by :

Dr. FS Suherman, Sp.A

 Definition
Autism is a serious developmental problems

Appears in early childhood < 3 years old

Incidence: 3 6/1000 children

in US
 Symptoms

Affect 3 crucial areas of development

Social interaction, language,
and behaviour
Symptoms vary greatly
 Social skills
No respond to his/her name
Poor eye contact
As if not to hear you
Resist cuddling and holding
Unaware of others feeling
Prefer playing alone, retreats into his/her own
world
 Language
Starts talking later
Lost acquired ability to say words or sentences
Doesnt make eye contact when making request
Speaks abnormal tone or rhythm (singsong
voice/robot-like speech)
Cant start conversation/keep
one going
Repeat word or phrases but
doesnt understand how to
use them
 Behaviour
Repetitive movements (rocking spinning or
hand-flapping)
Develops specific routines or rituals
Disturbed at slightes changes in it
Moves constantly
Fascinated by parts of an object (spinning
wheels of a toy car)
Sensitive to light, sound and touch yet oblivious
to pain
 Causes
Autism has multifactor causes
Genetic errors
Environmental factors
Other causes

* No link between vaccine and autism

 Risk Factors
Childs gender: boys are 3 4 times > autism
than girls
Family history
Other disorders e.g. : fragile X syndrome,
tuberous sclerosis, Tourette syndrome, epilepsy
Paternal age. > 40 years old almost 6 times
more autism than 30 years old
 When to seek medical
advice?
Show some signs of delayed development by 18
months
No babble or coo by 12 months
No pointing or waving by 12 months
Doesnt say single words by 16 months
Doesnt say two-word phrases by 24 months
Lost previously acquired language or social
skills at any age
 Test and diagnosis
Look for signs of developmental delays at
regular checkups.
If signs of autism refer to specialist (working in
team), perform formal evaluation
No specific medical test to pinpoint autism
To reach diagnosis undergo developmental test
covering speech, language and psychological
issues
 Treatments and drugs
No one-size-fits-all treatment Home-based and
school-based treatments and intervention
overwhelming:
Behavior and communication therapies
Educational therapies
Drug therapies
 Alternative therapies
Because of devastating and so far incurable
disease:
Creative therapies: art, music, sensory
integration
Special diets
Chelation therapy
 Coping and support
Physically exhausting and emotionally draining:
Find a team of trusted professionals
Take time for yourself and other family members,
one-on-one time schedule
Seek out other families of autistic children
Learn about the disorder, can help better
understand your child attempting to communicate
with time youll be rewarded by seeing your grow
and learn and even show affection in his/her own
way