INTRODUCTION TO ASPERGER'S & AUTISM

Both Autism and Asperger's syndrome are increasingly referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders, in that they cause delays in typical development of a child across a broad range of areas. Asperger's syndrome is at the milder end of this spectrum. These disorders begin in early childhood and continue through to adult life. They affect three crucial areas of development, which are sometimes referred to as the triad of impairments:

• Verbal and nonverbal communication

• Social interaction

• Imaginative or creative play.

Autism

Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behaviors, all starting before a child is three years old. This set of signs distinguishes autism from milder Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) such as Asperger syndrome.

Aspergers syndrome

Asperger syndrome (also Asperger's syndrome, Asperger's disorder, Asperger's, or AS) is one of several Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) also characterized by difficulties in social interaction and by restricted and stereotyped interests and activities. Aspergers syndrome is different in that there is no general delay in language or cognitive development. Although not mentioned in standard diagnostic criteria, motor clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported.[1][2]

the autism spectrum

Signs of Asperger's syndrome and Autism usually will appear in the first three years of a child's life, although there is no exact age for when signs of these disorders will emerge. These signs may differ between children in type and severity as well, so Autism, Asperger's syndrome and similar disorders are often seen as occurring on a spectrum.

These disorders are not intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses, or caused by poor parenting skills. Currently Asperger's and Autism cannot be diagnosed at birth through means such as blood tests or brain scans. Diagnosis occurs as delays are observed in the child's development, typically at two years of age although some researchers are arguing for earlier diagnosis.

Typical indicators of Autism & Asperger's syndrome

These disorders will cause delays in a child's early development, with possible early signs, or indicators, from these groups:

Social skills

Cannot carry out simple instructions

Does not maintain eye contact or smile back to others

Appears happy in their own world, with little interest in others

Delays to normal development of speech

Responding to some sounds, but not human voices

Behavior

Difficulty coping with changes to routines

Self-injuring behavior

Emotional outbursts with no apparent cause, or overly passive

Overly attached to certain objects or topics

Repetitive or ritualistic behavior such as rocking or flapping of the hands

The senses

Strong reaction to certain sounds

Will not look at objects directly

Insensitivity to pain, or extremes of temperature

Eating a very restricted range of food types

Walking on tip toes

Drawn to watching certain patterns or feeling certain textures.

Play and imagination

Will only play with certain toys, possibly in unusual ways

Prefers not to play with others

Engages in only a limited range of play

Does not engage in pretend play.

References

1. ^ American Psychiatric Association (2000). "Diagnostic criteria for 299.80 Asperger's Disorder (AD)", Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., text revision (DSM-IV-TR). ISBN 0890420254.
2. ^ a b c d e f g Fitzgerald M, Corvin A (2001). "Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of Asperger syndrome". Adv Psychiatric Treat 7 (4): 310–8.

Who May Qualify For This Clinical Research Trial?

Your child may be eligible to participate if he or she has autism, and: Is between 6-17 years of age Has serious behavioral problems (tantrums, aggression, self-injurious behavior or a combination of these) As autism becomes more prevalent, the need for meaningful research and increased understanding grows. Please choose from the sections below to explore the possibility of you and your child becoming a part of this clinical research trial. You may want to start by reading about the disorder, about this clinical trial, whether your child might meet the clinical criteria for participation—or, you may want to see first if there’s a study site Contact Us  You can answer questions to see if your child prequalifies for this clinical trial by clicking here  You can request that your personally identifiable information be removed from future use at any time by calling 1-888-547-7560, clicking on the Unsubscribe link below, emailingcustomer.relations@bms.com, or writing PO Box 2899, Palatine, IL 60078-2899. near you.

Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. The exact causes of these abnormalities remain unknown, but this is a very active area of research. There are probably a combination of factors that lead to autism.
Genetic factors seem to be important. For example, identical twins are much more likely than fraternal twins or siblings to both have autism. Similarly, language abnormalities are more common in relatives of autistic children. Chromosomal abnormalities and other nervous system (neurological) problems are also more common in families with autism.
A number of other possible causes have been suspected, but not proven. They involve:

• Diet
• Digestive tract changes
• Mercury poisoning
• The body's inability to properly use vitamins and minerals
• Vaccine sensitivity

Symptoms

Most parents of autistic children suspect that something is wrong by the time the child is 18 months old and seek help by the time the child is age 2. Children with autism typically have difficulties in:

• Pretend play
• Social interactions
• Verbal and nonverbal communication

Some children with autism appear normal before age 1 or 2 and then suddenly "regress" and lose language or social skills they had previously gained. This is called the regressive type of autism.
People with autism may:

• Be overly sensitive in sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste (for example, they may refuse to wear "itchy" clothes and become distressed if they are forced to wear the clothes)
• Have unusual distress when routines are changed
• Perform repeated body movements
• Show unusual attachments to objects

The symptoms may vary from moderate to severe.
Communication problems may include:

• Cannot start or maintain a social conversation
• Communicates with gestures instead of words
• Develops language slowly or not at all
• Does not adjust gaze to look at objects that others are looking at
• Does not refer to self correctly (for example, says "you want water" when the child means "I want water")
• Does not point to direct others' attention to objects (occurs in the first 14 months of life)
• Repeats words or memorized passages, such as commercials
• Uses nonsense rhyming

Social interaction:

• Does not make friends
• Does not play interactive games
• Is withdrawn
• May not respond to eye contact or smiles, or may avoid eye contact
• May treat others as if they are objects
• Prefers to spend time alone, rather than with others
• Shows a lack of empathy

Response to sensory information:

• Does not startle at loud noises
• Has heightened or low senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste
• May find normal noises painful and hold hands over ears
• May withdraw from physical contact because it is overstimulating or overwhelming
• Rubs surfaces, mouths or licks objects
• Seems to have a heightened or low response to pain

Play:

• Doesn't imitate the actions of others
• Prefers solitary or ritualistic play
• Shows little pretend or imaginative play

Behaviors:

• "Acts up" with intense tantrums
• Gets stuck on a single topic or task (perseveration)
• Has a short attention span
• Has very narrow interests
• Is overactive or very passive
• Shows aggression to others or self
• Shows a strong need for sameness
• Uses repetitive body movements

HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE AUTISM?

The exact number of children with autism is not known. A report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that autism and related disorders are more common than previously thought. It is unclear whether this is due to an increasing rate of the illness or an increased ability to diagnose the illness.
Autism affects boys 3 - 4 times more often than girls. Family income, education, and lifestyle do not seem to affect the risk of autism.
Some doctors believe the increased incidence in autism is due to newer definitions of autism. The term "autism" now includes a wider spectrum of children. For example, a child who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism today may have been thought to simply be odd or strange 30 years ago.
Other pervasive developmental disorders include:

• Asperger syndrome (like autism, but with normal language development)
• Rett syndrome (very different from autism, and only occurs in females)
• Childhood disintegrative disorder (rare condition where a child learns skills, then loses them by age 10)
• Pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), also called atypical autism