For most people, the social world around us is a busy and demanding place. This world can be stressful and extremely busy.
To be able to make our place in the world we all need to be able to relate to and work next to other people. We need to take int oaccount others peoples feelings and intentions to make judgements about situations and people, at incredible speed. To be able to do this and to be able to communicate and read feelings and intent are crucial skills, needed to be learned to find our place in society.
Someone who has ASD can have an impaired ability to communicate and understand others. ASD discribes a group of developmental disorders that include Autism and Asprgers Syndrome. Other conditions that fall under the Autsitic spectrum are:
High Functioning Autism
Atypical Autism
Overactive Disorder
Rhett's Syndrome
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
Pervasive Developmental Disorder
People with ASD can have a small area of interst and may like to repeat behaviours. They do not always handle change well, which demonstrates a lack of flexability in their way of thinking.
There are three mayor areas of difficulty that relate to Autism, this is refered to as the Triad of Impairment. These three areas are:
Eventhough the impairment will differ from person to person the common problems linked with the Triad of Impairment will be seen in every form of ASD. Eventhough Autism can effect both boys and girls, the number of boys with Autism is largely higher then girls (4: 1).
Characteristics of Autism:
The language used by a person with Autism can often be odd and can have in it large segments of remembered information that is used in a sentence, which can give a miss representation of which level the child is at. Some children with Autism are mute where as others will speak prolificly. Words are often spoken as heard and can therefore have an accent.
Children with ASD can find it hard to read facial expressions and body language. They can also find it hard to use these communications skills to express themselves appropriatly.
People with Autism may seem odd, absent minded and not engaging to strangers. They seem set in their ways and unwilling to change. This used to be known as "lack of imagination" but will now be termed "inflexible and rigid of thought".
In addition to the Triad of Impairment, people with ASD will often also have additional difficulties, they include:
Associated disorders can also include:
There are no clear answers for what causes ASD. Possible causes can be found in problems in child birth, including lack of oxygen or the mother contracting measles or Rubella. Allergies or imbalances in mineral or vitamin levels could also be seen as causes.
Genetic links seem to be important factor in ASD and extended research is being carried on this sunject.
For more information on Autism please visit the National Autistic society website by pressing the link below.
