Autism Resources

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iReport: 'Naughty Auties' battle autism with virtual interactionhttp://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/2.0/global/1x1pixel.gifhttp://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_dg_TL.gif
By Nicole Saidi
CNN

(CNN) -- Walk into Naughty Auties, a virtual resource center for those with autism, and you'll find palm trees swaying against a striking ocean sunset. Were it not for the pixelated graphics on the computer screen in front of you, you would swear you were looking at a tropical hideaway.
David Savill, 22, lives in Gloucester, England, in real life and created this spot within the virtual world of Second Life. Residents of this digital realm can represent themselves with 3-D images called avatars and connect with each other over the Internet.
Savill has Asperger's syndrome and said he wanted Naughty Auties to serve those with autism spectrum disorders and their friends and family.
Savill, who represents himself in the virtual world using an avatar named Dave Sparrow, said one benefit is that visitors can practice social interaction and find information about the condition. The graphical representations of real people create a "comfort zone" that can coax users out of their shells and get them communicating with others, he said.
"You're on your own computer, in your own room, your own space," Savill said.
"So you're not going out into the real world meeting people, you're going meeting people online and in your own home, so you're perfectly relaxed. It's just a fantastic tool to use to bring people together."
Autism, more precisely the autism spectrum, is a range of brain disorders that can cause difficulties in social interaction, communication and behavior. Asperger's syndrome is at the milder end of this spectrum. People with Asperger's are often high-achieving but can have difficulty in social situations.
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Unraveling the mystery

CNN reports on the worldwide impact and latest science concerning the developmental syndrome of autism in a global investigation.
All day Wednesday, April 2
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CNN learned about Savill's Second Life place from an iReporter in England who has named herself Janey Bracken in Second Life. Bracken, who prefers not to share her real name, submitted stories to iReport.com describing Savill's resource center and providing information about other places where those with the condition can turn.
"[Savill] said that his life changed when his family decided to get the Internet," Bracken wrote. "He was able to use chat rooms and soon realized that people used symbols to express themselves: the smiley signs, the angry signs, hug signs, etc., to enhance the text. He went on to say that subconsciously his brain was learning about communication from these sessions of chat."
Second Life has its own economy and social scene, and Bracken and Savill hope it could become a haven for those seeking help for autism.
Don't MissWhile many think such computer interactions could eventually be helpful in treating autism, scientists say more information is needed to truly assess their value. Dr. Fred Volkmar, a professor in Yale University's Child Study Center, said he would want more concrete studies done before he could be sure.
"Although not much research is yet available, there is clearly considerable potential in use of new technologies for fostering social skills," Volkmar said.
To answer this need, scientists are beginning to explore the possibilities in Second Life. One such researcher is Simon Bignell, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Derby in Derby, England, who is running a project that is evaluating teaching and research in Second Life.
Bignell, known in-world as Milton Broome, said Second Life is an uncharted but promising area for new applied psychological research. Virtual reality can be used to simulate new environments for people on the autistic spectrum, he said.
"For people with autism, we've found it's a very nice way of setting up situations they might come across in their everyday lives," Bignell said. "For people who have social, emotional, communicational problems ... we can get them familiar with an environment before they actually try it out in real life."
Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Asperger's syndrome (http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00551.html)He started the "Autism Research" discussion group within Second Life to serve as an information-sharing tool for interested parties. He also has an office within Second Life and can sometimes be found working in SL-Labs, the university's in-world psychology lab space. The lab areas contain meeting spots, informational kiosks and games. A portion of these areas contain information about autism and Asperger's.
Savill said Second Life excels at minimizing geographical separations between people and bringing people from all over the world to meet together quickly and easily.
He added that he wanted to emphasize that virtual worlds are an emerging and important tool not just for autistic people, but for the people who know them.
"It's not just to help people with autism, it's to help people whose lives have been affected by autism, be they family or friends or employees of people who have autism," Savill said. "Naughty Auties is a fantastic meeting place for people

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Getting help for a child with autism
Story Highlights
Autism is a brain disorder associated with range of developmental problems
If you think your child has autism, consider documenting behaviors with video, letters
Early intervention is critical, puts parents in touch with service providers
Next Article in Health » (http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/28/sl.autism.irpt/index.html?iref=nextin) In recognition of World Autism Awareness Day April 2, CNN reports on the global impact, latest science and controversies related to the brain disorder. Watch for expanded coverage on CNN.com and CNN TV.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- When her son Justin was a newborn, Shannon Kinninger looked up from the kitchen where she was washing dishes, and saw a large, heavy toy fall on his head. Justin didn't cry.
http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/25/ep.autism.advocacy/art.kinninger.autism.cnn.jpgShannon Kinninger feels her son Justin's autism diagnosis was delayed.


