have autism and can exchange ideas on coping.
They may be able to gain support and make friends with others who can help them make decisions about their futures. People like them who may have had to make a lot of the decisions they are trying to make about living arrangements or getting a job. Being able to go to chat rooms and talk about these things with other autistic people can open up the world to them.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates