Question

Create an in depth informational table comparing and contrasting the different types of autism along the spectrum, including symptoms, social behaviors, treatments/therapies.

Answer 1

Answer =

** Autism = Autism is commplex neurobehavioural disorder that includes impairments in social interactions, verbal and non verbal communication combined with restricted and repetitive behaviour .

Etiology = Genetics factors = The higher concordance in monozygotic than dizygotic twins suggests a genetics factor.

Biological factors = At least 1/3 patient with autistic disorder have elevated plasma serotonin.

Medical factors = There is an elevated incidence of early development problems such as postnatal neurological infections , conginatal rubella and cytomegalovirus and rarely perinatal asphyxia.

Electrophysiological changes - Brain stem auditory evoked response of autistic children showed impairment in sensory modulation at brainstem level.

Clinical feature =

  - Autistic aloofness.

- Gaze avoidance or lack of eye to eye contact.

- Dislikes being touched or kissed.

- No seperation anxiety on being left in an unfamiliar environment with strangers.

- No or abnormal social paly.

- Failure to develop empathy.

- Marked lack of awareness of the existance or feelings of other.

- Anger or fear without apparent reasons and absence of fear in the presence of danger.

- Gross deficits and deviances in langauge development.

- No mode of communication such as babbling, facial expression, gestures, mime etc.

- Marked restricted repertoire of activities and interests.

Types =

1. Atypical autism = A parvasive development disorder that differs from autism in terms of either age of onset or failure to fulfill diagnsotics criteria i,.e - Disturbance in reciprocal social interactions,

2. Aspergers syndrome = The condition is characterized by severe and sustained abnormalities of social behaviour similar to those of childhood autism with stereotyped and repetitive activities and motor mannersims, suchas hand and finger- twisting or whole body movement. it differs from autism in that there is no general delay or retardation of cognitive development or language.

Treatments =

Pharmacotherapy = It is a valuable treatment for associated symptoms like aggression, temper tantrums , self injuries behavior, hyperactivity, some drugs used risperdone, sertonin specific reuptake inhibitors, and lithium.

Behaviour method = Contingency managment may control some of the abnormal behaviour of autistic children . then the parents instructs and supervised by a clinical psychologist often carry out this method at home.

- Most autism children require special schoolism and require vocational training