Under The Autism Umbrella

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Under the Autism Umbrella
To many people, the very name "autism" conjures the image of a child, in isolation, banging his head against the wall. The word "autism" derives from the Greek word "autos," meaning self. The name arose because of the person’s trouble in communicating with others. Since it was first identified in 1943, autism has come to be seen as a spectrum disorder, that is, a disease that can range from mild to severe.
As recently as a decade ago, the incidence of autism was thought to be only one in 5,000. Recent studies now suggest that the number is much higher: About one or two in 2,000 people, says Fred Volkmar, MD, professor of child psychiatry at Yale University. It is impossible to tell whether the numbers are higher because there's an epidemic of autism or because it is simply being detected more. Autism is a profound developmental disability that compromises a person's ability to relate to other people. Language lags are a hallmark of the disorder, which is usually detected between ages of 1 and 3. Autistic children often are attached to routines, fixate on specific subjects or toys, and overreact to stimuli. Sometimes they engage in repetitive movements such as head banging or arm flapping. It is four times more common in boys than girls.
But that doesn't mean autistic children are stupid, or doomed to a hopeless existence. Some, in fact, are quite intelligent. Medical experts say that it is a spectrum disorder because IQs of autistic children can range from mental retardation to genius level.
On the high end are children with Asperger syndrome, a condition in which verbal skills are generally quite good, but qualities known as language pragmatics, such as tone of voice and facial expressions are compromised. Children with Asperger syndrome usually have poor social skills due to their inability to read and transmit nonverbal cues accurately. They also have problems understanding how other people feel. Al...