A Spectrum Disorder

Depiction of Autism

Autism Awareness Month

Barack Obama makes a Presidential Proclamation to raise the awareness of Autism!!

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 2, 2012, as World Autism Awareness Day. I encourage all Americans to learn more about autism and what they can do to support individuals on the autism spectrum and their families.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.”

BARACK OBAMA

Presidential Proclamation—World Autism Awareness Day, 2012.

 http://autismsciencefoundation.wordpress.com/ This month is Autism Awareness Month all around the world. The whole month is dedicated to the disorder autism and on a local level we can do our part by wearing blue ribbons. The blue ribbons we wear will show that we are promoting the awareness of autism in our community.

Awareness Ribbon

Watch these videos

Genetic Testing (Biological Approach)- EMILY

     
    Although there are tests that can detect the abnormalities in DNA of those with autism spectrum disorder these tests are not completely accurate. Today when expecting parents request genetic testing to determine their child’s risk for autism the tests used consist of Karyotyping, fragile X testing, and chromosomal microarray (CMA) testing. Karyotyping examines a sample of cells for abnormalities. Fragile X testing looks for the fragile X syndrome, which is the leading genetic cause of autism. CMA examines the entire genome, which allows for testers to home in on tiny variations in DNA sequences. While none of these tests have provided 100% correctness, CMA testing has shown better accuracy than the other tests.

         Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that affects the brain’s development of social and communication skills. All the causes of ASDs are unknown but some environmental, biological and genetic factors have been associated with the disorder. Because children with siblings or parents are at a higher risk of also having an ASD it is clear that there is some sort of genetic connection. Fragile X syndrome is the leading genetic cause of autism spectrum syndrome. It is important to remember that not all children with ASD have these factors contributing to their disorder and that there are still a lot of questions needed to be answered about diagnostics, causes, treatments, and cures.

Charts

Warning Signs/Symptoms

Displays Indifference 

Joins in only if adult insists 

one sided interactions

No eye contact 

No Variety

Uses an adults hand always

Will not play with other children 

Talks about one topic (obsessions)

Lack of creative pretend play

Bizarre behavior

Inappropriate laughing and giggling

Copies words like a parrot

Likes to spin objects 

 Can do some things very well, and catches on quickly (tasks that involve no social involvement)

Social Approach- Ashely

Deficits in brain function dealing with social aspects is social cognition, in which the person fails to understand the internal mental states of other people and has difficulty making attributions of mental states to others and themselves (1).

Family:

·      Family members can also be invited to join various parent and family groups for information and support. In addition to experiencing overwhelming caregiver burdens, many parents of child with autism feel guilt, sorrow, anger, and stress; siblings may be affected in similar ways (1).

Attachment:

·      Multiple tests have been conducted looking at the attachment of autistic children with strangers, caregivers, and other key members in their lives. For example, Attachment in Autism and Other Developmental Disorders by Theodore Shapiro, Miriam Sherman, Gail Calamari, and Diane Koch stated, “Autistic and atypical children's manifested attachment behavior is not significantly different from the attachment behavior normal children display at a younger age” (4). Another example is the journal article Attachment behaviors in autistic children by Marian Sigman and Judy A. Ungerer which stated, “Within the autistic group, the children who showed an increase in attachment behaviors in response to separation and reunion demonstrated more advanced symbolic play skills than those autistic children who showed no change in attachment behaviors. One possible explanation may be that autistic children require more advanced levels of symbolic ability to form attachments to others than is necessary for the development of attachments in normal children” (5).

Household composition:

·      The family household composition is deeply affected for good and bad when raising an autistic child. The International Meeting for Autism Research stated, “Even as compared to families with children who had other functional limitations, having a child with autism still resulted in a 20 percent hit to the wallet, the study found. The reason: mothers of children with autism are less likely to work and when they are employed these moms tend to earn less than others, leaving many families with only one breadwinner” (3).

Traumatic events:

·      Autismspeaks.org on October 13, 2011 is holding a, “Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Traumatized Children and Their Families Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT), developed by Judith Cohen, Anthony Mannarino, and Esther Deblinger, is an empirically supported treatment for children and families exposed to traumatic life events. This two-day training will provide an intensive review of all of the TF-CBT treatment components, with a specific focus on clinical implementation strategies” (2).

