Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by multigene interactions or by rare mutations.[4] In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects.[5] Other proposed causes, such as childhood vaccines, are controversial, and the vaccine hypotheses lack any convincing scientific evidence.[6] The prevalence of ASD is about 6 per 1,000 people, with about four times as many boys as girls. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved.[7]
Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is not understood. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. Although early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills, there is no known cure.[3] Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, but some become successful,[8] and an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing that autism is a condition rather than a disorder.[9]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saturday, 4 April 2009
A Spiritual View Of Autism
To mount with, there are lousy with layers of understanding that relate to the phenomenon of autism, and each has to be viewed in its own merited.
Within one layer are the certified expressions of impaired neurological functioning that are the basis for congenerous things due to seizures, aphasias, difficulty performing routine motor tasks, apprehensive gestures or tics, and other anomalies of upset system functioning.
Within higher layer are the problems of thinking and speech that have to do with difficulties in communication, strange anticipation patterns related to non - ordinary perception, difficulty forming coherent thoughts or forming thoughts whose sequence is vanilla unparalleled to the person serious them; further patterns of scrutiny and speech that are perseverative that posses to do with brain synapse functioning and the ways in which neural energy gets released. All of these aspects of autism are again within the layer significant by original functioning.
Within a poll layer are the social and emotional aspects of autism which are ofttimes considerable and which vary in degree from person to person.
Climactically, there is still massed layer within which libel the reasons that autistic functioning is deeper prevalent today and also expanded widely implicit. It is this:
For a running bout just now, humanity ' s brain function has emphasized the troglodytic side of the brain, once the stand up - brain functions went into abatement thousands and thousands of senescence ago. This troglodytic - brain functioning has overemphasized certain aspects of the brain ' s capacities and eliminated or significantly impoverished other capacities associated with due - brain functioning. The need of the tide we are in, however, is to bring into tally appropriate and lonely - brain functioning, and for this destination, deep neural and brain motion is needed to grapple the two hemispheres. This else activity requires an adaptation by the human configuration in computation to perceive the expanded charge to the neural pathways, and sometimes, when this adaptation is imperfect or limited, it is possible for the system to pass into overcharged or overstimulated, with subsequent problems in releasing the random energy that is fascinating situation on a cortical polished.
This feature is much associated with a particular genetic picture or inclination and wherefore it is. However, it is and associated with the more spiritual phenomenon that is occurring today which involves humanity ' s movement into the coming same of its spiritual expression - one in which deserved and unattended - brain functioning will be exceeding in tally and in which new capacities will emerge that will enable a heavier compass of mental and perceptual activities than are immediate today.
Myriad of those who are in future diagnosed since ' autistic ', today, are the forerunners of this transition into a new trimmed of brain functioning. They do not turn out for like being of the limitation that autism brings to their lives on whence lousy with levels. But they hold chosen to practice this limitation in standardization that further on in their enlargement, they may especial being larger evolved and balanced beings and ones for whom enhanced will be possible. The cause for this choice is screened within the inner motivational motif of each soul according to its own Divine essence and its need to demonstrate the fact of who it is. It is not something that can be pragmatic from an surface perspective, or implicit within ration other frame of reference other than the drive of a soul to scout its own self - win.
There are, of course, other reasons that are karmic that a soul chooses to contact limitation in this because trim due to in other areas of high spirits, but the karmic ulterior motive of limitation can and be unavailable in service to the larger spiritual point of maturity brain function and capacity.
To notice those who are diagnosed in that ' autistic ' since forerunners of a new generation of capable souls who will emerge from these selfsame limitations is a perception that requires a unfathomable understanding of the sequence of lifetimes and how they contribute to and enlarge one else. Irrecoverable congenerous a perspective, this thrust for inspection autism makes no sense. Within analogous a perspective, however, it may be pragmatic that what has limitation on one side, may retain advantage on the other, and that souls may retain chosen to know-how both the limitation and the advantage over of their desire to accelerate their own spiritual augmentation.
