Autistic Disorder

1
Autistic Disorder

• Fatima AlHaidar
• Professor, Child Adolescent Psychiatrist
• KSU

2
Definition

• Childhood autism is one of the PDDs that is
  characterized by early onset (before 3 years of
  age) of delay and deviation in three critical
  areas of development
• 1- the ability to form social relationships and
  to share interest and emotions.
• 2- the use of language and communication ( both
  verbal and non-verbal) .
• 3- the presence of severely incapacitating
  ritualistic tendencies .

3
Clinical Picture

• A. Behavioral Features,
• 1- social relationships.
• 2- speech and language development.
• 3- mannerisms.
• 4- resistance to change.
• 5- attachment to particular objects.
• 6- acute emotional reactions.
• 7- other behavioral symptoms.

4
Clinical Picture cont.

• B. Intellectual development,
• 1- general intelligence.
• 2- specific deficit.
• 3- special abilities.
• C. Physical conditions

5
Background Factors

• 1- Overview.
• 2- Genetic factors.
• 3- Underlying physical conditions.
• 4- Parents and family factors.
• 5- Link with schizophrenia.

6
ASSESSMENT

• 1- Overview.
• 2- Differential diagnoses
• 1- MR and learning disabilities.
• 2- Aspergers disorder.
• 3- Childhood disintegrative disorder.
• 4- Retts disorder.
• 5- Language developmental disorders.
• 6- Childhood schizophrenia.
• 7- ADHD
• 8- Attachment disorders.

7
Management

• Explain to the parents the nature of the
  diagnosis and its probable cause and the way the
  child can be helped and the likely outcome.
• Neither medications nor interpretive form of
  psychotherapy directed to the patient have a
  significant place in management.
• Behavioral and educational methods have been
  shown to be helpful.

8
Management cont.

• Goals for treatment
• 1- fostering of normal development
• - parental counseling
• - behavioral methods
• - special schooling.
• 2- reduction of rigidity and stereotypy.
• 3- removal of maladaptive behavior.
• 4- alleviation of family distress.

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Outcome

• A life-long condition
• - 66 ---- total dependence.
• - 50 ---- linguistic impairment.
• - 10 ---- slight improvement.
• - lt10 ----working.
• - 16 ----epilepsy.
• - 50---- deterioration during adolescence.
• - 10 ---- psychiatric disturbance.
• Important factors relevant to outcome
• - IQ
• - quality of parental care and education.
• - slow progress.