According to the Autism Society of America, autism is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Todd Kopelman, MD, clinical psychologist with the Center for Disabilities and Development at University of Iowa Children's Hospital, talks about autism:
What is autism?
As you just mentioned, autism is a developmental disorder and it's diagnosed when a child is displaying significant behaviors of concern in three basic areas:
- Social interaction
- Communication
- Restricted and repetitive behaviors
These impairments are displayed before the child is three years old and in most cases parents notice them by the time the child is 12 to 18 months old. There are five separate disorders that make up what we commonly refer to as the Autism Spectrum. Those disorders are:
- Autistic Disorder
- Rett Disorder
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
- Asperger's
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Those disorders differ in how frequently they occur, and also in how much impairment is associated with them, but they all share those core deficits in the areas of socialization, communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors.
What are the most common characteristics to watch for in a toddler?
There are several characteristics of autism that typically emerge by around the age of two.
Socially, children diagnosed with autism often don't show a lot of interest in bringing items to their parents or in playing with other children. Toddlers with autism often show much less creative play or make-believe play in comparison with children without autism.
In communication, what we often see is a delay or a lack of spoken language. For example, the child may not have any words by one year of age, or fewer than five meaningful words at two years of age. Sometimes children display a regression in their speech. Many parents report that their child seems deaf because they do not respond to their name.
As far as repetitive behaviors are concerned, many toddlers with autism display behaviors such as hand flapping, twirling objects, lining up objects, and they may have pretty big tantrums when their routines are disrupted.
It is important to keep in mind that there certainly are toddlers who display some of these behaviors who do not have autism. If a parent has concerns, I strongly recommend that they talk with their child's pediatrician.
Is everyone with autism affected the same way?
No, not at all. Actually there's a large variation across what's referred to as the Autism Spectrum. It can range anywhere from an individual with no speech and very limited social interaction who may test in the range of severe mental retardation to the other end of the spectrum for someone who tests at the average or even the superior range on cognitive measures, but who struggles with understanding how to read social cues and how to communicate appropriately in different social situations.
What distinguishes Asperger's Syndrome from autism?
Unlike the other disorders on the spectrum, people with Asperger's do not have a history of speech delays and they perform within the broadly average range on measures of cognitive functioning. One of the hallmarks of Asperger's is difficulty in the area of social interaction. Often people with Asperger's are interested in interacting with others, but they may struggle to have a conversation. They may also struggle to display the non-verbal behaviors most of us take for granted in conversations, such as making appropriate eye contact, showing a range of facial expressions, and maintaining appropriate physical boundaries.
Why is early intervention important?
At this point in time, unfortunately, there is not a cure for autism. That said, early intervention is crucial. Our research strongly indicates the early identification of autism is associated with dramatically better outcomes for children. The earlier a child is diagnosed, the earlier that child can begin benefiting from one of the specialized interventions that have been developed for autism.
I understand you and a panel of staff will be speaking on autism later this month. Can you tell us when and where that will be?
Yes, we'll be doing a Health for Your Lifetime presentation on autism and that will be on Thursday, April 24 from 6:30-8 p.m. The presentation will be in the Kinnick conference room, Holiday Inn, 1220 First Avenue, Coralville.
Who is presenting with you?
We have a great panel of speakers: Scott Lindgren, PhD, /depts/med/pediatrics/pedsmds/lindgren.html a neuropsychologist at the Center for Disabilities and Development will be speaking, along with Royann Mraz, MD, /depts/med/pediatrics/pedsmds/mraz.html a developmental pediatrician at the Center for Disabilities and Development. In addition, the mother of a child with autism will also be talking about her experiences.
If someone wants to attend that free Health for Your Lifetime presentation on autism, where should they call?
To register or for more information, they can call UI Health Access number, 319-384-8442 or 800-777-8442. |
