Autism
By Desirea D. Caucci, PT, DPT
Throughout my training to become a physical therapist and during my years in the profession, I have become
intrigued by the complex disorder called Autism. Before I learned more about the disorder by interacting with
individuals with Autism, I was pretty oblivious. By now, most of you probably know of someone who has Autism
as it is one of the top three developmental disabilities. I am not an expert, but my aim is to bring you basic
information on various health related topics and Autism is one that deserves attention.
Autism is a disability affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. Due to the nature of
the symptoms, Autism is evident before the age of three, and it adversely affects educational performance later
in life. Dr. Leo Kanner, a psychiatrist at John Hopkins University, first recognized it in 1943. Kanner mistakenly
believed that children developed autism because care and love were lacking from their parents. Throughout the
past fifty years, research on autism has shown that it is not caused by a person’s psychological environment. It
also does not discriminate between race, ethnicity, or social class of each individual. Rather, it is based on
several other factors.
Autism has been shown to be caused by differences in the brain, genetic predisposition, and viral exposures.
Rubella is named as a possible cause if it occurs within the first trimester of a woman’s pregnancy. There is
another virus, Cytolomegalovirus, which is also associated with the development of autism. Autism is found to
be four times more common in males than females.
The symptoms of autism are seen in the areas of communication, social interaction, sensory impairment, play,
and behavior. The symptoms vary in degree, depending on the severity of the illness. Some people may
experience a problem in only one area, while others have problems in all of the areas.
Diagnosing autism can be difficult due to varied symptom presentation and lack of specific medial tests. A
professional should observe a child’s communication, behavior and developmental levels. It is best for a child to
be observed by a multi-disciplinary team of a psychologist, language therapist, neurologist, learning consultant,
developmental pediatrician, or any other professional who is knowledgeable with the disability. A person must
demonstrate a certain number of symptoms in order to be diagnosed with Autism.
There is no cure to restore health of a person with autism. However, there are many different treatments
including medications, nutritional supplements, diet modification and behavior modification practices that are
helping people with this disorder. Some behaviors may lessen as the child ages; early intervention can help this
process, but many will have the symptoms throughout their entire life.
It is important to detect this disability as early as possible so that interventions can begin immediately. Each
person has different needs, and the sooner they are realized and attended to, the more beneficial it will be for
all.
By Desirea D. Caucci, PT, DPT
Throughout my training to become a physical therapist and during my years in the profession, I have become
intrigued by the complex disorder called Autism. Before I learned more about the disorder by interacting with
individuals with Autism, I was pretty oblivious. By now, most of you probably know of someone who has Autism
as it is one of the top three developmental disabilities. I am not an expert, but my aim is to bring you basic
information on various health related topics and Autism is one that deserves attention.
Autism is a disability affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. Due to the nature of
the symptoms, Autism is evident before the age of three, and it adversely affects educational performance later
in life. Dr. Leo Kanner, a psychiatrist at John Hopkins University, first recognized it in 1943. Kanner mistakenly
believed that children developed autism because care and love were lacking from their parents. Throughout the
past fifty years, research on autism has shown that it is not caused by a person’s psychological environment. It
also does not discriminate between race, ethnicity, or social class of each individual. Rather, it is based on
several other factors.
Autism has been shown to be caused by differences in the brain, genetic predisposition, and viral exposures.
Rubella is named as a possible cause if it occurs within the first trimester of a woman’s pregnancy. There is
another virus, Cytolomegalovirus, which is also associated with the development of autism. Autism is found to
be four times more common in males than females.
The symptoms of autism are seen in the areas of communication, social interaction, sensory impairment, play,
and behavior. The symptoms vary in degree, depending on the severity of the illness. Some people may
experience a problem in only one area, while others have problems in all of the areas.
Diagnosing autism can be difficult due to varied symptom presentation and lack of specific medial tests. A
professional should observe a child’s communication, behavior and developmental levels. It is best for a child to
be observed by a multi-disciplinary team of a psychologist, language therapist, neurologist, learning consultant,
developmental pediatrician, or any other professional who is knowledgeable with the disability. A person must
demonstrate a certain number of symptoms in order to be diagnosed with Autism.
There is no cure to restore health of a person with autism. However, there are many different treatments
including medications, nutritional supplements, diet modification and behavior modification practices that are
helping people with this disorder. Some behaviors may lessen as the child ages; early intervention can help this
process, but many will have the symptoms throughout their entire life.
It is important to detect this disability as early as possible so that interventions can begin immediately. Each
person has different needs, and the sooner they are realized and attended to, the more beneficial it will be for
all.
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