LEARN THE
SIGNS OF AUTISM AND ACT EARLY
What
is autism?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is
a developmental disability that can cause significant social,
communication and behavioral challenges. About 1 in 68 children
has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates
from CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. It
is almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 42) than among girls (1 in 189). There is
often nothing about how people with autism look that sets them apart from other
people. Autism is reported to occur in
all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
Your
child’s growth and development are kept track of through a partnership between
you and your health care provider. It is positive parenting to follow how your
child grows and develops specially how your child plays, learns, speaks and
acts. If you are concerned talk to your child’s doctor. Don’t wait;
acting early can make a real difference.
What Causes Autism
All the causes of autism are not yet known. However, there
is evidence that shows that there are likely many causes for multiple types of autism.
There may be many different factors that make a child more likely to have autism,
including environmental, biologic and genetic factors
- Most scientists
agree that genes are one of the risk factors that can make a person more likely
to develop autism
- Children who
have a sibling with autism are at a higher risk of also having autism.
- There is some
evidence that the critical period for developing autism occurs before, during,
and immediately after birth.
- Children born
to older parents are at greater risk for having ASD.
Autism continues to be an important public health
concern. Understanding the factors that make a person more likely to develop autism
will help scientists learn more about the causes.
Signs and
Symptoms of Autism
- Not respond to their name by 12 months of
age
- Not point at objects to show interest
(point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months
- Not play "pretend" games
(pretend to "feed" a doll) by 18 months
- Avoid eye contact and want to be alone
- Have trouble understanding other people's
feelings or talking about their own feelings
- Have delayed speech and language skills
- Repeat words or phrases over and over
(echolalia)
- Give unrelated answers to questions
- Get upset by minor changes
- Have obsessive interests
- Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin
in circles
- Have unusual reactions to the way things
sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
- lose skills they once had (for example,
stop saying words they were using
There is currently no cure for autism. However,
research shows that early intervention treatment services can improve a child’s
development. Early intervention services help children from birth to 3 years
old (36 months) learn important skills. Services can include therapy to help
the child talk and interact with others. Therefore, it is important to talk to
your child’s doctor as soon as possible if you think your child has autism or
other developmental problems.
Even if your child has not been diagnosed with autism,
he or she may be eligible for early intervention treatment services. In addition,
treatment for particular symptoms, such as speech therapy for language delays,
often does not need to wait for a formal autism diagnosis. For more information
on autism (ASD), log on:
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Facts About Autism
(http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html)
Minnesota
Department of Health (MDH): Autism
(http://www.health.state.mn.us/topics/autism/)
University
of Minnesota: Minneapolis Somali Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevalence Project
(http://rtc.umn.edu/autism/)