Support networks:

·      The Autism Support Network, “Connects families and individuals touched by ASD with each other, provides support and insight, and acts as a resource guide for education, treatments, strategies and therapies for autism. Through the Autism Support Network community of people helping people, we foster an exchange of knowledge and promote further understanding and serve as a platform for individual’s stories of success and challenge” (6).

Special Education:

•       All children with autism are entitled to an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Ancillary services such as speech or language therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Continuous programming, including summer programming, is more effective than episodic intervention because children with autism often regress in the absence of services (1).

•       Interventions can be carried out through integrated peer groups, class wide interventions, adult social groups, and videotapes to help the clients perceive themselves as they try to gain new interactional skills (1).

Day to Day Autism Chart

Issues regarding the Spectrum- Kathy

Autism is the term used for a group of complex disorders of brain development. This is such a broad term and many different disorders fall under it. They include autistic disorder, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger syndrome. Because autism is such a huge umbrella for different developmental disorders, diagnosing it is often difficult to determine. There are different classifications of autism that share the same symptom so that diagnosing someone with one disorder is challenging. The challenge of classifying people with very unique symptoms and abilities is addressed by placing those with autism on a large spectrum. Their abilities and disabilities range from very disabled to highly skilled. Some have remarkable skills in visual arts, fine arts, and academic studies. Others on this same spectrum have significant disabilities and they are not able to live independently. We need remember that each person with autism do not have the same abilities and disabilities so when helping them cope with it, it is a challenge.    

Our lack of knowledge base also leads to gaps in properly understanding autism. Recently, scientists have discovered that there is no one cause of autism, but there are different factors that put children at risk of becoming autistic. These factors help us to better understand each individual and what may have caused them to get autism.

Because there is a discrepancy between the different lenses their opinions and conclusions differ which makes it difficult to come to a consensus. This complicates what we understand and know because there is no one right answer of how autism is caused. We might only see one side of things while not seeing the other contributing factors. 

Current Issues in Autism

Autism spectrum disorder is one of the fastest growing disability categories. It is also one of the most challenging.

It is estimated that from one in 500 to one in 166 children have autism, and it affects boys at a 4-to-1 ratio over girls.

The recent explosion in the number of children diagnosed with autism has spurred interest in its cause. Theories include genetics, environmental factors such as pesticides, infections, hormone imbalance, and mercury in vaccines.

Multiple approaches exist for the treatment of autism. Educational treatments often address communication and behavior, and one of the most widely accepted is applied behavior analysis. However, there are other strategies that have helped some students but are disputed in the field. Additional educational methods exist that have helped some children with autism but have not been validated by large-scale studies. 

Other treatments for autism include biomedical and dietary approaches. These approaches, too, have proponents and detractors.

Here is a link to more issues regarding or dealing with Autism: 

http://www.harryhong.com/index_files/AutismIssues.htm

Familial Issues

A child’s autism diagnosis affects every member of the family in different ways. Parents/caregivers must now place their primary focus on helping their child with ASD, which may put stress on their marriage, other children, work, finances, and personal relationships and responsibilities. Parents now have to shift much of their resources of time and money towards providing treatment and interventions for their child, to the exclusion of other priorities. The needs of a child with ASD complicates familial relationships, especially with siblings. However, parents can help their family by informing their other children about autismand the complications it introduces, understanding the challenges siblings face and helping them cope, and involving members of the extended family to create a network of help and understanding (Understanding Autism for Dummies, 2006). Finding time for prayer and attending a place of worship also helps many families handle the challenges of autism and provides a safe, inclusive environment for both the child and family

Aspergers Syndrome

Asperger syndrome is a form of autism, a disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to others.

A number of the traits of autism are common to Asperger syndrome including:

Difficulty in communicating

Difficulty social relationships

A lack of imagination and creative play

However, people with Asperger syndrome usually have fewer problems with language than those with autism, often speaking fluently though their words can sometimes sound formal or stilted.  

People with Asperger syndrome also do not have the accompanying learning disabilities often associated with autism; in fact, people with Asperger syndrome are often of average or above average intelligence.

The key characteristics of Asperger syndrome are:

Difficulty with social relationships,

Difficulty with communication,

Lack of imagination,

Special interests,

Love of routines.

