Difference between revisions of "Autism Spectrum Disorders"

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Scientists have not found the exact cause of ASD, although all would agree that there is a genetic basis.  The causes of some disorders in the spectrum have been found already and there are simple diagnostic tests that can be done to see if the child has this specific disorder, such as in [[Rett Syndrome]].   
 
Scientists have not found the exact cause of ASD, although all would agree that there is a genetic basis.  The causes of some disorders in the spectrum have been found already and there are simple diagnostic tests that can be done to see if the child has this specific disorder, such as in [[Rett Syndrome]].   
  
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The difficulty in finding the cause of ASD partially lies in its definition, and partially on the complex interplay between genes that happens during development. ASD, like most other behavioral disorders, are diagnosed based off of observable characteristics of the child.  However, these diagnosis offer no direction as to which specific genes are defective.  Furthermore, two patients with ASD can present very similar symptoms and yet have different defective genes or causes.  For example, [[Rett Syndrome]] is caused by mutations in the gene MeCP2 while Tuberous Sclerosis is caused by mutations in TSC1 and TSC2.  It should be noted that both Rett Syndrome and Tuberous Sclerosis are very rare.
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The difficulty in finding the cause of ASD partially lies in its definition, and partially on the complex interplay between genes that happens during development. ASD, like most other behavioral disorders, is diagnosed based off of observable characteristics of the child.  However, these diagnosis offer no direction as to which specific genes are defective.  Furthermore, two patients with ASD can present very similar symptoms and yet have different defective genes or causes.  For example, [[Rett Syndrome]] is caused by mutations in the gene MeCP2 while Tuberous Sclerosis is caused by mutations in TSC1 and TSC2.  It should be noted that both Rett Syndrome and Tuberous Sclerosis are very rare.
  
 
===Core Deficits===
 
===Core Deficits===

Revision as of 15:21, 5 March 2009


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Autism Spectrum Disorders

Basic Characteristics

  • Description

Autism Spectrum Disorders is a clinical description of the developmental disorders which are characterized by impaired language development, social development, and learning. Children with ASD have extremely delayed development. Symptoms of this disorder usually start to appear between 12 to 36 months and can (though not necessarily) include not babbling by 12 months, not speaking by 16 months, or a gradual loss of language or social skills. All children with ASD show deficits in social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication. They may also show repetitive behaviors or interests or aggressive behavior.

Although all children with ASD show similar deficits, the depth of these deficits can range drastically. Some have very mild deficits like in Asperger's Syndrome, where children have high levels of vocabulary and language skills. Others may have little to no spoken language functionality, such as in Rett Syndrome.

  • Causes

Scientists have not found the exact cause of ASD, although all would agree that there is a genetic basis. The causes of some disorders in the spectrum have been found already and there are simple diagnostic tests that can be done to see if the child has this specific disorder, such as in Rett Syndrome.

The difficulty in finding the cause of ASD partially lies in its definition, and partially on the complex interplay between genes that happens during development. ASD, like most other behavioral disorders, is diagnosed based off of observable characteristics of the child. However, these diagnosis offer no direction as to which specific genes are defective. Furthermore, two patients with ASD can present very similar symptoms and yet have different defective genes or causes. For example, Rett Syndrome is caused by mutations in the gene MeCP2 while Tuberous Sclerosis is caused by mutations in TSC1 and TSC2. It should be noted that both Rett Syndrome and Tuberous Sclerosis are very rare.

Core Deficits

Those who have ASD have identifiable core deficits recognized by scientists and clinicians.

  1. Core Deficit of Joint Attention
  2. Core Deficit of Social Communication
  3. Repetitive behaviors or interests

Treatments

There are no drugs that can “cure” ASD. There are a variety of treatments available which aim to improve social and communication skills. Because of the complexity of ASD, there is no one treatment that works equally well for all people with ASD. Some common treatments are:

Some clinicians may prescribe medications to target certain symptoms.


  • History


  • References


Related Information

  • Task or test associated with this construct (vote for your favorite, or nominate a new one by editing this page):
  • Indicators (dependent variables, conditions, or contrasts; measurement variables used for analysis) associated with this construct (vote or nominate by editing this page):
  • Closely related pages (vote or nominate related pages by editing this page):
  • CNP Level
    • Syndrome

External Resources

  • Database links
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