Autism and learning disabilities - bullet points

• Learning disability is not a disease, a physical illness or a mental illness. Learning disability is a label, and more than that is a diagnosis. 
• Three criteria needs to be met before the diagnosis occur. They are intellectual impairment, social or adaptation dysfunction and early onset. Usually the learning disability occurs because there are problems before during or right after birth. A learning disability will not appear due to an accident, adult disease or dementia. 
• Autism was first identified in 1943. It is an invisible disability, and people with autism are not physically disabled. 
• An autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability. 
• Because most people do not understand autism, a lot of people with autism are misunderstood. 
• People with autism experience three main area of difficulty. They are: social interaction, social communication and imagination. 
• They can be sensitive to light, sound, heat, touch and smell. 
• Early diagnosis is vital in order to receive appropriate support and help. 
• There is no cure for autism, but they can learn how to deal with it. 
• How to recognise it: a child with autism may not learn to speak at the usual age, may have problems communicating, may not be interested in other people, may have a set way to behave, can do repetitive actions often and all those signs appear before age of 3. 
• Treatment can be based on education, medication or diet. 
• Applied behavioural analysis teaches the child in small steps using rewards. Auditory integration training is using special music. As medication, stimulants like methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concetta or Equasym), antipsychotic like Risperidone or serotonin reputable inhibitors (SSRIs) as fluoxetine (Prozac) and citalopram (Cipramil) are used. There are special diets and supplements that need to be used, as the child can eat only certain foods. 
• Net methods are tried now, such as picture exchange communication system (PECS) and hormonal adjustments using secretin. 
• They can often develop depression symptoms. 
• In the same spectrum we have Asperger and  obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)