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Dr Shapiro completed his undergraduate education at UC San Diego earning a B S in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and a B A in Political Science He furthered his education at UCLA where he earned a Masters Degree in Public…
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Autism: Something Else To Think About
I think many of us are now well aware of the impact autism and the related autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have in both the pediatric and adult population. The diagnosis of autism is made in 1 of 150 children and is four times more likely to occur with boys than girls. Furthermore, there are no ethnic, racial or social boundaries that autism does not cross.
But what I'd like to share are a few other syndromes/disorders (in no particular order) which need to be addressed when making an autistic diagnosis as it may impact appropriate treatment and care. Keep in mind that some of these disorders may complement or serve as the cause of the autistic diagnosis.
- Mental Retardation (MR) - There appears to be a great number of individuals who years ago were diagnosed with mental retardation but now that we have a greater focus and understanding of autism, would probably be diagnosed as autistic or with another ASD. MR often presents with speech delay and may also include self-stimulatory behaviors. Furthermore, there can be both fine and gross motor delay and because of its association with many genetically based syndromes, a karyotype (an individual's genetic make-up) needs to be performed. This should be routine before any formal autistic diagnosis is made.
- Childhood Schizophrenia - This is actually quite rare (1 in 10,000 children). It typically develops after 5 years of age and usually children have a higher I.Q. than autistic children. Of note, in the first two editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM), both autism and childhood schizophrenia were not differentiated, as they were both listed as childhood psychoses. We are now using DSM-IV (fourth edition) and this is obviously no longer the case.
- Landau Kleffner Syndrome (AKA Aquired epileptiform aphasia) - This is also quite rare and has a slightly higher male predominance. Presentation often is with seizure activity which often includes the left hemisphere of the brain (the area involved with speech). Furthermore, there is a concern of acutely or progressively losing receptive and expressive language ability. So with any concern of seizure-like activity in an autistic child and loss of acquired speech and behavioral issues, it is crucial that an electroencephalogram (EEG) is performed, as this condition can respond to anti-epileptic drugs and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
- Fragile X Syndrome - This is the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and is characterized by cognitive, behavioral and neuropsychological problems. Autistic-like symptoms may also include poor eye contact, hand flapping, aggressive behavior, and stunted development after reaching early milestones. The physical attributes of those with fragile X include the craniofacial, genital and musculoskeletal systems, and often present after puberty. A blood test will help make the diagnosis.
- Rett Syndrome - Along with autism, it is a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) which indicates they share similar characteristics involving both social and communication skills, and stereotypical behavior. With Rett Syndrome, development usually proceeds normally until 6-18 months of age and then regression occurs, initially gross motor related and ultimately involving reasoning and hand use ("hand wringing"). Unlike autism, it predominately affects females. A blood test may also help to clarify the diagnosis.
And please don't forget, any child with any form of language delay requires a hearing test as deficits may often lead to poor speech development, poor eye contact, "pervasive ignoring", and an overall sense of frustration secondary to an inability to adequately express one's needs--all characteristics which can be seen with autistic children.
Dr. Jeremy
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CONDITIONS AND COMMUNITIES:
Asperger Syndrome
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Autism / Autism Spectrum
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Cerebral Palsy
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Down Syndrome
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Epilepsy & Seizures
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Fragile X Syndrome
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Gay Parenting
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Grandparents Raising Children
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Hypotonia
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Immunizations
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Mental Challenged
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Military Families
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Parenting 'Tweens (9-12)
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Parenting Big Kids (5-8)
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Parenting Newborns & Infants (0-1)
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Parenting Preschoolers (3-5)
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Parenting Toddlers (1-3)
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Rett Syndrome
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Schizophrenia
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Single Dads
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Single Parenting
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God Bless
I clicked on the link to other articles about Asperger Syndrome/Autism Spectrum, but the only other links were also articles by Dr. Jeremy.
This seems to be the exclusive viewpoint that Daily Strength is offering us within this section on the site. I am concerned that many resources that are readily available for children (through the schools for example) are not applicable to adults.
Many of us who are in this group are adults who are on the spectrum. We could more greatly benefit from articles that are specifically addressed to us, that have already done the work of determining which resources are applicable. Just a thought. Thanks for considering!
Except the Amish. They have the lowest incidence of autism. Hard to find an autistic person in the Amish communities.
- PWSMom (Founder of Healing Autism group)