Meet David

David is Sione's Cousin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT03GC5G4aE&list=UUH5RN2M2olPEQAKPDf7hf1g&index=1&feature=plcp

My cousin david who is autistic is the brightest little kid I know. He loves playing on his laptop and he loves watching youtube clips. He has a daily routine everyday, when getting up in the morning and getting ready for school. One story of david that always comes to mind is one day when he was at school. His teacher would give him easy assignments for him to work on at home with his parents. The teacher wasn't sure if he was learning and wanted to work with David and see if he was learning anything. So she sat down and worked on some problems with David but he just ignored her. She tried and tried and still David ignored her, the teacher soon after got a knock on the door so she stepped away to answer the door. She was literally gone for about 5 minutes and returned to a completed paper with math problems solved. She looked at David stunned and that one story of David, that shows why Autistic kids are known for being unique and sometimes mysterious:)

A story about Jessica's Cousin

Personal Story from my cousin, Bristol Vendiola Atuaia

Bristol was born a healthy baby boy on June 18, 2005. He grew and developed normally through his first two years of life. His mother, Deisha, began to see a change in his developmental stages around the age of two. He did not look you in the eyes, anymore, when speaking to him, would not respond to you when calling his name, he did not speak words, and he did not play with other kids. Sensing something was wrong, Deisha took Bristol to see a doctor, but the doctor’s response was, “He’s fine, boys are slower to develop than girls, so give him time”. Believing the doctor, Deisha waited another two months before seeking the advice of the Department of Health Early Intervention Division where Bristol then saw a psychologist. On October 7, 2007 Bristol was diagnosed with having Autism Spectrum Disorder. Confirming his diagnosis was bitter sweet for Deisha; she finally knew what was wrong with Bristol, but didn’t realize the long road that lay ahead before her and the family.

Some of the negative traits of autism that Bristol portrayed were: the banging of his head on the floor, hitting objects, throwing tantrums, biting, pinching, hand flapping, repetitive movements, twirling in circles, banging items loudly, and uncontrollable yelling outbursts (in a high pitch voice) While further researching Autism, Deisha recently discovered other symptoms (which Bristol depicts) that may be contributed to Autism: rectal digging and fecal smearing.

Today, Bristol constantly needs adult assistance and supervision in everything that he does. Because of his mental delays, Bristol (at the age of six) cannot comprehend the basics of life; such as getting burn from a hot stove, a sharp knife can cut you or a car can hit you if you go on the road. Bristol wonders a lot and doesn’t realize that he can get lost; therefore, requiring a lot of time from Deisha to care for him every day.

Some of the more positive aspects of Bristol is that he truly enjoys being outdoors, he loves swimming (with close supervision that it) and is elated when he gets to play on the playground. Like his older brother, he loves listening to music, reading books, and playing with his toys. Astonishingly, he’s a very affectionate boy who enjoys giving kisses and is always smiling; these are some behaviors that autistic children cannot do.

Some of the coping strategies include break times or “self-time” which gives Bristol the time to recuperate from the stresses, challenges, and frustrations of every day.

Deisha was only a teen mother when she gave birth to Bristol. She has an older son named Marley, who is two years older than Bristol. As a young mother, parenting a child with Autism, she sacrificed a lot: socially, financially, and physically. She stated,

“Autism affects my everyday life. It takes up most of my time and money. Going to doctor’s appointments, meetings, therapies, making phone calls and talking to different specialists…Overall, it’s draining and frustrating. Sometimes you feel depressed because you feel you’re the only one in this world that wants [the best] for your son. But, I won’t give up on my son, my son did not ask for this sickness.”

Deisha’s ability to raise Bristol and her passion to help him get better is very much evident. She’s given up much of her teenage years and experiences we all take for granted; such as going out with friends and attending college. She spends most of her time raising Bristol and working to support his bills.

Autism, she says, has affected her in a positive way: “I appreciate the little things in life. I wonder why he would get up so early in the morning and it’s because he doesn’t want to miss out on all the adventures life has to offer.” The simple things in life are what make Deisha, Marley and Bristol happy!


Autism does not define my son as a person, it is only a small part of his character. He is sooo much more than just autisitc. He is my special son that makes my day, everyday. He LOVES music and dance, enjoys the simple things in life, going swimming, carnivals, eating lol etc.