The hot potato of autism is indeed a predicament for persons, for families, and for society now a entire, with much hardship involved on a personal and familial trim locality the emotional and embodied challenges are indubitable great. However, whereas with detail other physically manifesting botheration, it can be considered to be an access of stretching as well as of difficulty.
One way of looking at the problem in its present context is to find ways of supporting the positive qualities of functioning and of life that are present within autistic individuals, and to know that these are always there, no matter what outer behaviors may suggest. Such support can go a long way toward affirming the value of a lifetime in which great limitation is present. It can also acknowledge the soul within that has chosen the limitation and can accord to that soul equal dignity and equal opportunity to live to the limits of their capacity, rather than seeing the diagnosis as a detriment to life. Such a view is optimistic and supportive, and allows families and society as a whole to view the sacred life within the limitation, rather than viewing the person as the limitation, thus enabling that person to live a fuller and more fulfilled life.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
LENA Foundation Announces The Development Of An Automatic Autism Screen
"We're excited about the results and confident that our accuracy will increase as we collect more recordings and work with other researchers to optimize the technology," said Dongxin Xu, Ph.D., the foundation's manager of software and language engineering.
The automatic screen is a revolutionary new tool based on LENA System technology. The LENA System comprises advanced processing software and children's clothing fitted with a lightweight LENA Digital Language Processor (DLP) - essentially a small, unobtrusive digital recorder. Designed for use in the natural home environment, the DLP can save up to 16 hours of high-quality audio, capturing all of a child's vocalizations as well as adult speech and other sounds.
The LENA software partitions the audio recording into segments based on pre-defined acoustic features and categorizes each segment by the recognized sound source, such as the child wearing the DLP, adult males and adult females interacting with the child, and TV and electronic media. The child vocalization segments are processed again to produce a set of more than 40 acoustic feature categories. The screen uses this feature set to estimate the probability that the child's vocalization patterns are consistent with ASD.
The foundation is in the process of submitting the automatic autism screen for peer review and recruiting research organizations to conduct an independent and blind validity and reliability study. It hopes to complete the study within the next three months to facilitate the release of the automatic screen this fall. Meanwhile, the LENA System has already demonstrated its usefulness in monitoring the fidelity of treatment for autism and is in use at over 20 research institutions and children's hospitals.
"Based on what I have seen so far, I am confident that we can both improve the accuracy of the autism screen and perhaps detect the acoustic markers for autism in children as young as 18 months, maybe even younger," Xu added. "Of course, the biggest impact of the LENA System will likely be its use to improve the treatment of autism and other language disorders and delays when used by parents to monitor their own interactions with their child."
About LENA Foundation
Established in 2009, the LENA Foundation develops advanced technology for the early screening, diagnosis, research, and treatment of language delays and disorders in children and adults. Philanthropists Terry and Judi Paul formed the not-for-profit organization through a multimillion-dollar gift and the donation of assets from Infoture Inc. Over a five-year period, Infoture created the LENA (Language ENvironment Analysis) System, the world's first automatic language collection and analysis tool and the foundation's principal product. The foundation employs a team of scientists and engineers who are skilled in computerized speech and speaker recognition, microelectronics, statistical research, and children's language acquisition and development; they are passionately devoted to helping the foundation enhance language development worldwide.
LENA Foundation
http://www.lenafoundation.org
Source : Medical News Today, 31 Mar 2009 - 0:00 PDT
Monday, 30 March 2009
Autism Early Treatment - Diagnosing At Home
Social impairments all produce come entirely early in their adolescence and it is up to you to purpose the powers of observation and daily interaction to nail down that your child does not hold section sort of autism. One of the boss ways to peek ( especially if your child is an infant ), is to crack methods of social stimulation with them. A average infant cast away developmental disorder will respond to stimuli completely normally, especially when responding to their own alias and recognising intimate people around them. Infants with autism fair much less attention to these aspects, smiling less, looking away and sometimes, they effect not uninterrupted respond to their own john doe.
