About Autism

Autism was first identified as a separate condition in the 1940s by Leo Kanner, an American child psychiatrist, who published an account describing a disorder he termed 'Autistic disturbances of affective contact.' The feature found across Kanner's eleven cases was a 'profound autistic withdrawal.' Other features were a good rote memory, over-sensitivity to stimuli, an obsessive desire for sameness, a skilful relationship with objects and mutism or language without communicative intent. Kanner's description has stood the test of time, with current theories of autism emphasising the cardinal nature of the social impairment.

Definition
Autism or Autistic Disorder (AD) is a serious pervasive developmental disorder with recent statistics estimating one in 166 Australian children between the ages of 6 to 12 have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (1).  There is still no cohesive explanation as to its causes, although much research points to a combination of both environmental factors and genetic predisposition.  Pervasive developmental disorders encompass five disorders as defined in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR):

• Autistic Disorder
• Asperger's Disorder
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
• Rett’s Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of developmental disabilities that may be caused by atypical brain development, however various investigations have yet to reveal any clear pattern of abnormalities.  People with ASD have qualitative impairments in social interaction, communication and behaviour.  Many people with ASD also have unusual responses to sensory stimuli, to ways of learning and paying attention.  ASD becomes apparent during early childhood, usually within the first three years, and lasts throughout a person's life.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) can be conceptualised as biologically determined behavioural syndromes with varying aetiologies (associated causes) in which there is a dysfunction in the brain and parts of the central nervous system. This affects sensory and cognitive processing and social relating, and leads to difficulties in communication and social interaction skills. There is a tendency to uneven skills development, with relative strengths in concrete processing and difficulties with transient and abstract processing. Which part of the brain or neurochemistry is affected is not yet resolved. At this stage evidence suggests that many paths could lead to a particular manifestation of the autism spectrum. As there have been no consistent findings concerning the neuropathology or possible core deficits in ASD cases continue to be identified by a set of diagnostic criteria which are based on observable behaviour. This denotes a pattern of impairments in:

• Reciprocal social interaction
• Verbal and nonverbal communication
• Restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviour, interests and activities (APA, 2000)

  
IQ is not a defining feature, with abilities ranging from severe intellectual disability to the gifted range of intellectual functioning. The pattern of abilities, rather than the overall score, is more indicative of an autism spectrum disorder. Recent international and Australian studies suggest a prevalence of approximately 1:160 for ASDs (Fombonne, 2003; Wray & Williams, 2007).

Reference: http://www.autismnsw.com.au/about%20autism/worldofautism.asp

This means that you will now be able to claim your therapist costs irrespective of which service provider you are using if you are eligible to receive the funding.