Q. What is Autism?

A. Autism is a developmental disability typically affecting the processing, integrating, and organizing of information that significantly impacts communication, social interaction, functional skills, and educational performance. It is also important to emphasize the fact that autism is a neurological disorder. Studies have found abnormalities in the central nervous systems of persons with autism. For more information visit www.autismsspeaks.org.

Q. Are there varying degrees of Autism?

A. Yes, people may have mild, moderate or severe autism. These designations refer to the degree, (duration, frequency, or intensity) of behaviors when the individual demonstrates autistic characteristics.

Q. What is the difference between PDD and autism?

Autism and PDD are behavioral diagnoses. At the present time there are no medical tests for autism. Autism is diagnosed based on the child's behavior. Both children diagnosed with autism and PDD will benefit from education programs designed for autistics. It is essential that children diagnosed as PDD receive the same education as children diagnosed with autism. Both autistic and PDD children should be placed into a good early education program immediately after diagnosis. Children diagnosed with PDD tend to fall into two groups: (1) very mild autistic symptoms, or (2) some autistic symptoms in a child who has other severe neurological problems. Therefore, some children diagnosed as PDD may be almost normal; and others have severe neurological problems such as epilepsy, microencephaly or cerebral palsy.

The problem with the autism and PDD diagnoses is that they are NOT precise. They are based only on behavior. In the future, brain scans will be used for precise diagnosis. Today there is no brain scan that can be used for diagnosing PDD nor autism.

Q. How can my child be assessed if he/she can not talk?

A. A child's social development can be assessed by observation of the child's pattern of non-verbal interaction with both familiar and unfamiliar people. Parents can help in this assessment by observing and reporting how the child relates (non-verbally) through gestures, facial expression, and eye contact with peers and adults.

Q. What is the best intervention for my child with Autism/PDD? Can Autism be cured?

A. There is no cure for autism at present. There are many kinds of intervention suggested by people and professionals with different degrees of experience with autistic people. Be wary of any intervention that promises a cure or that suggests that the particular method advocated is the only effective approach. There is data to indicate that the best intervention for autism/PDD is early intensive intervention that utilizes behavioral methods and speech and language therapy and occupational therapy to remediate specific deficits.

Q. What about medication for my child with Autism?

A. There is no medication that can cure autism, and no one medication that is recommended for individuals with autism. Medications can be recommended to help with very specific target symptoms that are associated with autism. Some of these symptoms might include extreme difficulty attending to the pertinent aspects of the environment or aggression towards self or others.

Q. If I have one child with autism, what are the chances of having another?

A. Current data suggest that the likelihood of having a child with autism if the biological parents already have one child with autism is at least 1/20. This rate may be an underestimate, given that many families with one autistic child will stop having children due to stress or the fear of having another child with the disorder.

Q. What is the prognosis for my child with Autism/PDD?

A. Clearly it is impossible to make a generalization about how any individual child will grow and progress. All children continue to develop, despite delays or the presence of deviant behaviors. Information that we have currently about the progress of adults with autism is based on the treatments these individuals received twenty or thirty years ago. Our knowledge base about what educational strategies are most effective with these children has increased tremendously over the last ten to twenty years. A child diagnosed with autism will receive much different intervention beginning at an earlier age than was possible many years ago. This means each child's chances for remediating behavior are greater today than years ago.