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A : Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Autism is an umbrella term for a group of developmental disorders that are neurological in origin and cause social, communication and behavioural challenges. ASD is the third most common developmental disorder. It is mainly characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and the presence of repetitive behaviours or restricted interests. Children with ASD may also have their sensory sensitivity affected i.e, they may be under or over-sensitive to certain senses (eg. loud noises, certain fabrics etc)
A : Experts are still trying to find the exact cause of autism but research indicates that it may be caused by a combination of genetic, biological and environmental factors.
A : Here is a brief overview of disorders that fall under the autism spectrum:
A child is diagnosed with autism when he or she has all the signs of symptoms of ASD.
Referred to as high functioning Autism, it is characterized by significant issues with social/emotional skills and obsessive focus on certain topics. There is no language or cognitive development delay.
PDD is often referred to as Atypical Autism because it is diagnosed when a child exhibits some but not all characteristics of autism. For instance, if a child exhibits speech delay and certain repetitive behaviours—he would most likely get a diagnosis of PDD (NOS)
Rett Syndrome is a rare and severe disorder that is linked to a defect in chromosome X, and therefore it mostly affects girls. Rett Syndrome is characterized by a normal period of development followed by a slow regression in skills, often loss of communication skills and loss of purposeful hand movements.
This is a very rare disorder where there is a normal development in all areas initially and the onset of regression of skills happens much later than in other disorders of the spectrum. Children with Childhood Disintegrative Disorder experience loss of skills across all (language, social, behavioural and motor) development areas.
A : Any child on the autism spectrum will have difficulties in three main areas:
A : Screening is only to rule out the possible presence of a developmental delay and professionals may use screening tools such as M-CHAT-R/F to assess the risk for ASD. Screening is usually followed by a detailed evaluation and assessment. Earlier identification of the condition can facilitate earlier intervention and more favourable outcomes for the child in the long term.
A : There is no single medical or genetic test to identify ASD. However, professionals may carry out an evaluation or assessment using diagnostic tools such as Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) or Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) to identify ASD. The child will be evaluated across a range of skill development, including communication, social, motor and cognitive development.
A : Children with autism have trouble relating and interacting with the world around them. However, they may also possess unique strengths which may help them thrive in their chosen careers later on. Some areas in which children with autism commonly have average or above-average skills are