When we go out i sometimes have problems with other people staring and giving rude facial expressions, I want people to understand that yes he does have tantrums in public and no he is not a "spoiled" child that throws tantrums cuz he doesn't get what he wants. He is trying to make sense of the situation and trying to understand whats going on. Perfect example is when we went to a pool but it was closed for a half an hour for a pool lesson class, so we had to wait. Bristol cried and tantrumed the whole half an hour because he didnt understand why we couldnt go in (seeing that other people was in there but for a class.) I tried to explain to him over and over again but he just cried the whole time until we were able to go in. When people stare and give us dirty looks, i get so mad sometimes I want to yell at them but I have to remind myself that they dont know our story and our daily struggles that we go through. So my advice to others would be don't judge , theres a reason behind every story and action of an autistic child. It is our duties as adults to help these special kids.
(Bristol displays some autistic traits such as hand flapping, yelling, repeptitive stuff, stomping, etc. Sometimes he can't control these outburst or needs help to control them. But sometimes other people think hes being so loud, rude, and obnoxious)

The blessings of having a child with autism has made me become a different person with a better and more positive outlook on life. It made me grow and gain qualities such as alot of pateince of course lol, determination, persistence, appreciation etc. Perfect example: I have been trying to get a service for Bristol (not throught the DOE but elsewhere) and I have been going at it for about 9 months now. Dealing with eligibility, tests, assessments, meetings, tons of phone calls, loads of paperwork, etc. Its hard work and time consuming but I know it will benefit Bristol...I am almost there but I have learned to stick with it and never give up! If they think I'm going to give up, they're wrong.

Her determination for Bristol is amazing. April is Autism Awareness month. Let's help mothers like Deisha to raise the awareness of Autism and help children like Bristol to get the services that they need!

Personal Experience by Kathy

(not the kid from the story)

A boy in my homeward has autism, but I am not sure where on the spectrum he falls. I know that he lives with his parents because he is not capable of living independently. At our ward Christmas party he got up in front of my whole ward and rapped an alphabet Christmas song that he memorized. I was amazed at how well he could rap. I can personally say that I am not capable of doing what he did and I thought he was a good rapper

Autism Walk

The next autism walk is Apr. 21, 2012!!!!

Visit this link to find out how to participate in Hawaii: 

http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=994604

HOMEWORK

PLEASE VISIT OUR BLOG www.autismSD.blogspot.com

and make a comment on your favorite post

MAHALO

References

REFERENCES

(1)Autism Fact Sheet: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). (n.d.).        National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Retrieved April 3,   2012, from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm

(2)Autism Society - Homepage. (n.d.). Autism Society - Homepage. Retrieved April 3, 2012, from     http://www.autism-society.org/ 

(3) O'Callaghan, T. (2010, March 16). Toward a more effective genetic test for autism. Time   Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2010/03/16/toward-a-more-effective-genetic-test-for-autism/

(4)Shen, Y., Dies, K. A., & Holm , I. A. (2010). Clinical genetic testing for patients with autism        spectrum disorders. Pediatrics, 125(4), Retrieved from             http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/4/e727.full.pdf html

(5) Corcoran, J. and Walsh J.(2009). Mental health in social work. A casebook on diagnosis and strengths based assessment. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

(6) "Family Behavioral Resources Presents" (2011). Autism Speaks. Retrieved from http://www.autismspeaks.org/node/109616

(7) Rudy, Lisa Jo. "Families with Autism Living on Less." (2011). Autism Spectrum Disorders. About.com. Retrieved from http://autism.about.com/b/2011/05/12/families-with-autism-living-on-less.htm

 Serenade66. "Autism?" (2012). YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8umwjLi0F8

(8) Shapiro, Theodore, Miriam Sherman, Gail Calamari, and Diane Koch. "Attachment in Autism and Other Developmental Disorders." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. SciVerse. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890856709657233

 (9) Sigman, Marian, and Judy A. Ungerer. "Attachment Behaviors in Autistic Children." SpringerLink. Springer Science Business Media. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com/content/k30n462406488u28

(10) "Welcome to the Autism Support Network." Autism Support Network. Retrieved from http://autismsupportnetwork.leveragesoftware.com/default.aspx

(11)WhatYouOughtToKnow. "Autism." (2008). YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL5GHMEjzt8