Diagnosing Autism

Autistic children are often analyzed with their state by or approximately age three. Though there may be instances when a parent is aware that there is something going on when the child is at a young age, higher functioning forms of autism are often harder to spot. Warning signs vary from child to child. There are a few signs that all children with autism will have, however, and when these are present, a trip to the doctor for help would be warranted. Some cases can be caught very early. No matter how difficult or how subtle the signs to a doctor diagnosing autism will look for every known issue.

Classic Autism, commonly called Autism, is also sometimes called Kanner’s Syndrome after the Psychiatrist Leo Kanner. He studied 11 children at John Hopkins University from 1932 to 1943. He wrote about the common elements found in these children including a lack of emotion, repetitive actions, and problems with their speech formation, their ability to manipulate various objects, learning difficulties, and their levels of intelligence. His studies lead to many others wanting to learn more about the disorder.

Asperger’s Syndrome is named after its founder, Hans Asperger. His studies took place in Vienna in 1944. He discovered many individuals had the problems with social skills and repetitive patterns but they did not have trouble with learning or their cognitive abilities. They also portrayed some very exceptional talents or abilities that were considered to be very remarkable. Albert Einstein is a very famous individual who had Asperger’s Syndrome.

Dr. Andrease Rett documented what is known As Rett’s Syndrome while in Australia in 1965. This is classified as a neuro developmental degenerative disorder. It only affects girls and the degeneration results in them being completely dependent on others for all of their needs. They have some of the symptoms of Autism but they also suffer from muscle lose. Girls with Rett’s Syndrome often have very small hands and feet.

When it comes to ABA therapy, school employees will quickly learn that the method is by far the most effective treatment for all degrees of autism spectrum disorder. Another benefit to schools is the availability of training programs and classroom materials that will enable teachers to learn within the school, eliminating the need for costly travel and conferences. While students are always worth an investment, it is a sad reality that many schools lack the proper funding for such travel.

ABA therapy offers great benefit to teachers and school employees and allows professionals to teach children in a way that truly helps them learn. ABA therapy uses repetitive trials to teach children with an autism spectrum disorder to literally change the way they think. While most students inherently have the ability to infer meanings and concepts through observation, students with autism lack this innate ability. The good news, however, is that through repetition and diligent teaching, the synapses within their brains can literally be rewired so that they are able to think much like other students.

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