Autism - Decade of the Brain: Autism in Children

Autism - Decade of the Brain Autism in Children A Basic Guide to Understanding Autism in Children For Parents, Relatives, Caregivers and Support Workers Easy to Understand Answering the Major Questions Understanding the Problem What is autism? How is autism diagnosed? What causes autism? Are there accompanying disorders? Finding Help and Hope Is there reason for hope? Can social skills and behavior be improved? What medications are available? What are the educational options? Can autism be outgrown? Can adults with autism live independent lives? How do families learn to cope? What hope does research offer? Famous People with Autism Isolated in worlds of their own, people with autism appear indifferent and remote and are unable to form emotional bonds with others. Although people with this baffling brain disorder can display a wide range of symptoms and disability, many are incapable of understanding other people's thoughts, feelings, and needs. Often, language and intelligence fail to develop fully, making communication and social relationships difficult. Many people with autism engage in repetitive activities, like rocking or banging their heads, or rigidly following familiar patterns in their everyday routines. Some are painfully sensitive to sound, touch, sight, or smell. Children with autism do not follow the typical patterns of child development. In some children, hints of future problems may be apparent from birth. In most cases, the problems become more noticeable as the child slips farther behind other children the same age. Other children start off well enough. But between 18 and 36 months old, they suddenly reject people, act strangely, and lose language and social skills they had already acquired. As a parent, teacher, or caregiver you may know the frustration of trying to communicate and connect with children or adults who have autism. You may feel ignored as they engage in endlessly repetitive behaviors. You may despair at the bizarre ways they express their inner needs. And you may feel sorrow that your hopes and dreams for them may never materialize. But there is help-and hope. Gone are the days when people with autism were isolated, typically sent away to institutions. Today, many youngsters can be helped to attend school with other children. Methods are available to help improve their social, language, and academic skills. Even though more than 60 percent of adults with autism continue to need care throughout their lives, some programs are beginning to demonstrate that with appropriate support, many people with autism can be trained to do meaningful work and participate in the life of the community. Autism is found in every country and region of the world, and in families of all racial, ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds. Emerging in childhood, it affects about 1 or 2 people in every thousand and is three to four times more common in boys than girls. Girls with the disorder, however, tend to have more severe symptoms and lower intelligence. In addition to loss of personal potential, the cost of health and educational services to those affected exceeds $3 billion each year. So, at some level, autism affects us all. NIMH scientists are dedicated to understanding the workings and interrelationships of the various regions of the brain, and to developing preventive measures and new treatments for disorders like autism that handicap people in school, work, and social relationships. Also described are symptoms and diagnostic procedures, treatment options, strategies for coping, and sources of information and support.