Autism Spectrum Disorder

1 in 54 children are diagnosed with Autism. Autism prevalence has risen 178% since the year 2000.

The term autism was changed to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 2013 by the American Psychiatric Association.  Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also known as Autism, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the following:

  • Difficulties in social communication differences (verbal/non-verbal)
  • Deficits in social interactions
  • Restricted, repetitive pattern of behavior, interest or activities
  • Sensory problems (Nosie, light, clothing)

Many people with ASD exhibit:

  • Delayed or absent language development
  • Intellectual problems
  • Poor motor coordination
  • Attention deficits

Prevalence of ASD worldwide: (in order of most effected)

1. Hong Kong

2. South Korea

3. United States

4. Japan

5. Ireland

6. Switzerland

7. Canada

Boys are 4 times more likely to have autism than girls (Boys are 1:34, Girls are 1:144).

Medical expenditures in the United States for children and adolescence with ASD were 4.1 -6.2 times greater than for those without autism, costing $268 billion annually in 2015, expecting to rise to $461 billion by 2025.

Diagnosing can be difficult since there are no medical tests to diagnose the disorder. Doctors rely predominately on the child’s developmental history and behavior. 

DSM Archives – Vaccine Evidence

Okay, Phew!  So, now you know. Very prevalent, very disrupting to daily life but (what you will soon discover) – very controllable.  Here, I am going to discuss all the things that you can do to either mitigate your heritability unto your offspring or control the disease with targeted treatments. There are several treatments and interventions including behavioral development, physical activity, social skills training, and speech language therapy; however, I wish to preface — the greatest evidence of positive effects for the child rely in early detection.

90% of the child’s brain development happens before the age of 5. The heightened plasticity of the young brain offers a unique window of opportunity for targeted interventions and therapies. By harnessing this plasticity through specialized interventions, you can positively influence the trajectory of a child with autism. In some cases, with early intervention, children have been shown to eventually lose their ASD diagnosis completely.

EARLY DETECTION SIGNS:

Nutritional deficiencies:

◦ Vitamin D Deficiency – Vitamin D regulates 3% of the 26,000 genes in the human genome. Vitamin D levels are shown to be 3% lower in children with ASD comparatively to their unaffected siblings.

◦ Polyunsaturated Fats – Supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids may improve hyperactivity, lethargy and stereotypy in children with ASP.

◦ Zinc: regulation of inflammatory cytokines including IL-6, a cytokine identified with inflammation and brain development

◦ Folate Supplementation during Pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk of ASD.

Behavioral Red Flags:

  1. Doesn’t respond to your call
  2. Limited initiation of social interactions
  3. Difficulty coping with change
  4. Restricted/Repetitive behaviors markedly interfere with functioning in all spheres
  5. Distress and difficulty changing focus or action

What’s Your Risk?

◦ Inherited common variant- 49.8%

◦ Inherited rare variant- 2.6%

◦ De novo variant – 9.5% (parents don’t have it but you do)

◦ Environment – 38.1%

Recurrence Rate:

◦ Identical Twins – 77% risk

◦ Fraternal Twins- 31% risk

◦ Siblings – 20% risk (although this could be higher if 2+ siblings already born with ASD)

Let’s talk about the brain!

Children with ADS have approximately 65% more neurons in their dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and 25% more neurons in their medial prefrontal cortex*. Roughly, 20% of children with Autism have enlarged heads (scalp, cranial bones and brain size).

In the Prefrontal Cortex we have 1) Executive function and 2) Mood regulation.  Executive Function controls thoughts and actions of the brain. Everything from planning, problem solving, attention, reasoning, inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory.  These processes and behaviors may be executed by other regions of the brain, but all is initiated in the prefrontal cortex with executive function. This area is not fully developed until your 20’s. In addition, the brain of someone with ASD experiences additional failed connections of cells in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. This is because, specifically, in these areas those cells are not able to coordinate their actions with other surrounding cells causing them to get stuck in the wrong locations and undertake abnormal migration patterns.