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Kinninger thought that was odd, and it wasn't the only thing that seemed strange about Justin. At her weekly playgroup, she watched the other babies hit their developmental milestones more or less on schedule. Justin lagged far behind.
"When he was supposed to be sitting up, he wasn't sitting up. When he was supposed to be holding his head up, he wasn't holding his head up. When he was supposed to be rolling over, he wasn't rolling over," says Kinninger, a nurse who lives in Fayetteville, Georgia.
Kinninger brought up her concerns to her pediatrician, but he told her not to worry. "The doctor kept saying that boys develop more slowly than girls," she says. "He kept reassuring me he'd be OK."
Even though she felt frustrated, Kinninger accepted this explanation for years. Finally, when Justin was 4, she decided enough was enough. Justin wasn't potty trained, and he had unusual repetitive behaviors, such as switching lights on and off for extended periods of time, or washing his hands over and over. Plus, he wouldn't look at people -- he looked "through" them.
She switched doctors, and the new pediatrician referred her to a developmental pediatrician. "He said, 'He's autistic. I knew five minutes after you came in,' " Kinninger says. "I thought, finally, we get a diagnosis."
Now Kinninger thinks about all those lost years -- from babyhood to 4 years old -- critical years when Justin could have been receiving therapy for children with autism, but didn't. She now tells other parents of children with autism they need to be advocates for their children, from the very first moment they show signs of having autism. http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/tabs/video.gif Empowered Patient: Steps to take to get help for a child with autism » (http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/25/ep.autism.advocacy/index.html#cnnSTCVideo)
Here, from mothers of children with autism, are ways parents should fight for their children with autism, from babyhood through the school years.
1. Trouble getting a diagnosis? Bring in video, letters.
If you're concerned your child has autism, and you're getting the same response Kinninger got from her pediatrician, remember doctor's visits are often short, and your child may not be displaying the worrisome behavior you've seen so often at home. Alison Singer, executive vice president of Autism Speaks (http://www.autismspeaks.org/), an awareness and advocacy organization, suggests videotaping your child's behavior and showing it to the doctor. "You could play it on your laptop, or even just bring in the video camera," she says.
Getting a letter of support from your child's day-care provider or preschool teacher might also help.
Don't Miss
In Depth: Empowered Patient (http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/news/empoweredpatient/)
Impact Your World
See how you can make a difference http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/SPECIALS/2007/impact/images/btn.impact.gif (http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/)"Teachers are seen as other professionals, and a letter saying, 'In 20 years of teaching, this behavior is really unusual,' can go far," says Singer, who has a 10-year-old daughter with autism. If your child isn't in day care or school, even a letter from a neighbor who knows your child could help, she says.
Singer emphasizes that parents shouldn't push their pediatrician for a diagnosis. "We're saying, refer the child to a developmental pediatrician for additional screening and testing. Because when a parent thinks something is wrong with their child, they're usually right," she says.
Educating yourself about autism will also help you have a discussion with your pediatrician. Autism Speaks, First Signs (http://www.firstsigns.org/), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/autism.cfm) all give excellent overviews. Autism Speaks' Video Glossary (http://www.autismspeaks.org/video/glossary.php) has more than 100 video clips comparing the behavior of children with autism spectrum disorders with the behavior of a typical child.
