03/04/2021
World Autism Awareness Day :
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World Autism Awareness Day is observed on 2 April by United Nations since 2008 to raise awareness about Autism in society & to promote fundraising efforts for people with ASD (Autism spectrum disorders) & the organizations that help them.
On 1 November 2007, the United Nations (UN) decided to observe one day each year to be designated as World Autism Day. On 18 December 2007, the UN General Assembly designated 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day.
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Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction, impaired verbal & non-verbal communication, & restricted, repetitive or stereotyped behavior.
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that manifests itself during the first 3 years of life.
Failure to meet any of the following milestones is an absolute indication to proceed with further evaluations.
[1] No babbling by 12 months.
[2] No gesturing (pointing, waving, etc.) by 12 months.
[3] No single words by 16 months.
[4] No two-word (spontaneous, not just echolalic) phrases by 24 months.
[5] Any loss of any language or social skills, at any age.
Causes :
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[1] Genetics factors : Chromosome abnormality is the underlying cause.
[2] Teratogens (Agents that cause birth defects) during the first eight weeks from conception can increase the risk.
[3] Environmental factors : Certain foods, heavy metals, solvents, diesel exhaust, chemicals, drugs, vaccines, & infectious diseases may worsen the condition.
Characteristic features:
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[1] Impaired social development :
Unusual social development becomes apparent early in childhood.
Autistic infants show less attention to social stimuli, smile & look at others less often, & respond less to their own name. Autistic toddlers differ more strikingly from social norms; for example, they have less eye contact and turn taking, & do not have the ability to use simple movements to express themselves, such as the deficiency to point at things.
3-5 years-old autistic children are less likely to exhibit social understanding, approach others spontaneously, imitate & respond to emotions, communicate nonverbally, & take turns with others.
[2] Impaired communication :
Individuals with autism do not develop enough natural speech to meet their daily communication needs.
Differences in communication may be present from the first year of life, & may include delayed onset of babbling, unusual gestures, diminished responsiveness, & vocal patterns that are not synchronized with the caregiver.
In the second & third years, autistic children have less frequent & less diverse babbling, consonants, words, & word combinations; their gestures are less often integrated with words. Autistic children are less likely to make requests or share experiences, and are more likely to simply repeat others’ words (echolalia) or reverse pronouns.
Deficits in joint attention, for example, they may look at a pointing hand instead of the pointed-at object, & they consistently fail to point at objects in order to comment on or share an experience.
Autistic children may have difficulty with imaginative play & with developing symbols into language.
[3] Repetitive behavior & movements :
Stereotypy : Repetitive movement, such as hand flapping, head rolling, or body rocking.
Compulsive behavior : Appears to follow rules, such as arranging objects in stacks or lines.
Sameness : Resistance to change; for example, insisting that the furniture not be moved or refusing to be interrupted.
Ritualistic behavior : An unvarying pattern of daily activities, such as an unchanging menu or a dressing ritual.
Restricted behavior : Limited in focus, interest, or activity, such as preoccupation with a single television program, toy or game.
Self-injury : Includes movements that injure or can injure the person, such as eye-poking, skin-picking, hand-biting & head-banging.
[4] Other symptoms :
Poor muscle tone, poor motor planning, & toe walking.
Unusual eating behavior : Selectivity, eating rituals & food refusal.
Gastrointestinal symptoms.
♦ Several other conditions are common in children with autism.
[1] Genetic disorders : About 10–15% of autism cases have an identifiable Mendelian (single-gene) condition, chromosome abnormality, or other genetic syndrome, & ASD is associated with several genetic disorders.
[2] Intellectual disability (In about 25-70% of cases).
[3] Anxiety disorders (In 11% to 84%).
[4] Sleep problems (67%) : Symptoms of insomnia such as difficulty in falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, & early morning awakenings.
Sleep problems are associated with difficult behavior & family stress.
[5] Epilepsy.
[6] Metabolic defects : Such as phenylketonuria.
[7] Minor physical anomalies.
[8] Preempted diagnoses : Although the DSM-IV rules out concurrent diagnosis of many other conditions along with autism, the full criteria for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, & other of these conditions are often present.
