Environmental factors can increase the risk of developing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), particularly in individuals who are already genetically predisposed to the condition. Autism can significantly impact various aspects of daily life, including sensory sensitivities and difficulties with social interactions. However, it is important to recognize that individuals with autism also bring valuable perspectives and strengths to society.
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that can have a profound impact on the daily lives of individuals who live with it. Children with autism and ASDs are commonly affected by eating disorders due to their preference for energy-dense food with low nutrition. Finding resources and planning for the future can help families improve their quality of life. Physical activity and exercise interventions have been proven to be beneficial for decreasing repetitive behaviors and improving communication. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help avoid health risks and improve physical and mental health among autistic children, adolescents, and adults alike.
Research shows that people with autism are at especially high risk of a range of physical and mental health issues as they age. Sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition, both of which are more common among autistic people, can contribute to these health problems. In-utero exposure to some environmental factors may also play a part in the development of ASD.
Autistic adults are also more likely to have atypical eating patterns and sleep disturbances. It is crucial to focus on diet, activity, and sleep to help them develop a happy, healthy life.
📹 The Benefits of Autism | Zachary Betz | TEDxSouthFayetteHS
Description: People with autism are not only just as capable of succeeding in life as people without autism, but also have some …
Who carries the autism gene, mother or father?
The study reveals that siblings with autism share about 66% of their genetic material from their father, while only 30% from their mother. Siblings without autism share only half of those percentages. However, the findings contradict the previous predictions, as the amount of genetic material shared from the father is higher than expected. The authors are unsure why fathers have such a strong genetic influence over autism, as they may carry protective mutations that fail to be passed on to offspring or pass down mutations that trigger the mother’s immune system to attack the developing embryo.
Does lifestyle have an effect on autism?
Autism patients are at a higher risk of physical and mental health issues as they age, often linked to sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition. Dr. Jean Gehricke, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of California, Irvine, shares tips for encouraging a healthy lifestyle among autistic youth. He specializes in the assessment and treatment of ASD, ADHD, and co-occurring conditions like depression, anxiety disorders, and drug abuse. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help prevent these health risks and improve the overall well-being of autistic individuals.
What is the survival rate of people with autism?
Long-term research shows that autistic individuals have an average life expectancy of 39 years, with health complications occurring 20 years earlier than non-autistic individuals. Low-functioning females with autism spectrum disorder are at the highest risk of death due to health issues. Effective intervention and adequate healthcare access are crucial for fostering functional self-sufficiency and social engagement, reducing the risk of early mortality. Frequent causes of death for autistic individuals include health problems, poor diet, and lack of social interaction.
Can autism improve with age?
It is possible that some autistic children may become indistinguishable from neurotypical children as they mature, exhibiting fewer behavioral disturbances. Those with minimal issues may lead lives that are indistinguishable from the general population. Nevertheless, anxiety can exacerbate the symptoms of autism, as evidenced by the responses of 59 autistic individuals who indicated that it significantly impairs their ability to cope with life. Elevated anxiety levels can precipitate a range of adverse outcomes, including meltdowns, burnout, exhaustion, and autistic fatigue.
What triggers high-functioning autism?
High-functioning autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that presents with a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The presence of specific genes may increase the risk of developing the condition. The condition is characterised by a number of symptoms, including difficulties in concentration, learning and task-focus. The precise etiology of high-functioning autism remains incompletely elucidated.
Who is the longest living autistic person?
Donald Gray Triplett, an American banker, was the first person diagnosed with autism in 1943. He was labeled as “Case 1” and was known for his savant abilities, particularly the ability to name musical notes played on a piano and perform rapid mental multiplication. Born on September 8, 1933, to Beamon and Mary Triplett in Forest, Mississippi, he was initially introverted and did not respond to his parents’ gestures or voices. He was institutionalized at three years of age but was eventually removed one year later.
Triplett was socially withdrawn but interested in number patterns, music notes, letters of the alphabet, and pictures of U. S. presidents. At one, he could hum and sing many tunes accurately. At two years old, he had the ability to recite the 23rd Psalm in the Old Testament and memorized 25 questions and answers from a Presbyterian catechism. At Christmas that year, he sang an entire song he had heard only once.