2. Sign up for early intervention
Any child younger than age 3 with a developmental delay is eligible to receive services through Early Intervention, a government-mandated program that provides services to eligible children. Services are free of charge, and vary from state to state, but may include speech and language instruction and occupational and physical therapy.
To learn how to apply for Early Intervention, click on this state-by-state directory (http://www.nichcy.org/states.htm) from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (http://www.nichcy.org/index.html) and scroll down.
Early Intervention is invaluable because it links parents to services in the community, but Lisa Goring, mother of a child with autism and director of family services at Autism Speaks, warns that parents may also have to search on their own, since it can be hard to find services without a long waiting list. "There just aren't enough service providers for the kids who need them," Goring says. To find services on your own, wrightslaw.com (http://wrightslaw.com/), which offers information about special education law and advocacy, has a Yellow Pages for Kids (http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/) that lists providers.
Long waits are so prevalent that Nancy Wiseman (http://www.firstsigns.org/about/directors.htm#NancyWiseman), founder and president of the advocacy group First Signs, whose 12-year-old daughter has autism, has a few suggestions for how to get in quicker. First, parents should stress the age of their child (many clinics will give priority to children under 3), and should ask the pediatrician to make a call to the specialist. More suggestions are in her book "Could it be Autism? A Parent's Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps." (http://www.firstsigns.org/downloads/CouldItBeAutism.pdf)
3. Know your child's rights in school
When your child enters public school, he or she has rights under federal and state laws. The U.S. Department of Education has information about federal laws (http://idea.ed.gov/) and state laws (http://www.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html?src=gu). The National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (http://www.napcse.org/specialeducationlaw/) has information about children's legal rights as well.
Wiseman says that even with these protections, you'll still have to work to get what's best for your child.
For example, Wiseman moved to get into a different school district, and then a few years later, when that district no longer worked well for her daughter, she twice fought to place her child out of the district.
"It's very frustrating to battle a school, and you really have to do your homework," she says.
You and the district will come up with an Individual Education Plan. Wiseman recommends "The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child" (http://www.nolo.com/product.cfm/objectID/53269B09-7112-4E95-A90F8979BEA1F73A/118/) by attorney Lawrence Siegel.
Also, school districts often have a Special Education Parent Teacher Association. Parents there can often give good advice on how to work with the school district.
4. Sign up for a research study
If you live near a major research university, Wiseman suggests finding out whether anyone is looking for children with autism for research studies. Sometimes, these universities will provide care for your child as part of the study. Wiseman's group, First Signs, has a list (http://www.firstsigns.org/research/studies.htm), as does Autism Speaks (http://www.autismwalk.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=2102&abbr=PasP_&page=NewsArticle&id=9160).
5. Get support from other parents
Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Autism (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348)Judith Steuber, who raised two grandsons with autism, said that if she had to do it all over again, she would do one thing very differently. "From the beginning, I wish I'd had more support from other parents," says Steuber, who now acts as a mentor for special-needs parents in her school district. "I think that makes a big difference."

