What Is Autism? Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a range of Conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, Repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. By other words, we must refer to Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders, of brain development, These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. Who Is affected? Autism’s most-obvious signs tend to appear between 2 and 3 years of age. In some cases, it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months. As well as (ASD) occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, but are almost five times more common among boys than among girls. CDC estimates that about 1 in 68 children (2014 CDC) has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Ways of Protection : ‘Some developmental delays associated with autism can be identified and addressed even earlier. Autism Speaks urges parents with concerns to seek evaluation without delay, as early intervention can improve outcomes. Types of ASD : ‘You should know that there is not one autism but many types, caused by different combinations of genetic and environmental influences ,which they are three different types of Autism Spectrum Disorders as following = By Gilane Hassan+ Autistic Disorder (also called "classic" autism) This is what most people think of when hearing the word “autism.” People with autistic disorder usually have significant language delays, social and communication challenges, and unusual behaviors and interests. Many people with autistic disorder also have intellectual disability, Asperger Syndrome People with Asperger syndrome usually have some milder symptoms of autistic disorder. They might have social challenges and unusual behaviors and interests. However, they typically do not have problems with language or intellectual disability. iffldstat Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS; also called “atypical autism”) People who meet some of the criteria for autistic disorder or Asperger syndrome, but not all, may be diagnosed with PDD-NOS. People with PDD-NOS usually have fewer and milder symptoms than those with autistic disorder. The symptoms might cause only social and communication challenges. How (ASD) is begin & what is signs ? Prevention ASDs begin before the age of 3 and last through a person's life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children with an ASD show hints of future problems within the first few months of life. In others, symptoms might not show up until 24 months or later. Some children with an ASD seem to develop normally until around 18 to 24 months of age and then they stop gaining new skills, or they lose the skills they once had. A person with an ASD might: — Not respond to their name by 12 months. By GilaNot point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months. Not play "pret" games (pret to “teed” a doll) by 18 months Avoid eye contact and want to be alone Have trouble understanding other people's feelings or talking about their own feelings Have deferred speech and language skils Repeat words or phrases over and over (echolalia) Give unrelated answers to questions Get upset by minor changes Have obsessive interests Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin in circles Literature Reviews In this concem the researchers noticed there is a danger when something gets discussed too much, its importance gets overlooked. Fifteen years ago.this topic was relatively under-researched,and its artival into science opened a floodgate of research, much of which has been summarized in a number of influential books (Astingtion 1994; Astingtion et al. 1988; Baron-Cohen 1995; Baron- Cohen et al. 1993b; Mitchell and lewis 1995; Moore and Dunham 1996; Pemner 1991; Wellman 1990; Whiten 1991). In 1985,the research "Simon Baron-Cohen" and his colleagues asked a researched Question * Does the autistic child have a" theory of mind’ they borrowed the Phrase of * theory of mind " from Premack and Woodrul, two primatologists who defined it as follows: "In saying that an individual has a theory of mind , we mean that the individual imputes mental states to himself and others ...A system of inferences of this kind is properly viewed as a theory, first because such states are not directly observable , and second, because the system can be used to make predictions, specifically about the behavior of other organisms " They asked this question with an answer in mind because they hypothesized that in ‘Autism, there might be a specific impairment in the development of the child's theory of mind . This hypothesis seemed plausible because of the claim that a theory of mind is essential both to understand and predict much of human behavior and for By Gilane Hassancompetence in communication. Because social and communicative abnormalities ‘comprise two key symptoms in Autism, the idea that there might be an impairment in the development of the child's theory of mind seemed a parsimonious candidate hypothesis. ‘The researchers tested this hypothesis using an adaptation of Wimmer and Pemer's, test of children’s understanding of false belie. This test is shown schematically in Figure 1. The critical event in the story is that (Sally) is not present when (Anne) moves the object from A to B. When asked where on her return , Sally will look for the object, a normal 4 years old correctly answer location A because this is where she originally put it and where she therefore stil believes itis The researchers gave this test to subject with autism, as well as to a group with mental handicap ( all with the diagnosis of Down's syndrome) and a group of normal children . The researchers found in this moment that 86% of the subjects with Down's syndrome and 85% ot the normal children passed this test, but only 20 % of the subjects with autism did so, and this was so despite this group having a higher mental and chronological age than the two comparison groups. Instead, 80% of the subjects with Austin indicated that (Sally) would look for the object at location B, where the object really was By Gilane Hassan"Figure 1. Sconatio of asknplo tos of a thoory of mind. (From Baron- Cohen S,Leske AML Fath U: Does tho auc hd nave a theory ot ming” Congniion 21:37-46,1985; with permission." This result lent preliminary support to the hypothesis that in Autism, there is a failure to develop a theory of mind. Over the last 5 years, this pattern of results on false belief tests has been replicated and extended Some facts about Autism The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates autism’s prevalence as 1 in 68 +‘ 1 children in the United States. This includes 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls, ‘An estimated 50,000 teens with autism become adults — and lose school-based autism services — each year. Around one third of people with autism remain nonverbal ‘Around one third of people with autism have an intellectual disability Certain medical and mental health issues frequently accompany autism. They include gastrointestinal (Gl) disorders, seizures, sleep disturbances, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and phobias. By Gilane Hassan