Post by Sp❣rit on Apr 1, 2011 12:55:57 GMT -5
As of April 1st, besides being a day of pranks and trickery, it is also the start of a month that is out to bring awareness to autism. This isn't just a promo. It's also here to try and educate yourselves about something that's actually going on that isn't about Pokémon.
You can either participate by changing your profile, like mine. Or you can post a single fact about autism, citing a source if possible. No repeating facts if you post a single one on here, if possible. I'll edit this post to keep track of what was said, and for participating, you'll earn shards.
How many?
Generated from 5 to 10 shards. You don't have to have your profile changed for the entire month, but at least for a full 24 hours. <3 Post away.
FACTS:
There Are Dozens of Treatments for Autism - But No 'Cure'
So far as medical science is aware, there is at present no cure for autism. That's not to say that people with autism don't improve, because many improve radically. But even when people with autism increase their skills, they are still autistic, which means they think and perceive differently from most people. Children with autism may receive many types of treatments. Treatments may be biomedical, sensory, behavioral, developmental or even arts-based. Depending upon the child, certain treatments will be more successful than others.
How is autism treated?
There is no cure for ASD. Therapies and behavioral interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can bring about substantial improvement. The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that meet the specific needs of individual children. Most health care professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better.
Autism Care
holy crap junk posted a lot but read it anyways.
Indicators
Autism affects 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys.
And for those that do not know... These are the symptoms of Autism
* no babbling or pointing by age 1
* no single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2
* no response to name
* loss of language or social skills
* poor eye contact
* excessive lining up of toys or objects
* no smiling or social responsiveness.
Later indicators include:
* impaired ability to make friends with peers
* impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
* absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
* stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language
* restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus
* preoccupation with certain objects or subjects
* inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals.
Unfortunately there is no cure for autism right now although there are therapies to help with it.
Characteristics
Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of "I" or "me." Children with autism don't know how to play with other children. Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking.
A sign that your child may have autism
Recent findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggest that the brains of children with autism develop differently from an early age. Researchers discovered that most infants who were later diagnosed with autism had small head circumferences at birth but had heads -- and brains -- much larger than normal by 6 to 14 months. "Some of them went all the way up to the 90th percentile in just a few months," says study coauthor Natacha Akshoomoff, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. Those who ended up with the most severe form of autism were found to have the most dramatic acceleration of brain growth during infancy.
Pediatricians don't always measure head circumference at well-baby visits, so it's wise to request it. However, don't panic if your baby's head size is above the norm. Some babies just have big heads. "Rapid head growth is not a way to diagnose autism," Dr. Akshoomoff points out, "but it means that a child should be watched closely to be sure that she meets speech and behavioral milestones."
Many children with autism have a reduced sensitivity to pain, but are abnormally sensitive to sound, touch, or other sensory stimulation. These unusual reactions may contribute to behavioral symptoms such as a resistance to being cuddled or hugged.
Although ASD varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group. Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have ASD. Males are four times more likely to have ASD than females.
Satoshi Taijiri, the creator of Pokemon, has autism.
There's No 'Best School' for a Child with Autism
You may have heard of a wonderful "autism school," or read of a child doing amazingly well in a particular type of classroom setting. While any given setting may be perfect for any given child, every child with autism has unique needs. Even in an ideal world, "including" a child with autism in a typical class may not be the best choice. Decisions about autistic education are generally made by a team made up of parents, teachers, administrators and therapists who know the child well.
Is the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders increasing?
Unquestionably, there are more children being diagnosed with ASD today than ever before. This, in and of itself, presents a major public health challenge. It is, however, very difficult to determine why this is occurring.
KIDS ARE GETTING DIAGNOSED SOONER
There's no laboratory or medical test for detecting autism, so doctors must rely on behavioral signs. In the past, many were reluctant to label a child as autistic until symptoms became obvious. "The average age for diagnosis had been about 3 1/2, with many children diagnosed much later," says Amy Wetherby, Ph.D., director of the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at Florida State University, in Tallahassee. But that's changing.
One reason is that pediatricians are becoming more aware of autism. At the same time, autism specialists are better at identifying early telltale signs such as a lack of babbling or pointing. "Most children with autism will show some signs of developmental disruption by their first birthday," says Rebecca Landa, Ph.D., an autism researcher at Baltimore's Kennedy Krieger Institute.
And while no one is yet diagnosing autism in children that young, doctors can now make a reliable assessment by 24 months -- when a child's brain is still rapidly developing. "If we can intervene while a child's brain is very immature, it will be much easier to help change her behavior," Dr. Wetherby says.
Literary Works!
The main character in The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-time has Asperger Syndrome, a form of Autism. The book is written in first person perspective and this gives you a good idea of what is going on in his mind, and how he sees the world.
For anyone who wants to learn more about Asperger Syndrome and loves light reads, check it out! Another great book about Agperger Syndrome/Autism is 'Born on a blue monday' and 'The Solitude of Prime Numbers'.
Asperger Syndrome
Asperger Syndrome (its in the autism spectrum) individuals have mind-blindness (the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and alexithymia (the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in oneself or others). This means that they are nearly unable to empathize with others, causing relationship problems.
Which totally not their fault whatsoever. Its just that people will look at them the wrong way and that may cause tension between the peers and the autism spectrum community
Kod
Has it. Listen to his mother's story.