Triplett was also interested in creating musical chords and rhymes. He developed an intense interest in spinning blocks, pans, and other round objects and disliked tricycles and swings. He was initially uninterested in slides but began to play on them when he was alone.
Triplett had many meltdowns and was afraid of being spanked but was unable to associate them with punishment. He displayed echolalia and had trouble remembering pronouns, often using “you” to refer to himself and “I” to refer to the person he was speaking to. When entering a room, he went to the toys right away, ignoring all the people in the room.
Do autistic people struggle with life?
Autistic individuals often face challenges throughout their lives, including health conditions that can coexist with autism and difficulties in a world designed for neurotypicals. Each individual is unique, and not all autistic individuals will experience all the challenges listed. Autistic individuals and family members have shared their experiences to contribute to this article, which may be distressing for some readers. Please read with care.
Can life events trigger autism?
Autism is not directly caused by trauma, but it may be more vulnerable in autistic children and adults due to adversity. Autism is primarily genetic, with genes accounting for 40 to 80 percent of a person’s likelihood of being autistic. Trauma can affect autistic individuals in unique ways, and people may confuse one for the other. This article explores the links between autism and trauma.
What is the average lifespan of a person with autism?
Autism can reduce an individual’s life expectancy, but it does not cause a shortened lifespan. Instead, conditions related to Autism can affect the length of mortality. A 2008 study in Denmark found that the mortality risk of those with Autism was nearly twice that of the general population. Individuals with Autism generally succumb to health complications 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population. Longitudinal studies show an average life expectancy between 39 and 58 years.
Individuals with more severe Autism have a shorter life expectancy. The DSM-5 identifies three levels of Autism, each requiring varying degrees of support. Level 1 individuals have a mild form of Autism, requiring minimal support in socialization and understanding nonverbal communication. Level 2 individuals are moderately affected and require substantial support due to challenges in socializing, verbal communication, and nonverbal communication. The life expectancy for level 2 Autism ranges from 50 to 60 years.
Can you be autistic and live a normal life?
Autism is a complex disorder that can lead fulfilling and meaningful lives, despite facing challenges in daily life. It is important to recognize that individuals with autism can achieve their goals and dreams, just as anyone else. Early diagnosis allows for the provision of necessary support and resources, including therapies like speech, occupational, and behavioral therapy, as well as medication to manage associated conditions like anxiety or ADHD.
What is the leading cause of death in autism?
Autism-related deaths have increased significantly, with an average age at death of 36 years younger than the general population. Of these deaths, 28% were attributed to injury, with suffocation, asphyxiation, and drowning being the most common causes. These causes accounted for nearly 80% of total injury mortality in children with autism. Over 40% of these deaths occurred in homes or residential institutions.
Despite the increase in the annual number of deaths, autism-related deaths may still be underreported, particularly from intentional injuries like assaults, homicide, and suicide. Researchers analyzed over 32 million death certificates in the U. S. National Vital Statistics System and identified 1, 367 individuals with autism who died between 1999 and 2014.
📹 Living with autism in London- BBC London
What’s it like living with an invisible disability in London? In the UK one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are …
I always saw autism as more of a specialist into a certain thing rather then overall in my opinion. I’ve got autism myself and I won’t lie, I’m useless in social gathering / verbal based communication but excel towards details and in my case, tinkering and repairs since I always found myself fascinated with technology and how it works.
And, this is why we need to learn to live in their world…NOT teach them to live in our world❤️ Autistic children are teaching us to learn about them❤️ My grandson is my whole world, he knows that I get him, because every day he is teaching me to learn about him….I call him my little blessing🙏 It’s amazing on how much I have learned, & continue to learn from him❤️ I get him & he gets me. It makes my heart happy to see him being himself, not caring what others think about him. We both are living our best life because we are in OUR own little world & do not have a care in the world of others judging us for who we are❤️ I am the Ying to his Yang❤️🙏
I completed a BSc and MSc. in engineering, published scientific research in my home country, moved to the United States alone with no money, no English, no papers and no family. I have got fired from jobs almost every year. Recently, I was diagnosed with Asperger in my 50s. Now I understand why. Luckily, have survived tutoring Math, Physics and Chemistry. We have to make sure it doesn’t happen to future generations.