Autism Speaks has a state-by-state list of support groups (http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/fsdb/search.php). You can find a chapter of The Autism Society of America here (http://209.200.89.252/search_site/chapter_map.cfm).
There are electronic support groups on Yahoo, the Berkeley Parents Network, (http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/health/autistic.html) and Autism Web (http://www.autismweb.com/). The Arc has support groups for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (http://www.thearc.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?&pid=207&srcid=1386); Wiseman says many have a large number of parents of children with autism.

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Definition


Autism (http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/autism-5) is a complex developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, although it is sometimes diagnosed much later. It affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.
Common features of autism include impaired social interactions, impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, problems processing information from the senses, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior.
The symptoms may vary from moderate to severe. Two related, milder conditions are Asperger syndrome (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/asperger-syndrome) and "pervasive development disorder (http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/pervasive-developmental-disorders-3) not otherwise specified" (PDD-NOS).
http://www.healthline.com/images/clear.gif Alternative Names

Pervasive developmental disorder - autism
http://www.healthline.com/images/clear.gif Causes, incidence, and risk factors


Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. The exact causes of these abnormalities remain unknown, but this is a very active area of research. There are probably a combination of factors that lead to autism.
Genetic factors seem to be important. For example, identical twins are much more likely than fraternal twins or siblings to both have autism. Similarly, language abnormalities are more common in relatives of autistic children. Chromosomal abnormalities and other neurological problems are also more common in families with autism.
A number of other possible causes have been suspected, but not proven. They involve digestive tract changes, diet (http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/diets-1), mercury poisoning (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/methylmercury-poisoning), vaccine sensitivity, and the body's inefficient use of vitamins and minerals.
The exact number of children with autism is not known. A report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that autism and related disorders are more common than previously thought, although it is unclear if this is due to an increasing rate of the illness or an increased ability to diagnose the illness.
Autism affects boys 3 to 4 times more often than girls. Family income, education, and lifestyle do not seem to affect the risk of autism.
Some parents have heard that the MMR vaccine (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/mmr-vaccine) that children receive may cause autism. This theory was based, in part, on two facts. First, the incidence of autism has increased steadily since around the same time the MMR vaccine was introduced. Second, children with the regressive form of autism (a type of autism that develops after a period of normal development) tend to start to show symptoms around the time the MMR vaccine is given. This is likely a coincidence due to the age of children at the time they receive this vaccine.
Several major studies have found NO connection between the vaccine and autism, however. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention report that there is no proven link between autism and the MMR vaccine.
Some doctors attribute the increased incidence in autism to newer definitions of autism. The term "autism" now includes a wider spectrum of children. For example, a child who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism today may have been thought to simply be odd or strange 30 years ago.
http://www.healthline.com/images/clear.gif Symptoms


Most parents of autistic children suspect that something is wrong by the time the child is 18 months old and seek help by the time the child is 2. Children with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, and pretend play. In some, aggression -- toward others or self -- may be present.
Some children with autism appear normal before age 1 or 2 and then suddenly "regress" and lose language or social skills they had previously gained. This is called the regressive type of autism.
People with autism may perform repeated body movements, show unusual attachments to objects or have unusual distress when routines are changed. Individuals may also experience sensitivities in the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste. Such children, for example, will refuse to wear "itchy" clothes and become unduly distressed if forced because of the sensitivity of their skin. Some combination of the following areas may be affected in varying degrees.
Communication:
Lack of pointing to direct others' attention to objects (occurs in the first 14 months of life)
Does not adjust gaze to look at objects that others are looking at
Cannot start or sustain a social conversation
Develops language slowly or not at all
Repeats words or memorized passages, such as commercials
Does not refer to self correctly (for example, says "you want water" when the child means "I want water")
Uses nonsense rhyming
Communicates with gestures instead of wordsSocial interaction:
Shows a lack of empathy
Does not make friends
Is withdrawn
Prefers to spend time alone, rather than with others
May not respond to eye contact or smiles
May actually avoid eye contact
May treat others as if they are objects
Does not play interactive gamesResponse to sensory information:
Has heightened or low senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste
Seems to have a heightened or low response to pain
May withdraw from physical contact because it is overstimulating or overwhelming
Does not startle at loud noises
May find normal noises painful and hold hands over ears
Rubs surfaces, mouths or licks objectsPlay:
Shows little pretend or imaginative play
Doesn't imitate the actions of others
Prefers solitary or ritualistic playBehaviors:
Has a short attention span
Uses repetitive body movements
Shows a strong need for sameness
"Acts up" with intense tantrums (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/temper-tantrums)
Has very narrow interests
Demonstrates perseveration (gets stuck on a single topic or task)
Shows aggression to others or self
Is overactive or very passivePage: 1 2 (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/autism/2) 3 (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/autism/3) Next > (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/autism/2)

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One in 150 children in the United States has Autism

Monday, January 21, 2008
Nancy L. Brown, PhD
http://www.healthline.com/blogs/teen_health/uploaded_images/184250629_8cab98d136_m-729960.jpg (http://www.healthline.com/blogs/teen_health/uploaded_images/184250629_8cab98d136_m-729962.jpg)I do not know about you, but that statistic from the Department of Education about autism (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/autism) really surprised me. I was also surprised that the number of students with autism keeps getting higher, in spite of the fact that the mercury-based vaccine preservative, thimerosal (http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/childhood-vaccine-injury-act-1) hasn't been used since 2001. I, like many other people, thought that it might be the preservative used in childhood vaccines (and some flu shots) that was causing autism, but according to the study published in the Journal Archives of General Psychiatry, that might not be the case.

Of course, since they do not know what does cause autism, no one can say for sure. One study in California does not "prove" anything, but it does suggest we need to keep doing research on possible cause of autism. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction and communicating skills, as well as different responses to sights and sounds. It can be minor or severe, usually begins before the age of three and is more likely to occur in boys. There is no cure, but early therapy can lessen the severity. The advocacy group, Autism Speaks (http://www.autismspeaks.org/) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.htm) both provide lots of great information and resources about autism.