Temple Grandin - The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Aspergers

A utism is a developmental disorder, typically diagnosed during early childhood. It is neurological in nature, affecting the brain in four major areas of functioning: language/communication, social skills, sensory systems, and behavior. Current research suggests there may be different subsets of the disorder arising from genetics, environmental insults, or a combination of both.

Every person with autism is unique, with a different profile of strengths and challenges. No two individuals manifest the same characteristics in the same degree of severity. It is a spectrum disorder, and the various individual diagnoses are collectively referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals on the spectrum range from those who are nonverbal with severe challenges that can include self-injurious behaviors and intellectual disability to individuals on the higher-functioning end of the spectrum (known as Aspergers Syndrome) who are extremely intelligent, with good expressive verbal language, yet markedly impaired social skills and weak perspective-taking abilities. The autism spectrum is very broad, ranging from socially awkward brilliant workers in Silicon Valley to individuals who will always have to live in a supervised living situation. Some kids on the high end of the autism spectrum are gifted in art, music, or mathematics. In 2013, changes were made in diagnostic criteria in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), the diagnostic bible of the medical community, which eliminated Aspergers Syndrome. The various autism labels are now merged into one designation, Autism Spectrum Disorders.

The rate of autism is now 1 in every 100 births (Centers for Disease Control, 2009) and continues to escalate at alarming rates. Every 21 minutes a child is diagnosed on the spectrum. It is four times more common in boys than girls, and is consistently prevalent around the globe, and within different racial, social, and ethnic communities. According to the Autism Society of America, the lifetime cost of caring for a single child with severe autism ranges from $3.5 to $5 million.

Autism is a different way of thinking and learning. People with autism are people first; autism is only one part of who they are. ASD is no longer viewed as strictly a behavioral disorder, but one that affects the whole person on various fronts: biomedical, cognitive, social, and sensory. With individualized and appropriate intervention, children with ASD can become more functional and learn to adapt to the world around them.

Great strides are being made in our understanding of autism spectrum disorders and how best to help these individuals. Children are now being diagnosed as early as 12-15 months old, and many who receive intensive early intervention are able to enter elementary school in class with their typical peers, needing minor supports and services. No matter the age of diagnosis, children and adults with ASD are constant learners and significant improvements in their functioning can be made at any age with the appropriate types and intensity of services.

(Autism Aspergers Digest, 2008. Reprinted with permission. Revised 2014)

1. Autism Society of America Web site, www.autism-society.org