Behavioral Services including Autism

Autism

Children's Care provides care for children with autism in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and everywhere in between. As a leading South Dakota autism care provider, our focus remains the child throughout all stages of autism spectrum disorder treatment.

WHAT IS AUTISM?
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that impacts the development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills and learning. Listed under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders for the purposes of diagnosis, autism is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The definition of autism spectrum disorder, causes, symptoms and characteristics is listed below.

PREVALANCE
Autism currently affects an estimated 1 in 150 births (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007), making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and religious groups, and autism is four times more likely to affect boys than girls. Family income, lifestyle and education also have no affect the on occurrence of autism

BEHAVIOR CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM
Autism impairs a person's functioning in three distinct areas: Behavior, Communication and Socialization. The behavior characteristics of autism are many times associated with obsessive- and compulsive-like repetitive behaviors, such as lining up items or spinning objects. Individuals with autism may adhere to strict routines and have problems with change or transition. More severe behaviors including aggression and self-injury may also be exhibited. In the area of communication, both verbal and non-verbal communication is affected with some children never developing vocal language. Sign language and picture communication systems are used to augment language development. Socially, children may treat people as objects, many times preferring to be alone rather than engage in social interaction with family and classmates. Symptoms of autism can range from very mild to quite severe and typically appear during the first 3 years of life.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM
Children's Care in Rapid City has a diverse team of trained professionals who have specialized training in administering comprehensive evaluations to diagnose or rule out autism. Our Autism Evaluation team is comprised of a pediatric psychologist, speech language pathologist, and an occupational therapist, who have many combined years of Helping children with Autism in Sioux Falls and Rapid City experience in assessing and developing treatment programs for children with autism spectrum disorders.

TREATMENT FOR AUTISM
There are many treatment options for individuals with autism. Most individuals with autism respond very well to highly structured, consistent environments of instruction. Most research indicates that intensive behavioral intervention holds the most promise. Further, the earlier a child receives treatment, the more likely the child will be to make significant improvement. Instructional approaches to autism should treat all areas affected by the disorder; socialization, communication, and behavior.

IMPORTANCE OF EARLY INTERVENTION
According to The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), revised in 2004, states are required to provide all eligible children with a free and appropriate public education. The law entitles children with disabilities to a free and appropriate education from the time of birth through age 21. Research indicates that children who begin to receive services at very early ages, preferably before age 2 ½ or 3 years, show the most progress and lasting improvements. For children with autism, research indicates those who receive early and intensive intervention can experience great improvement in their quality of life. There are nearly 50 years of research that indicate that early intervention increases educational and developmental growth of children; assists families; and provides long term benefits to society. According to Catherine Lord at the University of Michigan, the best way to deal with autism is to intervene as early as possible.

CAUSES OF AUTISM
Unlike other childhood disorders, there is no blood test, scan, no image that can detect the incidence of autism. Diagnosis relies entirely on behavioral observation and screening. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders identifies three distinctive characters seen in autism: difficulty in social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted or stereotypical patterns of behavior, interests, and/or activities.

While doctors and researchers now know more about autism than ever before, many questions still remain unanswered. Over the past few years, there has been evidence to suggest that genetics may play a big role in the development of autism. Research by the National Institute of Health indicates that some people may have a genetic predisposition to developing the disorder. Some researchers hypothesize that individuals are born with a predisposition to autism that is set off by "a trigger" event in the environment.

Some individuals believe that Thimerosal, a preservative found in childhood vaccines, causes autism. While many parents report a correlation between receiving vaccinations and the onset of autism, medical experts increasingly doubt that theory and much research has been conducted that disputes this theory. Further, even though the chemical has been removed from virtually all vaccinations, the incidence of autism continues to increase.

CURE FOR AUTISM?
There is no cure for autism, as a result, many unproven alternative therapies are often suggested to parents who-frustrated by the lack of effective medical treatments, try to find anything that will help their child. In clinical studies, the alternative therapies are usually found to be ineffective and sometimes harmful. Although no cure exists for autism, early behavioral and educational interventions do help children with autism to improve.

News Recources:
January/February 2008 M.D. News - After the Autism Screening: Next Steps for a Child Who May Be at Risk

Click the links below for more information on Autism:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.htm
http://www.autism-society.org/
http://www.autismone.com/

Autism Case Studies: (click links below to preview documents)
Early Intervention study, Behavioral Interventions

For more information about the leading autism provider for Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and all of South Dakota, contact us today!

"I grew up receiving services from Children's Care Hospital & School and still remember many of my teachers and helpers. I enjoy coming each day to help the children any way I can, I like helping in the pool and enjoy working with all the staff. It is my desire to be of assistance in the best way I know how."

– Teresa R., Volunteer