1. Autism
By: Viga Hsu

2. What is autism?
•Autism is a developmental
disorder
•Autism is part of a variety of
conditions knows as autistic
spectrum disorder (ASD)
•ASD varies from mild to very
severe
•Autism affects the way the
brain processes information

3. What causes
autism?
•1 in 88 kids have
ASD, scientists aren't
sure about what causes
ASD.
•Most likely genetics
and environment play a
role
•Unusual levels of
neurotransmitters in the
brain suggests that ASD
could result from the
disturbance of normal
brain development
early in the fetal stages

4. How is autism
treated?
•Sadly there is no cure for
ASD
•For many
children, symptoms improve
with treatment and with age
•Therapies and behavioral
interventions are designed to
help specific symptoms and
can bring real improvement

5. What research is being done?
•People with autism may have
larger brains than
average, which grows
unusually fast in early
childhood
•Scientists are also measuring
magnetic and electrical
activity in the brain using
sensors placed on the outside
of the skull.
•SynGAP1

7. Name: Catherine Vouvoudakis
Job occupation: Health aid at Francis Lewis High School’s medical office
Viga: What is autism?
Catherine: 1 out of 77 boys and 1 out of 99 girls have autism. Autism only
shows in the early stages of life. They’re not sure what exactly it is yet, but
they think it is an auto immune disorder. There are different spectrums in
autism.
Viga: Do you have anyone related or friends that has autism?
Catherine: My grandson is autistic, and he is non verbal.
Viga: How old is he?
Catherine: 5 ½
Viga: When did you find out he had autism?
Catherine: I found out when he was 16 months old.
Viga: How did you find out?
Catherine: He just stopped talking, and therefore he went to get
evaluated.

8. Viga: Is he going to any therapies or getting any help?
Catherine: Yes, he started ABA therapy.
Viga: What does ABA stand for ?
Catherine: Applied Behavioral Analysis.
Viga: Does it help?
Catherine: Eh, just a little bit
Catherine: You should also know that some people with autism has
seizures, food or seasonal allergies, and eczema.
Viga: What do you think is causing autism?
Catherine: I think it’s the shots, a lot of shots have aluminum , they moved
mercury a few years ago, but aluminum still exist in the shots today. Also
a lot of the shots are egg based and some kids are allergic to them.
Viga: Do you think researchers are still researching deeper into ASD?
Catherine: In my opinion, they’re not doing much about it. They should
spend more research on autism, because the don’t really research about
it anymore.

9. Viga: May you tell me more about your grandson?
Catherine: He used to speak normally up to 16 months, and he only repeats what
you tell him. He’s learning sign language, he works with the computer and iPad
very well. He doesn’t know fear, he doesn’t know how to express pain, and he
doesn’t know how to ask. For example, he fell down, and he got hurt. However he
doesn’t express he’s in pain, he doesn’t cry or make a sad face, he doesn’t tell us
he’s hurt, and you know what he does? He just rubs the place he got hurt, thinking
it would go away.
Viga: What does he eat?
Catherine: He only eats two things, pasta, and chicken nuggets. If he doesn’t like
certain color foods, he doesn’t touch them.
Viga: Can he still make noises though?
Catherine: His vocal cords are god, but he just doesn’t speak.
Viga: When does he sleep?
Catherine: He doesn’t sleep at all at night, he requires very little sleep.
Viga: What school does he go to?
Catherine: Ps. 177, it’s a special education school, and the students there all have
special need problems.
Viga: Does he have any friends?
Catherine: Nope, no friends, no communication.
Viga: Alright thank you for your time.

10. Myths about
autism
•The myth is that a person who
autism has no feelings.
•Wrong. A person with autism feels
love, happiness, sadness and
pain just like everyone else.
•Just because, some of them may
not express their feelings in the
same way others do, it does not
mean that they do not have
feelings.
• It is important that the myth, that
autistic people have no feelings is
gone .
•The myth is a result of lack of
knowledge

11. Follow-Up

12. •What does ASD stand for?
•What is the amygdala?
•Autism affects social communication, physical contact, and __________?
•What is one affect of physical contact?
•What do they find unpleasant and shocking?
•What is the milder form of autism?
•Is there any cure for ASD?
•Autism will show itself during the first _____ years of a person’s life.
•Is it true females are more likely to have ASD than males?
•If one twin is affected with ASD what is the percentage that the other twin
will be affected?
•What do they do to help people with ASD?

13. •"What Is Autism?" BBC News. BBC, 19 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 May
2013.
•"Autism Fact Sheet." : National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2013.
•"What Is Autism? What Causes Autism?" Medical News
Today. MediLexicon International, 03 May 0032. Web. 14 May
2013.
•"KidsHealth." Autism. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2013.