Autism And Brain Development

In the early 1900’s autism was a completely misunderstood concept and any child who was living with it was assumed to be living with “childhood schizophrenia” and developed much slower than children without autism. A four year study of Donald Triplett gave Dr. Kannar a better understanding of what autism was and what it caused certain people to do. The main question was, does it affect the child’s development? Living with autism can affect a child’s development due to the fact that they don’t have a long attention span, can cause them to have a repetitive behavior, along with trouble in social situations whether it be verbal or non verbal.

Autism according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary is defined as “a variable developmental disorder that appears by age three and is characterized by impairment of the ability to form normal social relationships, to commutate with others, and by stereotyped behavior patterns.” Autism was believed to be a psychiatric or emotional illness, and doctors told mothers that they were the cause. They were wrong. The cause for autism is still a mystery, however, the facts remain that autism in children is on the rise. Erin Allday of the San Francisco Chronicle writes, “Environmental factors play a more important role in causing autism than previously assumed and, surprisingly, an even larger role than genetic.” There are theories based on that

Autism is a neurological development disorder that affects one in eighty-eight people. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition(DSM-IV) there were five types of autism. They were all listed under what is called Autism Spectrum Disorder. People on the spectrum range from dysfunctional to functional. The most functional form is called, Asperger 's Syndrome. People with Asperger 's Syndrome have above average intelligence; the people on the other end of the spectrum tend to have average or below average intelligence. There are many symptoms of Asperger 's Syndrome, but not all of the symptoms meet the other symptoms of the different types of autism. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) has taken Asperger 's Syndrome and three other diagnosed mental disorders and put them all into the autism spectrum disorder eliminating Asperger 's Syndrome as a diagnosed mental illness, but in fact these disabilities should be different because the symptoms of these disorders affect the human body in different ways.

1 in 68 births in the United States will result in a child with autism. According to the Autism Society of America, it is reported as the fastest-growing disability, reaching epidemic proportions at a rate of 10-17 percent per year. Most parents recognize the signs and symptoms of autism anytime between birth and the first three years of their child’s life. Autism is classified as a neurological disorder and it affects the normal development of a child’s brain. Autism is not just one disorder, but a group of related disorders with a shared set of symptoms. All children on the autism spectrum have three major challenges; they are with social skills ab nd behavior, communication and cognition. Autism can be identified by a certain set of behaviors, but children can have any combination of the behaviors at any degree of severity. In fact, when it comes to their behaviors and abilities, no two kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are the same; each child has their own unique capabilities, symptoms, and challenges. There are many different treatments and medications used to remedy and lessen the symptoms of autism. They include different types of therapies and training, special diets, vitamin supplements, as well as, complementary and alternative medicines. Music therapy is the most effective treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder. Of all the therapies associated with autism, none achieve more positive results. No other type of treatment helps children to

There are a number of studies in progress to determine the specific genetic factors associated with the development of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Research has shown that autism shows up when big chunks of

Just as there is no duplicate case of autism, there is no one cause. Alternatively, there is a list of causes. Some of the most common include genetic mutation and predisposition as well as environmental factors. Some research shows that women can reduce the chance of their children being autistic by increasing folic acid intake before and following conception. Other research shows that “advanced paternal age can affect the child’s risk” of being

