Guide For Parents

By Amy Lennard Goehner

Snapshots from the Autistic Brain

Neuroimaging studies confirm what scientists long suspected: autistic brains don't react to facial cues the way normal brains do. But in one regard the conventional wisdom was wrong. In a breakthrough study, Karen Pierce at the University of California at San Diego has shown that when faces of strangers are replaced by faces of loved ones, the autistic brain lights up like an explosion of Roman candles.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

SIGNS OF AUTISM (Usually apparent in toddlers; watch for a cluster of symptoms)

--No pointing by 1 year --No babbling by 1 year; no single words by 16 months; no two-word phrases by 24 months --Any loss of language skills at any time --No pretend playing --Little interest in making friends --Extremely short attention span --No response when called by name; indifference to others --Little or no eye contact --Repetitive body movements, such as hand flapping, rocking --Intense tantrums --Fixations on a single object, such as a spinning fan --Unusually strong resistance to changes in routines --Oversensitivity to certain sounds, textures or smells

SIGNS OF ASPERGER'S (Usually diagnosed at age 6 or older)

--Difficulty making friends --Difficulty reading or communicating through nonverbal social cues, such as facial expressions --No understanding that others may have thoughts or feelings different from his or her own --Obsessive focus on a narrow interest, such as reciting train schedules --Awkward motor skills --Inflexibility about routines, especially when changes occur spontaneously --Mechanical, almost robotic patterns of speech (Even "normal" children exhibit some of these behaviors from time to time. The symptoms of autism and Asperger's, by contrast, are persistent and debilitating.)

WHERE TO START

--GET AN EVALUATION: Take your child to a developmental pediatrician with expertise in autism or Asperger syndrome. The pediatrician will evaluate your child with a team of specialists (speech therapists, occupational therapists, behavior therapists) to determine the areas in which your child needs help.

--EARLY INTERVENTION: Every state is mandated to provide a free evaluation and early-intervention services for children. To find out whom to contact in your state, consult the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (funded by the Department of Education) at 800-695-0285 or nichcy.org/index.html Ask about support groups in your area.

HOW TO TREAT IT There is no cure for autism, but there are many treatments that can make a difference:

--SPEECH THERAPY: Can help overcome communication and language barriers --OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: Helps with sensory integration and motor skills --BEHAVIORAL THERAPY: Improves cognitive skills and reduces inappropriate behavior --EDUCATIONAL THERAPY: A highly structured approach works best --MEDICATION: Can reduce some symptoms --SPECIAL DIETS: Eliminating certain food groups, such as dairy, helps some children

HELPFUL WEBSITES

ONLINE ASPERGER SYNDROME INFORMATION AND SUPPORT www.aspergersyndrome.org

AUTISM SOCIETY OF AMERICA autism-society.org

FAMILIES FOR EARLY AUTISM TREATMENT www.feat.org

AUTISM RESOURCES autism-info.com

YALE CHILD STUDY CENTER info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/autism

Network: Other parents can be great sources in finding the right treatments

--By Amy Lennard Goehner