On Autism twitter Day Please .... Keep It Real

To all the autism tweeters I hope that you enjoy yourselves and learn something helpful on Autism twitter Day but please promote realistic autism awareness while you are at it. Two points to remember:

1. Autistic Disorder is first of all ... a mental disorder. (Source DSM-IV; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, 299.0 Autistic Disorder)

2. Autistic Disorder is characterized by various social, communication and behavioral delays, impairments and abnormal functioning. (Source DSM-IV; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, 299.0 Autistic Disorder)

eg.

(A) qualitative impairment in social interaction...

(B) qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following: 1. delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)
2. in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
3. stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language
4. lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

(C) restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, ...

(II) Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years: (A) social interaction
(B) language as used in social communication
(C) symbolic or imaginative play

Have fun tweeting on Autism twitter Day. Hopefully parents will find some useful information to help their autistic children.

Please KEEP IT REAL on Autism twitter Day.

autism