Autism Flashcards
autism
outlines a wide variety of neurodevelopment disorders; classical autism, Asperger syndrome, rest syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorders
prevalence
1 in 86-150 in US
1 IN 94 BOYS
males 4x as likely to be affected as females
autism etiology
cause not fully understood (genetic and enviro)
potential environmental factors
heavy metals, exposure to toxic chemicals, viral infections
potential genetic factors
abnormal levels of serotonin in the brain
impairment of social interaction
unresponsive to people; lack of eye contact; short attention span; lack of ability to focus on or interpret facial and nonverbal expressions of others; respond well to strict routine; often prefer to play alone; can be passive or overactive; speech delayed; OCD; extreme sensitivity to light, touch, sound and visual media
asperger symptoms/signs
exhibit autistic behaviors, but well-developed language skills
childhood disintegrative disorder s/s
development is normal until between the age of 3-10; development stops or digresses
rett syndrome s/s
affects females more often; social withdrawal, impaired language skills and hand wringing motion
frequent accompanied conditions
tuberous sclerosis (skin disorder, excessive dryness); seizures, Tourette syndrome; learning disability; ADD
prognosis
no cure; symptoms reduced with behavioral and therapeutic interventions
diagnosis
multidisciplinary team diagnosis
medical interventions
family counseling and behavioral therapy; medications-antidepressants, anxiety, OCD, antipsychotic med, anti convulsion, ADD
pt intervention
work with lots of therapists; motor planning-coordination issues, developmental delay; use - NDT, PNF, balance, coordination, relaxation exercises