I think autism is very cool. It is a sought after genom. My family has slight autism hints. Its quirky but it makes us very interesting. My interests are Psychology, Politics and Economy. I can delve very deep into these things and im am obsessed. However it makes me very knowledgeable. Im quite light on the autism spectra but i really like genes. I think they are superior and i think they are the future. How else are we gonna overcome all the humans problems? Because we have many flaws. I like to find those flaws. Because of the very light spectra i work well with people and my job is in healthcare. I love people 🙂 To answer your question. NO I DONT BELIEVE ITS A DISORDER. It is a freakin superpower and people need to shift their ways of thinking.
As a person with Autism, I disagree. The “passion in their work” and “attention to detail” thing usually only apply to their very specific niche interests. It’s not always helpful in work, and especially in socializing. Many Autistic people I know, are more likely to be passionate and focus on the details of their very specific, niche, Autistic speical interests, instead of remembering people’s names or letting others speak in social situations. Special interests like specific cartoon characters or certain TV shows that NO ONE knows about, for example.
One of my problems with the way that things are structured make it hard for any of my advantages or disadvantages to shine through. My challenges are different then most people’s because of autism. But the end result of that is a smaller support circle and less resources and information on how to deal with that challenge. Ontop of that, I feel like all the things I have an advantage over other people with are underutilized. People don’t see the potential massive value in a different approach to work, so my only avenues are “normal” work. Which heavily reduces just how useful I really could be to them. It would be nice if we opened up a little bit more in the ideas of how to encourage and make use of autistic people, and their skills. I feel extremely under-valued and under-used for my community becuase of this. Hopefully we can make some progress in these areas.
This was really cool. I know the spectrum is quite wide and there are plenty of people on it that struggle a great deal, but learning to see the world in they’re way more effectively could open a lot of doors for a lot of people. People that might not see the door-knob but can do some awesome stuff if someone helped them figure out how to get out of the room some other way!
I have high functioning autism. I am very successful because I have won 2nd place in championship wrestling in 8th grade, I have graduated high-school, I have done bodybuilding and hit a pr of 500lb deadlift with no steroids and no adrenaline and it took me 2 years to achieve that goal. I have a special gift of sensing frequencies and seing more of life beyond life and the “normal life”.
I wish my social skills were a bit better but even embarrassing past events feel traumatic i curl into a ball, telling my brain “stop it!”. Even if others find it funny and i find it crippling, i unintentionally lash out to make them stop and then run to a safe space, blast music in my headphones and try to block every thought of it away Pathetic. I know. Its one reason why i wish i never had autism.
I have Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD. I agreed with almost everything he said but I’m a bit against showing Einstein and Newton when trying to teach people about autism simply because it gives the wrong idea… It can make people think that they can’t be Asperger without being geniuses or dissuade their parents from testing them because they aren’t “above average” at anything specific…
Growing Up, I always knew i was different that other kids, and later found out at 10 that I had Autism, at first, I wanted to kill myself. Badly, because I was horrible socializing and communicating with people, but I found out that people with this disorder have a great Power withing us, that includes in Learning Physically or Mentally, life seems tough and hopeless for my kind, we usually always give up and see ourselves like such a waste, It’s hard for us to live a normal life, cause we are just so different that other regular people, but, No. If you think your not meant in this world, then your horribly wrong because we all have a purpose that God gave us, so find your meaning in life and always be yourself no matter what other people see you.
My 3 year old son has autism and honestly there really are some times that are hard to deal with, but I just view it as some kind of super powers that he is still struggling to control right now and someday with our guidance he will be able to control it properly, at his age he can already read sentences sometimes even paragraphs and able to quickly memorize lyrics of songs, even different shapes and colors and was already able to count from 1 to 100 at the age of 2 years old. I’m so proud of him and will continue to support him til the end.