Imagine not picking up on social rules and cues, even as your peers are progressing rapidly. The way they act and speak to each other appears magical to you. Imagine having some days where you can hear but can’t understand what words are being said. Imagine being overwhelmed by every movement, noise, and smell one day, while craving that same stimulation the next day. Imagine having an extraordinary ability to see detail no one else can. Imagine finding divine pleasure in every little thing having to do with your favorite interests. What you’re imagining are just some of the experiences I live with day-to-day. I do have a disability but it also gives me unique abilities. Autism is a neurological and developmental disorder, affecting the entire brain structure and activity; though, I will mostly be discussing the physical consequences of this condition. The type of Autism I have is called Asperger’s Syndrome, but this is not my official diagnosis since the DSM now utilizes the umbrella-term Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Stated previously autism is neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the brain by disrupting social and cognitive functions. For the best non-invasive way to see the affects on the brain is an MRI machine. Evidence shows that an increase in size of the overall brain is one of the primary signs; more specific the parieto-temporal lobe, and enlargement of the cerebellar hemisphere volumes was a common sign of Autism. Also abnormalities in the limbic system and cerebellum contribute the pathophysiology of autism. These changes are most related to the abnormal brain development in early life. To simplify things, autistic children have excessive amount of nerve fibers, but they do not work well and there for communicate between fiber is non-existent. Because of these large amounts of fiber explains the overall enlargement of the brain. Even though at birth the brain is normal or smaller than normal size, it goes through a period of rapid growth between six to fourteen

Knowing the true meaning of what autism really is, might help the diagnosis of the disorder. The conditions of both of these disorders are similar but have different aspects. Autism is a type of disorder that has to do with intellectual disabilities and motor skills. Autism also has some physical disabilities as well. Another name for autism is autism spectrum. Working with someone in high school that had this disability, made me want to learn more about them. The causes of autism is not pin pointed, but scientists have a pretty good idea what it is. Autism Speaks is a website created by grandparents, Bob and Suzanne Wright, who have a grandchild with autism. They created this website to get awareness out about the disorder. According to Bob and Suzanne Wright “Most cases of autism, however, appear to be caused by a combination of autism risk genes and environmental factors influencing early brain development” (B. Wright S. Wright).

One in sixty-eight children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder. With such a high percentage, what exactly causes this disorder? Autism is a complex developmental disability and the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain (Talbot, Astbury, and Mason). The disorder effects the regions of social interaction, communication, and imagination, which is known as the Triad of Impairment. Autism is a lifelong condition that currently has no known cure. However, there is much research being conducted and progress is being made towards finding a cure.

There are times, however, when a child doesn’t follow the normal stages of development according to the age boundaries in the EYFS. A child with autism, for example, find interaction and communication incredibly difficult. Sensory things like sound tend to distract the child, and often to escape the “sensory chaos” the autistic child will focus on physical sensations, e.g. Hand flapping, banging on objects, or they sometimes make their own auditory sounds, as this helps allow them to exclude the other stimuli that are overloading their brain. It is important to adapt your form of communication when interacting with these children. Building a strong relationship, by forming a trusting bond, will help promote their development. Show the

According to Shangraw (2012), there is no concrete etiology of autism because it is not diagnosed by its cause but on observed behaviors. The Autism-Society (n.d.) stated that a possibility for the cause of autism is the abnormalities in the brain structure or function. In an MRI research study by Piven et al. (1995), they found that an individual with autism spectrum disorder had a higher total brain volume and tissue compared to a person who is not on the autism spectrum disorder. Genetic problems and environmental factors can be a cause of autism spectrum disorder, according to the Mayo Clinic (2014). In genetic problems such as fragile X syndrome or Rett Syndrome, it can be associated with autism spectrum disorder. There is ongoing research regarding environmental factors and exploring ideas such as viral infections, pregnancy complications, and / or air pollutants to determine if they are active factors of autism spectrum disorder.

Certain areas of the brain, including cerebral cortex and cerebellum responsible for concentration, movement and mood setting, are associated with autism. Imbalances of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin in the brain are also associated with autism.

*The reason for autism is complex and not clearly discovered. However, there is spectrum of etiology and causes just as there is no one type of autism. The two main factors that contribute in existence of autism are genetic and environmental factor (Won, Mah & Kim, 2013).

Dawson’s et al., (2002) research shows how individuals with autism have abnormal brain developments and can pin point multiple brain regions that are affected. Evidence also shows that these developmental abnormalities in the brain can be caused by both environmental and genetic factors. Within autism there are two distinct ways