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ASD (autism spectrum disorder)Disclaimer: This fact sheet is for educational use only. Please consult your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child. What is ASD (autism spectrum disorder)?ASD is a disorder of development that affects language, social skills and behaviour. Children with ASD are unable to interpret the world and what is happening around them in the same way that other children do. There is a range of severity and intellectual ability, from the severely impaired child with classical autism, to a child with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism. Children with Asperger syndrome may have a high level of intelligence but have difficulty with social interaction.
The term ASD is used to refer to the group of pervasive developmental disorders which include:
 Back to TopWhat are the symptoms?Children with ASD all have:
The earlier the diagnosis of ASD is made, the greater the impact early intervention has, resulting in fewer challenging behaviours and better outcomes for families.
However, for many high-functioning individuals the diagnosis may only be made at a much later age. The term Asperger syndrome (or disorder) presents particular difficulties because there is no international agreement on the distinction between this disorder and high-functioning autism.
 For more information about signs of possible ASD, see:
There is also a video of parent stories in the section My child and early signs of ASD at the Australian Raising Children Network website. You need to have Flash installed on your computer to watch the video. Back to TopHow is it diagnosed?Signs of ASD may be noticed by parents, GPs (general practitioners), Plunket nurses and teachers. The diagnosis is usually made by a paediatrician, child psychiatrist or psychologist. Growth and development of children is monitored at all Well Child visits to check if there are any concerns that parents / caregivers have about development and behaviour. If concerns are noted, prompt referral should be arranged.
Assessment is the process of gathering information about the health, education and care needs of a child and his or her family. This results in an identification of needs, a diagnosis where appropriate and a plan of action to meet those needs.
Regardless of the intervention, home, early childhood, school and community settings must all be involved to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child. However, this requires a high level of commitment and participation from parents and increases the demands on them. Parents and their professionals need to discuss this and agree on the roles and responsibilities each wishes to take when planning interventions.
Back to TopHow common is it?There is no information on how common ASD is in New Zealand. Using overseas information, it is thought that there will be approximately 360 new cases of ASD diagnosed per year. There are likely to be around 6000 children under 16 years with ASD at any one time.
Back to TopWhere to go for more information and supportAutism New Zealand
Autism New Zealand Inc. provides support, training, advocacy, resources and information on ASD including Asperger syndrome.
Call free on 0800 AUTISM (0800 288 476).
New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline
 This guideline is available as a full version (more than 300 pages) and as summary versions in English and Te Reo Maori. We strongly recommend that all parents who have a child diagnosed with ASD order a free copy and keep it for reference. The guideline is available by either:
 NZ ASD guideline websiteThis website, developed independently by the New Zealand Guidelines Group with funding from the Ministry of Health, was launched in April 2010. It brings together information about ASD for two groups of people:
The website has information and education resources to help people recognise the basic signs and symptoms of possible ASD, and decide what actions they can take. The resources are derived from the New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline.
Website: http://www.nzgg.org.nz/asd
Altogether Autism An information and advisory service for people with ASD, their families, whanau and the wider New Zealand community.
Freephone: 0800 ASD INFO (0800 273 463)
Website: http://www.altogetherautism.org.nz/
Mental Health Foundation NZ
The Mental Health Foundation provides comprehensive information on ASD. This includes myths about and causes of autism, living with autism, treatment options and other support groups.
Phone: 64 9 300 7010
Fax: 64 9 300 7020 Resource Centre: 64 9 300 7030 Email Resource Centre: resource@mentalhealth.org.nz Ministry of Education
The ASD resource for teachers is also useful for other people supporting children and young people with ASD, including parents. It introduces some of the challenges faced by young people with ASD, some of the characteristics of these disorders, and practical strategies for support. To request a free printed copy of this booklet, email: asd.mailbox@minedu.govt.nz. The Ministry of Education website also has a section What is education doing about ASD?
Australian website
Raising Children Network: The Australian Parenting Network
The Raising Children Network website provides comprehensive information on ASD in the section Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Please be aware that some of the content (such as information about services available, costs and information about funding of medications) applies only to Australia and may not be relevant to New Zealand. However, much of the information is relevant to New Zealand families.
Other international websites
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, UK
The Great Ormond Street Hospital website provides the booklet Understanding and managing behaviour problems in children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders. The booklet has been written to offer an overview of some of the behavioural difficulties that may be experienced by children with ASD. It also offers guidelines on how to manage these behavioural difficulties. Some of the information may not relate to your situation because each child and their circumstances differ.
Visual strategies
Students with ASD and lots of other students with behaviour or communication challenges tend to be visual learners. They understand what they see better than what they hear. Therefore, they benefit significantly from the use of visual strategies.
Back to TopYour notesEndorsement
This fact sheet was endorsed by PSNZ - 16/06/2010
CopyrightFact sheets are subject to copyright. In the interests of information sharing they may be copied but acknowledgement must be given to PSNZ and Starship Foundation. © The Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation 2005 - 2012
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