World Autism Awareness Day: Facts about the disorder
Live with its symptoms, which include delayed neurological development and social interaction difficulties
Wednesday was World Autism Awareness Day, to shed light on the struggle of tens of millions of people living with autism around the world, and the lack of public health services to cope with the disorder.
In Montreal, the Miriam Foundation has begun a campaign called “See things my way,” which urges people to donate, volunteer and spread the word about the need for early intervention services for children with autism, as well as services for adults with the disorder.
The campaign urges people to decorate pretend eye glasses and then share their decorations on Facebook or Twitter to help raise awareness.
Autism is a developmental disorder thought to occur in utero, or shortly after birth, and can be diagnosed at about 18 months of age. It affects the neurological development of the brain and results in difficulties with social interactions, and can be associated with intellectual disabilities.
While there have been many movies and television shows about the disorder, there remain many mysteries about its causes, and there are many myths as well.
The following are a few facts about autism: 1 Autism is a spectrum In fact, autism, and conditions once referred to as Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder are all referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Autism manifests itself in three ways: difficulty with language development, socialization, and the presence of repetitive and stereotypical patterns and behaviours. 2 Not all people with autism have developmental delays
Nathalie Garcin, a clinical psychologist and the executive director of the Gold Centre — which gives services to children with autism — explained that autism will manifest itself differently in every patient. There is a range of high-functioning patients who can attend school and even have above-average intelligence, to those with few or no verbal skills.
“Many will have very narrow focuses of interests, which can be considered talents, because some kids will read at the age of two,” she said. “But for others some of these interests can be a hindrance to development, like lining up objects, or the nonfunctional use of toys.” 3 Rates of autism are increasing It’s not clear why, but more people are being diagnosed with autism than ever before. The Centers for Disease Control has pegged the rate at one in 68, up from one in 88 only six years ago. While some point to better awareness and improved diagnostic abilities as the reason, Garcin said that doesn’t explain the entire increase, and suggested something in the environment must be accounting for at least part of the increase. 4 Autism is genetic Genetics play a role in autism, and parents of one child with autism have a 24 per cent chance of having a second child with the disorder. Boys are five times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with the disorder. 5 There is no known cure for autism Although major breakthroughs have been seen, clinicians don’t talk about curing patients with the disorder. Garcin said the best bet for children with autism is to get diagnosis and treatment for the disorder as early as possible.
While there is no specific treatment that works on all children, if a child responds, his requirement for special help when he enters school can be reduced or even eliminated.
6 Waiting lists for treatment for autism are excessively long
In Montreal, there is a twoyear waiting list to see a specialist to get a diagnosis of autism and, after that, there can be another two years of waiting before getting appropriate treatment. This is a particular concern for autism activists because of the importance of early intervention. 7 There are many myths around the causes of autism
It was once thought to be caused by “refrigerator mothers” who didn’t show enough emotion to their children. More recently, a study during the 1990s linked autism to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. While the study was proved to be falsified, it helped spur on an anti-vaccine movement that continues to perpetrate the myth. 8 Autism symptoms can emerge late in some children
While it is believed to be a disorder from birth, parents of children with autism have noted that their children regressed in their development or lost some communication skills around age two.
9 Autism symptoms can be relieved though diet
While this has also been called a myth, some parents of children with autism have noted an improvement in their children after switching to low-caffeine diets or gluten-free diets.
Garcin said she has noticed some patients have improvement in their symptoms, though that isn’t the case with the majority of them. 10 Autism is not a new disorder Although it was first identified during the 1940s, many believe that autism has been around for centuries. Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson and even Michelangelo are believed to have had some form of autism.
Garcin said it’s impossible to know for sure, because diagnosing autism is a complex matter, but said it’s certainly possible they were affected by the disorder.
One of the earliest and most outspoken advocates for autism is Temple Grandin, a doctor of animal science in the U.S. Her disorder was diagnosed at age two in 1949.