How to Understand Autism

Autism is a painful disorder for parents to accept and understand. Learning all you can about autism will help alleviate some of your sorrow and frustration.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Accept that autism causes lifelong developmental disabilities, and is a physical disorder of the brain, most probably an abnormality in the limbic region of the cortex (which controls emotions) and an underdevelopment in the cerebellum. You did not cause your child's autism.
2. Know that the symptoms of autism can occur alone or in combination with other conditions, like mental retardation, epilepsy, deafness, ADHD and blindness.
3. Understand that scientists do not know what causes autism. There is speculation that autism can be inherited through a gene. If you have an autistic child, you have a 2-3% chance of having a second autistic child.
4. Recognize that autism is a severe form of multiple developmental disorders that include impairments in communication skills, stereotypies (rituals) and poor play skills.
5. Differentiate autism from other childhood developmental disorders through professional evaluation. Autism is different from mental retardation because autistic children shun social interaction, whereas the mentally retarded child enjoys social interaction. Autism is different from childhood schizophrenia because the autistic child does not have hallucinations and delusions.
6. Understand that signs of autism are apparent by the time a child is three years old. However, some parents do not seek professional evaluation for their child until he is older. Usually, the more severe the symptoms, the earlier a diagnosis is made.

Tips & Warnings

• Autism occurs in 1 out of every 10,000 live births, and is about three times more prevalent in boys than in girls.