Autism

Autism

1. What is it?

   • What do we know about the condition
     • Lifelong, neurogenic condition
       • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].
     • Diagnosis is through a structured set of observations, that are believed to be the best practice at this time
       • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].
       • No Biological tests for diagnosis
         • Autistica (2012) What is Autism? Available from: http://www.autistica.org.uk/about_autism/index.php?gclid=CITX0v-6h7oCFWfMtAodPzEAXA [Accessed 08 October 2013].
     • Medical details
       • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].
       • Identifiers in the Brain
         • Areas of the brain work in different ways to the a-typical brain
           • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].
           • "...'the social brain,' which includes the prefontal cortex and amydala, is frequently 'underactive'..."(p4)
             • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].
         • the brain grows quicker in the first 2/3 years from birth
           • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].
       • Possible links to parental age
         • Autistica (2012) What is Autism? Available from: http://www.autistica.org.uk/about_autism/index.php?gclid=CITX0v-6h7oCFWfMtAodPzEAXA [Accessed 08 October 2013].
       • No treatments due to not understanding fully the causes
         • Autistica (2012) What is Autism? Available from: http://www.autistica.org.uk/about_autism/index.php?gclid=CITX0v-6h7oCFWfMtAodPzEAXA [Accessed 08 October 2013].
     • Charactoristics of autism
       • Autistica (2012) What is Autism? Available from: http://www.autistica.org.uk/about_autism/index.php?gclid=CITX0v-6h7oCFWfMtAodPzEAXA [Accessed 08 October 2013].
       • Impact on a person's social and communication abilities
         • Autistica (2012) What is Autism? Available from: http://www.autistica.org.uk/about_autism/index.php?gclid=CITX0v-6h7oCFWfMtAodPzEAXA [Accessed 08 October 2013].
       • Egage with repetative activities
         • Autistica (2012) What is Autism? Available from: http://www.autistica.org.uk/about_autism/index.php?gclid=CITX0v-6h7oCFWfMtAodPzEAXA [Accessed 08 October 2013].
       • Dominating interests/thoughts
         • Autistica (2012) What is Autism? Available from: http://www.autistica.org.uk/about_autism/index.php?gclid=CITX0v-6h7oCFWfMtAodPzEAXA [Accessed 08 October 2013].
       • Suffer from axiety caused by sensory stimuli
         • Autistica (2012) What is Autism? Available from: http://www.autistica.org.uk/about_autism/index.php?gclid=CITX0v-6h7oCFWfMtAodPzEAXA [Accessed 08 October 2013].
       • Covers a broad spectrum from those with little to no communication, social or intellectual abilities to tose with good/ advanced skills but unable to understand expected social behaviours
         • Autistica (2012) What is Autism? Available from: http://www.autistica.org.uk/about_autism/index.php?gclid=CITX0v-6h7oCFWfMtAodPzEAXA [Accessed 08 October 2013].
       • May show additional medical conditions, such as: epilepsy; difficulties with sleep and mental health problems
         • Autistica (2012) What is Autism? Available from: http://www.autistica.org.uk/about_autism/index.php?gclid=CITX0v-6h7oCFWfMtAodPzEAXA [Accessed 08 October 2013].
   • What don't we know?
     • We do not know what the causes of autisnm are, or what genes are linked to the condition
       • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].
       • It is also unknown whether there are environmental factors relating to the development of the condition.
         • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].
     • it is also unknown whether a combination of genetic and evironmental issues connect to autism
       • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].
     • little is known about the impact and ageing
       • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].
       • What provision will be needed in therms of education or social healthcare policies in the future?
         • Murray, S. (2012) Autism. New York: Routledge. Dawsonera [online]. Available from: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780203805992 [Accessed 08 October 13].

2. Impacts

   • Reports of higher parenting stress than parents of chioldren with other disabilities and non-disabled children
     • Hastings, R.P., Kovshoff, H., Brown, T., Ward, N.J., Espinoa, F.D. and Remington, B. (2005) Coping strategies in mothers and fathers of preschool and school-age with autism. Autism [online]. 9 (4), pp 377-391. [Accessed 09 October 2013].
     • Adaption dependent on development of "individual and/or family coping stragegies"
       • Hastings, R.P., Kovshoff, H., Brown, T., Ward, N.J., Espinoa, F.D. and Remington, B. (2005) Coping strategies in mothers and fathers of preschool and school-age with autism. Autism [online]. 9 (4), pp 377-391. [Accessed 09 October 2013].
   • http://aut.sagepub.com/content/9/4/377.full.pdf+html