Palm Beach Speech Teach

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is used to describe a group of developmental disorders which range in severity, symptoms, and level of disability.  These include autism, Asperger’s syndrome and other disorders which affect one’s ability to communicate and socialize.  The national statistics are startling- 1 in 45 children ages 3 through 17 have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the United States. This is notably higher than the official government estimate of 1 in 68. Here are the the latest research findings:

Autism is in the Genes

• Studies have identified genes and genetic mutations that may contribute to ASD.  Two such studies have discovered 60 genes that have a greater than 90% chance of contributing to ASD among 500 or more genes associated with ASD overall(Ronemus et al, 2014). ASD has been found to be 4.5 times more common in boys than girls.  It affects children of all social, ethnic and socioeconomic categories.

Problems with “Brain Pruning” May Contribute to ASD

• Brain pruning is the process by which a brain weeds out unimportant connections and strengthens important ones, based on experience. In a recent report published in Neuron, scientists found that ASD may be associated with higher levels of a molecule that may impair the ability of brain cells to rid of dysfunctional components.

White Matter Fiber Tract Differ in Children with ASD

• Scientists at the University of North Carolina-chapel Hill studies the development of white matter tracts in infants who later went on to be diagnosed with ASD.  Findings indicated that at 6 months of age, infants with ASD had higher of fractional anisotrophy (FA) in key matter tracts. In other words, the superhighways of the brain are not functioning as efficiently in children with ASD as they are for typically developing children.

Environmental “Triggers” May Play a Role in the Development

• Prenatal exposure to the pharmaceuticals thalidomide and valproic acid, as well as pesticides, has been linked to an increased risk for developing ASD.

Early Intervention Helps

• Although there is no medical cure for ASD, research shows that early intervention and well-rounded treatment is the most effective way to ensure success with treating ASD.  Speech-language pathologists play a key role in treating ASD-as social skills and communication are often the first symptoms of autism. Children who completed the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), a behavioral intervention therapy, showed a significant improvement in IQ and language abilities in toddlers with ASD. Researcher also investigated whether the intervention changes brain functioning.  Children who completed the ESDM intervention had faster neural response and higher cortical activation when looking at faces compared to objects.  This suggests that the ESDM intervention may cultivate brain changes that result in higher IQ, language abilities and social behaviors.

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s development and/or communication skills, be sure to contact a licensed speech-language pathologist in your area.