Identification

A team approach should be used to identify and diagnose individuals with ASD as there is no medical test. -Pediatricians: should be able to pinpoint unusual behaviours or challenges that imply symptoms of ASD -Autism specialist or professionals who has experience working with ASD such as Development Pediatrician, Pediatric Neurologist, Child Psychologist, Child Psychiatrist. -Therapists -Parents: spend the most amount of time with their child so they should be educated and aware of autism characteristics and early signs -Teachers: most children are diagnosed with ASD by the **age of three**; before they enter school. However teacher's spend a vast amount of time with their students and should also watch for unusual behaviours or challenges that suggest signs of ASD
 * __ Who identifies or diagnoses the area of need? __**

ASD consultants can screen for the possibility of ASD, refer for diagnosis and assessment, and facilitate the development and implementation of a support and/or treatment plan for individuals up to to the age of 19 years. ASD support workers can implement specific ASD therapy plans under the supervision of an ASD consultant for children who have not yet successfully transitioned to school. ([]) = =

Autism and related conditions have some common characteristics or features which are evident in the first years of life.
 * __ Autism Characteristics __**

=Early Signs= Toddlers (12-24 months) may show some of these symptoms: -begin to develop language then loses it -not responsive, may appear deaf -difficulty sleeping through the night -child does not point and look -failure to bond with parents -reaction to vaccines -self restricted -limited imaginative play -not interested in playing with other children -chronic gastrointestinal problems -repeated infections = = =Behavioural characteristics= =Communication characteristics= =Learning characteristics= =Dependent on Routine= Change of routine can be extremely stressful for individuals with ASD. Behavioural problems frequently occur as a result of changes in their schedule.
 * Difficulty joining other people.
 * Difficulty using items or toys to represent real objects.
 * Over- or under-reaction to sight, sound, smell, taste, pain or touch (including being held).
 * Repetitive actions or body movements.
 * Unusual postures, walking or movement patterns.
 * No fear of real dangers.
 * Intense anxiety or unusual lack of anxiety.
 * Sudden, unexplained, distress or fear. Problems coping with change; dependency on parts of routines.
 * Unusual or inappropriate habits or interests.
 * Focus on moving or spinning objects.
 * Laughing, giggling or screaming at unusual times.
 * Difficulty imitating gross or fine motor movements.
 * Intense or unusual activity level.
 * Unusual sleep patterns.
 * Inability to express need or interest.
 * Indicating needs with gestures (sometimes unusual) instead of words.
 * Difficulty imitating sounds and words.
 * Loss of or delay in developing spoken language.
 * Difficulty using speech in a meaningful way.
 * Rarely initiates communication.
 * Repeating words or phrases heard previously.
 * Confusing gender (he, she) and pronouns (I, me, you) in speech.
 * Unusual pitch and rhythm in speech.
 * Unusual or lack of eye contact.
 * Unusual or lack of facial expression.
 * Difficulty interacting with other people (responding back and forth, turn-taking), making friends, and understanding others.
 * Difficulty controlling emotion and excitement.
 * Difficulty paying attention.
 * Difficulty shifting attention (stuck on an idea or action).
 * Difficulty sharing attention with others.
 * Difficulty understanding abstract ideas.
 * Difficulty grasping time and order of events.
 * Thoughts and actions may appear illogical.
 * Strong memory and sense of direction.
 * May not benefit from typical teaching methods.(Information copied and pasted from []

=Immune Irregularities= Some individuals with ASD are picky eaters. Their diets might consist of only a few preferred foods.

=Gastrointestinal Problems= Several children with ASD have toileting problems which can be related to sensory issues or real gastrointestinal problems.

=Strengths= People with ASD have delays in several areas however they can exhibit strengths in other areas including: -non-verbal reasoning skills -reading skills -perceptual skills -drawing skills -computer interest and skills -exceptional memory -visual spatial abilities -music skills

The Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) is a short questionnaire filled out at the 18 month developmental check-up. It aims to identify children who are at risk for social/communication disorders. The CHAT consists of two sections: the first nine items are questions asked to the parents and the last five items are observations made by the primary health care worker. The key items look at behaviours which, if absent at 18 months, put a child at risk for a social-communication disorder. These behaviours are (a) joint attention, including pointing to show and gaze-monitoring (e.g. looking to where a parent is pointing), and (b) pretend play (e.g. pretending to pour tea from a toy teapot). The CHAT is very easy to score. There are five key items: If a child fails all five key items, they have a high risk of an autism diagnosis. Children who fail items A7 and Biv have a medium risk of an autism diagnosis. Any child who fails the CHAT should be re-screened approximately one month later. As with any screening instrument, a second CHAT is advisable so those children who are just slightly delayed are given time to catch up. Any child who fails the CHAT for a second time should be referred for further assessment since the CHAT is not a diagnostic tool. If a child passes the CHAT during the first administration, no further action needs to be taken. Passing the CHAT, however, does not guarantee that a child will not go on to develop a social/communication problem of some form, and if parents are worried they should seek referral. (Information copied and pasted form []
 * __ Chat Checklist __**
 * A5 (pretend play)
 * A7 (protodeclarative pointing)
 * Bii (following a point)
 * Biii (pretending)
 * Biv (producing a point)

__** Diagnoses **__ -Early intervention is the key to success, no matter what the diagnosis. -Diagnosis is usually diagnosed by pediatricians around the age of three. -Observation and interviews with parents are key in diagnosing ASD. There are no medical tests for ASD.

=There are five diagnoses under the spectrum of disorders.=

1. Autistic Disorder
-4 times more frequently in boys -withdrawn behaviour/unusual social behaviours -challenges uses language to communicate -repetitive patterns -not engaged in imaginative play -usually normal development until 12-24 months

2. Asperger's Disorder
-high-functioning autism -no major delays in language abilities or cognitive development -considerable impairment in social functioning -repetitive patterns and behaviours For more information on Asperger check out this link[| http://www.aspergers.ca/what-is-asperger-syndrome/]

3. Pervasive Development Disorder
-not otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) -child does not fit in the realm of other ASD's -signs of severe impairment in developing social skills and interactions and communication skills For more information go to []

4. Rett's Disorder
-appears only in girls -between 5-18 months experience a deceleration and growth of the head -loss of previous acquired language -repetitive patterns such as hand-flapping or wringing -loss of social interaction and coordination -genetic marker has be identified for Rett's syndrome For more information go to [|http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/rett/detail_rett.htm#183223277]

5. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
-also know as Heller's Disease -normal development till the age of 2 then loses acquired skills -can occur anywhere between 36 months-10 years of age For more information go to []

(Information found at [])

__** Treatment **__ There is no one all-encompassing or standard treatment for Autism. The treatment strategies can include behavioural, educational, biomedical, and complementary therapies. Since ASD has such a wide spectrum, individualized programming is the key. Some treatments might work on some individuals and not on others. Team approach is key, everyone including the parents, school, medical, behavioural, speech and language pathologist, occupational therapy etc. all need to be on the same page in order for any treatment plan to run smoothly.

For more information on treatment strategies, please visit: []