I’m 32 and I think I may have mild autism. I was voted most shy in high school. Students use to talk about how shy and quiet I was right in front of me. I had some friends but it was so difficult for me and I have to try so hard to be normal in front of them. Social situations are terrible for me, and I can hardly ever make eye contact, even with people I know like my brothers it’s difficult. I have a difficult time connecting to people and social cues and am very socially awkward. I also think I have a tic where I’m always blinking my eyes or opening them up wide. A lot of times I feel my facial expressions don’t match my emotions. I get really bad social anxiety and tend to take things personal when I shouldn’t. I hate when people give me their attention and when eyes are all on me. I find it’s hard for me to establish long lasting relationships with people. I’m so weird and always feel like I can’t relate to others. Like why am I like this?
As an adult with autism, body language is an incredibly technical science of obsession to compensate for why much of it doesn’t “flow” so natural – so there is an overcompensating with masking because that’s gotten positive feedback from people. I absolutely have to remind myself to make sure to not over-speak answers and to ask questions about the other person to technically execute friendly engagement that otherwise wouldn’t come very natural throughout a conversation beyond the initial small talk and greetings. Eye contact is often merely forgotten with a lot of internal technical analysis of the situation so this also requires reminders based on familiar cues to trigger those reminders. I often get lost in the thinking more than the anxiety, too passionate on some subjects which can turn off those less interested. I think small talk just doesn’t seem to provide the same “energy” and “ice-breaker” effect for many autistics compared to nuerotypicals. Sometimes I never make it past the ice even after 10+ mins of conversation with someone new, just not happening.
I disagree with what you said sir. You said, “autism is not who you are, but an aspect of your personality that you incorporate into your everyday life.”. I feel this comment could be very damaging to many autistic people. If it a part of my personality, I can change it, because personality can be changed, moulded, shaped. HOWEVER, I am autistic which means my brain has developed differently to that of a non-autistic person’s. I cannot change my brain. Most people with autism have sensory, emotional and cognitive dysfunction, and this dysfunction makes life VERY difficult to life ‘normally’. They can be severely affected, be isolated with little or no friends or support, housebound because of their dysregulation, experiencing great levels of illness and distress because of it. How indeed would a person incorporate this into their lives? I think the way that you express this isn’t accurate and is very misleading. I do not have a need to change my personality, I have a malfunctioning brain, body and emotional system. Autism overload affects the nervous system, causing the malfunctioning and illness, and meltdowns, shutdowns and burnout. With autism the rate of suicide is higher than the general population, and the life expectancy I have read in one research paper says is ON AVERAGE 20 years less than an non-autistic person. Autism is not anything to do with a personality trait – this is false information.
I have high functioning Asperger’s which is a mild learning disability. I find it very hard to get a job if I get a job I find it very hard to keep the job. But in the U.K. the support for people with mild learning disabilities is not really there. I got my income support taken away from me as I went to a benefits meeting and they said I do not qualify for any benefits due to the strict rules the government put in place. I see all these immigrants illegal or legal getting free accommodation and benefits but the U.K. are not willing to help me. I can’t work in a fast paced environment. I also have high anxiety and take medication. Now they took away my benefits I now have to pay for them. But can’t get a job. The support workers I have had just do not really understand as they not really qualified. So I packed my bags just 3 years ago and said goodbye to the U.K. I been back for 18 days in July. First time in U.K. for 3 years. I will never ever go back to live in the U.K. if the U.K. won’t help uk people who are struggling in the U.K. But will help immigrants then you should be very very ashamed as lots of people in the U.K. are struggling and do not get the right help. U.K. people can sometimes not be very tolerant of people that are quirky or a bit different to the norm. but unfortunately. It should be equal opportunities in the U.K. but it’s not. Uk is not a fair country to live in. It’s not right to give the uk tax payers money to immigrants instead of that money going to help U.
It is really is interesting that you were able to take your passion for table top games and share it with others. I think that a huge positive to being autistic is taking the passion and in-depth knowledge you have for something and sharing it with others. Connecting with others is always difficult for someone on the spectrum but to create something and share it makes it so much worth while <3 - thanks for your interview 🙂