Understanding Diabetes and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Diabetes – Risk Factors
- Obesity
- Heredity
- Lack of Exercise
- Poor Health Maintenance
Diabetes – Prevalence
- 15.1% Native Americans
- 12.7% African Americans
- 12.1% Hispanic
- 8% Asian
- 7.4% European
Diabetes – Symptoms
- Constant fatigue
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
- Increased hunger
- Unexplained weight loss
- Blurred vision
- Numbness and tingling in feet
- Slow-healing wounds
- Frequent infections
- Sexual dysfunction
Consequences of Diabetes
- Eyesight problems
- Kidney damage
- Nerve damage
- Cardiovascular issues
- Lower extremity problems
- Potential amputation
Return to Work Considerations
- Emotional stress impacts glucose levels
- Potential for missed workdays
- Need for regular medication times
- Glucose monitoring requirements
- Maintaining routine activities
- Avoiding sugary foods and drinks
Factors Influencing Diabetes Control
- Motivation to follow management recommendations
- Stress levels
- Dietary choices
- Exercise habits
- Social acceptance
- Self-consciousness
- Depression
- Travel across time zones
- Family understanding and support
Note: 50% of men with Diabetes experience sexual dysfunction.
Treatment & Management of Diabetes
- Type 1: Insulin to maintain glucose levels
- Type 2: Antidiabetic agents to influence insulin production
- Exercise
- Weight Loss
- Dietary changes
- Self-management and monitoring
- Medications, diet, exercise, and preventative measures (Type 2)
Characteristics of Common Diabetes Types
Type I Diabetes
- 5-10% of all cases
- Genetic, environmental, and autoimmune factors
- Little to no insulin production
- Weight loss and fatigue
- Ketoacidosis
- Usually diagnosed in childhood
- BMI usually normal
- Not generally inherited
- Condition at diagnosis: very ill
Type II Diabetes
- 90% of all cases
- Body produces insufficient amounts of insulin
- Elevated blood glucose levels
- Often associated with obesity
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
- High blood glucose levels during pregnancy
- Usually diagnosed in adults
- Hereditary component
- Mildly ill
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Diagnosis
- Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction
- Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities
- Symptoms present in early development
- Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment
- Disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability
Sensory Considerations: Touch, Taste, Hearing, Smell, Sight
ASD Symptoms
- Difficulty socializing and making friends
- Difficulty communicating with others
- Rigid, repetitive, or unusual behaviors
ASD Risk Factors
- 200-400 different genes account for 25% of cases
- Environmental factors (potential):
- Air pollution
- Older parents
- Gestational diabetes
- Autoimmune diseases
- Pesticides
- Viruses
- Chemicals in household products
Co-Occurring Disorders in ASD
- Mood Disorders: 84%
- Sensory Processing/Integration Issues: 78%
- ADHD: 60-70%
- Sleep Disorders: 50-73%
- Intellectual Disabilities: 40-50%
- Seizures: 40%
- OCD: 25%
- Gastrointestinal Tract Problems: 20-80%
ASD – Common Functional Limitations
- Concrete/literal thinking
- Problems with auditory and/or visual input
- Problems understanding social rules
- High Social Anxiety
- Lack of Theory of Mind
- Rigidity in thinking – difficulty with change
- Problems generalizing across situations
- Anxiety
ASD Treatment Approaches
- Antecedent-based interventions
- Modeling
- Naturalistic interventions
- Prompting
- Reinforcement
- Self-management techniques
- Social narratives
- Social skills training
- Task analysis
- Visual supports
ASD Prognosis
- 1 in 59 diagnosed
- Affects all racial and socio-economic groups
- 5 times more males than females
- Twins and siblings are more affected
- Diagnosis as young as 2 years, but average is 4 years
- Early intervention is key
- Many who start therapy prior to age 3 eventually lose diagnosis
- Lifetime cost of more than $3 million