Mothers & Autism
According to the Journal of the American Association of Pediatrics, mothers of autistic children maintain remarkable strengths in creating parent-child relationships and social support.
You can either participate by changing your profile, like mine. Or you can post a single fact about autism, citing a source if possible. No repeating facts if you post a single one on here, if possible. I'll edit this post to keep track of what was said, and for participating, you'll earn shards.
How many?
Generated from 5 to 10 shards. You don't have to have your profile changed for the entire month, but at least for a full 24 hours. <3 Post away.
FACTS:
There Are Dozens of Treatments for Autism - But No 'Cure'
So far as medical science is aware, there is at present no cure for autism. That's not to say that people with autism don't improve, because many improve radically. But even when people with autism increase their skills, they are still autistic, which means they think and perceive differently from most people. Children with autism may receive many types of treatments. Treatments may be biomedical, sensory, behavioral, developmental or even arts-based. Depending upon the child, certain treatments will be more successful than others.
How is autism treated?
There is no cure for ASD. Therapies and behavioral interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can bring about substantial improvement. The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that meet the specific needs of individual children. Most health care professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better.
Autism Care
holy crap junk posted a lot but read it anyways.
Indicators
Autism affects 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys.
And for those that do not know... These are the symptoms of Autism
* no babbling or pointing by age 1
* no single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2
* no response to name
* loss of language or social skills
* poor eye contact
* excessive lining up of toys or objects
* no smiling or social responsiveness.
Later indicators include:
* impaired ability to make friends with peers
* impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
* absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
* stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language
* restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus
* preoccupation with certain objects or subjects
* inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals.
Unfortunately there is no cure for autism right now although there are therapies to help with it.
Characteristics
Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of "I" or "me." Children with autism don't know how to play with other children. Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking.
A sign that your child may have autism
Recent findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggest that the brains of children with autism develop differently from an early age. Researchers discovered that most infants who were later diagnosed with autism had small head circumferences at birth but had heads -- and brains -- much larger than normal by 6 to 14 months. "Some of them went all the way up to the 90th percentile in just a few months," says study coauthor Natacha Akshoomoff, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. Those who ended up with the most severe form of autism were found to have the most dramatic acceleration of brain growth during infancy.
Pediatricians don't always measure head circumference at well-baby visits, so it's wise to request it. However, don't panic if your baby's head size is above the norm. Some babies just have big heads. "Rapid head growth is not a way to diagnose autism," Dr. Akshoomoff points out, "but it means that a child should be watched closely to be sure that she meets speech and behavioral milestones."
Many children with autism have a reduced sensitivity to pain, but are abnormally sensitive to sound, touch, or other sensory stimulation. These unusual reactions may contribute to behavioral symptoms such as a resistance to being cuddled or hugged.
Although ASD varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group. Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have ASD. Males are four times more likely to have ASD than females.
Satoshi Taijiri, the creator of Pokemon, has autism.
There's No 'Best School' for a Child with Autism
You may have heard of a wonderful "autism school," or read of a child doing amazingly well in a particular type of classroom setting. While any given setting may be perfect for any given child, every child with autism has unique needs. Even in an ideal world, "including" a child with autism in a typical class may not be the best choice. Decisions about autistic education are generally made by a team made up of parents, teachers, administrators and therapists who know the child well.
Is the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders increasing?
Unquestionably, there are more children being diagnosed with ASD today than ever before. This, in and of itself, presents a major public health challenge. It is, however, very difficult to determine why this is occurring.
KIDS ARE GETTING DIAGNOSED SOONER
There's no laboratory or medical test for detecting autism, so doctors must rely on behavioral signs. In the past, many were reluctant to label a child as autistic until symptoms became obvious. "The average age for diagnosis had been about 3 1/2, with many children diagnosed much later," says Amy Wetherby, Ph.D., director of the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at Florida State University, in Tallahassee. But that's changing.
One reason is that pediatricians are becoming more aware of autism. At the same time, autism specialists are better at identifying early telltale signs such as a lack of babbling or pointing. "Most children with autism will show some signs of developmental disruption by their first birthday," says Rebecca Landa, Ph.D., an autism researcher at Baltimore's Kennedy Krieger Institute.
And while no one is yet diagnosing autism in children that young, doctors can now make a reliable assessment by 24 months -- when a child's brain is still rapidly developing. "If we can intervene while a child's brain is very immature, it will be much easier to help change her behavior," Dr. Wetherby says.
Literary Works!
The main character in The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-time has Asperger Syndrome, a form of Autism. The book is written in first person perspective and this gives you a good idea of what is going on in his mind, and how he sees the world.
For anyone who wants to learn more about Asperger Syndrome and loves light reads, check it out! Another great book about Agperger Syndrome/Autism is 'Born on a blue monday' and 'The Solitude of Prime Numbers'.
Asperger Syndrome
Asperger Syndrome (its in the autism spectrum) individuals have mind-blindness (the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and alexithymia (the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in oneself or others). This means that they are nearly unable to empathize with others, causing relationship problems.
Which totally not their fault whatsoever. Its just that people will look at them the wrong way and that may cause tension between the peers and the autism spectrum community
Kod
Has it. Listen to his mother's story.
Mothers & Autism
According to the Journal of the American Association of Pediatrics, mothers of autistic children maintain remarkable strengths in creating parent-child relationships and social support.