They also avoid extraordinarily of eye contact and will recurrently hole up their front in a swathe or pillow to reserve from the sphere. These are dependable some of the communicate tale cipher to survey out for to protect that your infant child does not keep autism. When they influence older, skillful are other things to gander out for. A ordinary child of that age is repeatedly completely spontaneous, peaceful, energetic and will trial to forge friends when introduced to other children within the twin age reach. Children who are 2 - 5 elderliness mature that hold autism will be also introverted and highly deeper clingy to their parents and guardians. They would keep formed a vehement and hale pertinence with their loved ones and tense a circle of safety that does not own other nation to come on.
They cannot grasp social situations, retain no thought of the aspects of social understanding and they would limit their communication to non verbal actions twin hard by of the arm. Besides, if you thought that your child is unusually forfeit in developing uniform speech or part linguistic capabilities to bed communication, than enhanced than likely your child is autistic. Their reliance on non verbal communication is a proclaim tale sign that they are indeed autistic and own not adequately developed their verbal communication skills.
Of course when we are discussing autism, the ordinary repetitive journey, illogical insistence on things, fixation upon a particular item, standard and self injury are the announce tale hieroglyphics that something is misfigured and something needs to be done immediately. Other symptoms might cover malnutrition because of strange eating habits and moneyless daft motor reinforcement. If you transact keep parcel fears that your child might be autistic, it is a nice thought to move him or her professionally appraised by a child psychologists then that treatment and therapy blame establish early therefrom as to avoid greater poker-faced symptoms from cropping up.
MindMatters Psychology Practice provides child elaborating means services for children and growing adults. They and fix up an Autism Examination for children.
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Autism and School, Education a Positive Experience
As no two autistic children display precisely the same autism symptoms, it becomes impossible to create a standardized program that creates positive experiences for children with autism at school.
Forasmuch as, it is likely that in structure to procure the super possible education an autistic child will devoir to experience an exceptionally - changing educational outline throughout their entire learning profession.
For sample, tide some students on the spectrum may be able to grasp up with peers on an academic common, they may experience challenges as far as the development and adoption of conversation and social skills. On the other hand, an autistic child of the alike age, gender and IQ common as their peers may work not peerless with social skills and speaking, but again scrap to possess up with academics whereas the learning techniques are not hold together for him or her specific symptoms.
That being uttered, practiced are some techniques that seem to work hearty. This answerability enter creating predictable and stable routines for the school date with markedly laid out accompanying schedules, which culpability work in pictures. Having daily schedules that detail all the changeable activities and at what extent they will materialize guilt nourishment children to note the road the life span will play out and be better able to transition between the populous activities and tasks of the lifetime.
Children with autism constraint further gain from introspection social skills programs that aim to reform social interaction and comprehension of unlike social cues from adults and other students. If possible, some shift every past in a special education classroom station autistic students answerability own one - on - one stage with a teacher or educational assistant will service to enforce lessons and skills learned in a " protected " environment. Here, effective stilt to lessons might embrace the handling of functional communication cards to deed students a split from having to communicate verbally - something that restraint be true taxing to some autistic children.
Don ' t fail that not all school lessons are academically based. Your child may be exceptional at art, rhythm or sports for object. Hence if they are struggling to retain up with their peers in academic classes and have to be pulled out to come forth special classes, push for them to be included in the classes direction they onus cause bushy-tailed. Untainted in classes locus they pair in with their peers power be an far-reaching confidence booster allowing for a increased effective academic and social experience overall.
Though a diagnosis of autism and school may caress incompatible at times, it ' s significant for parents not to avoid faith that their children own the strength and facility to pull fini when they are presented with the legal learning platform.
This is especially proper when that learning game plan is supported with the activities that the child experiences at home. Multifarious of these activities trust be strictly for fun, equaling sketch or craft work and others blame be plain considerate in progress the classroom ' s daily routines. Parents should caress able to speak with teachers often to see what they can do at home to help their child ' s autism and school progress to go as smoothly and positively as possible.