Optimal outcome in individuals with a history of autism
Background: Although autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are generally considered lifelong disabilities, literature suggests that a minority of individuals with an ASD will lose the diagnosis. However, the existence of this phenomenon, as well as its frequency and interpretation, is still controversial: were they misdiagnosed initially, is this a rare event, did they lose the full diagnosis, but still suffer significant social and communication impairments or did they lose all symptoms of ASD and function socially within the normal range?
Methods: The present study documents a group of these optimal outcome individuals (OO group, n = 34) by comparing their functioning on standardized measures to age, sex, and nonverbal IQ matched individuals with high-functioning autism (HFA group, n = 44) or typical development (TD group, n = 34). For this study, ‘optimal outcome’ requires losing all symptoms of ASD in addition to the diagnosis, and functioning within the nonautistic range of social interaction and communication. Domains explored include language, face recognition, socialization, communication, and autism symptoms.
Results: Optimal outcome and TD groups’ mean scores did not differ on socialization, communication, face recognition, or most language subscales, although three OO individuals showed below-average scores on face recognition. Early in their development, the OO group displayed milder symptoms than the HFA group in the social domain, but had equally severe difficulties with communication and repetitive behaviors.
Conclusions: Although possible deficits in more subtle aspects of social interaction or cognition are not ruled out, the results substantiate the possibility of OO from autism spectrum disorders and demonstrate an overall level of functioning within normal limits for this group.
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This is for you, Mr Yan. Happy New Year.
"I have Annoyed so Many People that now I Don't care anymore, It does not Matter. I have Annoyed Millions of People... few Millions more... Now it does not matter at all but the Future Generations of New Man will Feel Grateful that at least there was one Man who did not care about the Whole World to be Annoyed with him but he went on discriminating between What is Truth & What is Not Truth."
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
For in the same way you judge others,
you will be judged,
and with the measure you use,
it will be measured to you."
Deer are a crepuscular species, for example -- they emerge to feed at dusk and dawn. But deer in developed areas appear more nocturnal, bedding down during the day and coming out at night. As long as they avoid being hit by cars, their life spans can be longer than deer in huntable populations, many of whom do not live beyond four or five years. And they may be more fertile: Does typically give birth to twins, but well-fed suburban deer have been known to produce triplets.
Even as they remain largely mysteries to us, deer have become intimately familiar with our habits. Biologists say they come to anticipate the times when garbage is picked up, when school buses stop, when dogs are walked, when human beings return from work -- and adjust their habits accordingly. The thickets and green spaces of suburbia become refuges from which deer can observe our behavior.
"Remember what deer do for a living," Ditchkoff says. "They stay alive. That's what they're designed to do. They are a prey species. There's always something trying to eat them. If the predator is a dog, or human disturbance, they're going to learn those patterns. You can go walking through some little creek bottom, through a neighborhood, and be 15 feet from a deer bedded down. It may be watching. You won't see it."
sorry to find out you step backward under "pressure".I hope it's caused by your finding that you are not sure your exlporatory opinions and ideas are not fully supported by the current experiments, and needs more evidence from the scientifical tests.
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name is Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.
I thought to myself ,"Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must be a really a nerd."
I had a quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.
His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him...
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives."
He looked at me and said, " Hey, thanks !" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.
He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he want to play a little football with my friends. He said yes.
We hung out all weekend, and more I get to know Kyle, The more I liked him, and my friends thought the same about him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.
I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!"
He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became the friends.
When we were seniors, we began to think about college.
Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I decided to Duke.
I knew we could always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class.
I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.
Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great.
He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school....
He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
He had more dates than I had, and all the girls loved him.
Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days.
I would see that he was nervous about his speech. So I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you will be great!"
He looked at me with one of those looks(the really grateful one) and smiled....
"Thanks ", he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began...
"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach, but mostly your friends...
I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story."
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met.
He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.
Not until that moment did I realize its' depth:
Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life for better or for worse.
God puts us all in each other lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for God In others.
"Friends are angles who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
There is no beginning or end...
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.
This week is National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you care.
Share this to everyone You consider a FRIEND.
