Autism And Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Essay

Autism is a developmental disorder, which is characterized by a dyad of difficulties in a) communication and social interaction and b) restricted interests and imagination (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might find it challenging to understand what other people think or what the reasons for their behaviours are, as their ‘theory of mind’ may not be well developed (Schuwerk, Vuori & Sodian, 2015). It is possible that this is why they might behave in socially inappropriate ways, being unable to differentiate between different contexts, while they might also find it difficult to make friends. Moreover, it is likely that they are fond of routines, repetition and structure (Carnahan, Musti-Rao, & Bailey, 2009), as they might be nervous with unknown, new situations. In addition, some of them might not do eye contact with other people, whereas some others might not endure to be touched and might have a difficulty developing speech (Jordan, 2005). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might sometimes be prohibited to initiate conversations and might struggle with finding different ways to play and behave, due to the possible deficit of imagination, which in some cases might result in them having a narrow sphere of interests. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this group of people is rather heterogeneous, as characteristics of autism may differ from one individual to another (Gwynette, 2013). Another point is that people with Autism

Autism is a form of neurodevelopment disorder in the autism spectrum disorders. It is characterized by impaired development in social interactions and communication, both verbal and non-verbal. There is an observed lack of spontaneous acts of communication; both receptive and expressed, as well as speech impairments. A person diagnosed with Autism will also show a limited range of activities and interests, as well as forming and maintain peer relationships. The individuals will display limited interests, which are often very focused and repetitive. He or she is likely to be very routine oriented and may show behavioral symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggressiveness, and self-injurious behaviors.

Let’s say you have a box of crayons. It represents ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), now inside the box you have different colors of crayons. Each color/crayon is a different disorder. The color we want to talk about today is teal, the official color for autism. Stuart Duncan once said, “Autism, like a rainbow, has a bright side and a dark side and even though it can mean rough waters it can be beautiful.” Autism isn’t a label, it’s a diagnoses. People with autism can be just as successful as neurotypical people. People with autism have been the subject of stereotypes and neglect for decades. Only in the last 150 years or so have things started to change. We don’t know what causes autism, but thanks to increased research and awareness we’re making more progress than ever. People with autism face many challenges everyday, autism is a spectrum. It’s not the same for everyone. Due to it being a spectrum it can be hard for people without autism to understand the challenges autistic people face, and how to go about interacting with autistic people. There are lots of autistic people worldwide, it’s time we start making them feel more like people.

Autism Spectrum Disorder affects various aspects of an autistic child’s life. Many children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder every year, while others go undiagnosed for an extended time, or even for their whole life. A child exhibiting delays in language benchmarks or showing little interest in the surroundings should be examined for possible ASD. Language is often impaired and although the level of impairment can range from severe too unnoticeable in each child, a child is likely to have a delay in another area, like coordination of motor skills, if not in language. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that causes impairments in various aspects of language development.

Autism has become an increasingly important public health concern as the number of yearly diagnoses of the disorder has increased since the late 20th century. The National Institute of Health estimates that 1 in 88 children in the United States are classified as having an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (NINDS, 2009), a genetic neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs children 's ability to learn and causes issues with social interaction and communication. Symptoms of ASD include delays in speech and language, issues with social interaction, and unusual behaviors/routines.

Scientifically, autism and autism spectrum disorder, also known as ASD, are commonly used names for difficult disorders that have to do with brain development. Disorders like these are grouped by someone’s difficulty in social interaction, repetitive behaviors, and nonverbal communication. To the people who are diagnosed with this disorder and the families it affects; it is so much more than just science.

Autism disorder is an issue facing many people today. It’s an issue widely discussed in the news and social media. In Gale’s data from 2015 defines autism as a general term for a group of complex disorders of the brain development that are grouped together under the broader term of autism spectrum disorder also known as ASD. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2014, about 1 in 68 out of 1,000 children were diagnosed with ASD. This was a dramatic increase from 1 in 150 children in 1992. The CDC also

Autism affects 1 in every 110 children today (NICHCY, 2010). This statistic reveals a considerably large ratio of children and adults who have Autism. In society, everyone is diverse and unique in his or her own way. These differences are apparent in appearance, interest, and abilities. Differences are what shapes individuals into who they are, and who they want to become. Individuals learn differently, and the same is true for children with Autism. Autism is a neurological disorder that affects children up to three years and older. (Autism Speaks, N.D.)

Neurological disorders are complex in nature and often the least understood. Given the recent boom in imaging technology and other diagnostic methods, it is now possible to see more clearly into the scope of neurological development and accurately determine the etiology of these diseases. One of such disorders is Autism; a multifactorial condition impairing normal brain development. It affects many aspects of development, including social behavior, cognitive ability and communication skills1 and is commonly diagnosed in children before the age of three1. The symptoms of this condition can vary greatly between individuals; hence its classification as a spectrum disorder. Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome and pervasive

Most parents wonder what is the next chapter for their child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) after they graduate from high school. For some individuals, it is to move onto higher education. As stated by Cai and Richdale (2015), the USA has one of the lowest rates of college enrollment for individuals with ASD, with over 50% of these individuals being in neither education nor employment following their secondary school (p. 31). Individuals with ASD who move forward in gaining a higher education will have to learn to adapt and determine how to transition into higher education. Mentioned by Cai and Richdale (2015), a USA national survey illustrated poor outcomes from transitioning from secondary school into adult-hood. The findings show that after young adults with ASD left the public school system, 80% live at home, 32% attended postsecondary education, only 6% had competitive jobs, and 21% had no employment or education experience at all. In addition, 40% reported having no friends. (p. 32)

In the United States today, the fastest-growing disability that deals with development is autism(Facts). Autism Spectrum Disorder can be described as “a condition or disorder that begins in childhood and that causes problems in forming relationships and in communicating with other people(Webster).” Although the number of children diagnosed with autism is on the rise, there are many different levels of autism, which can affect how the cases are dealt with. Autism has no cure, but by informing the world, it can help to prepare an autistic child for the future that they hold.

Before the publication of the DSM-5, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was diagnosed as four separate disorders: autistic disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PPD-NOS) (Kress & Paylo, 2015). This was changed because it was discovered by researchers that the separate diagnoses were not consistently being diagnosed or applied with all treatment facilities, mental health providers, doctors or clinics (Kress & Paylo, 2015).

In the previous decade, there could have been plenty of autistic children that weren’t labeled as such. The opposite is also true. Many children who have a learning disorder may have been seen as autistic. Dr. Paul Shattuck says, “A kid labeled autistic today could have been labeled mentally retarded 10 years ago in the same school system.” Shattuck believes that children are simply just being reclassified in an attempt to manipulate the facts. The definition of autism is constantly being broadened, and as a result, the number of children that fall into the category of ‘autistic’ is increased. “In the 1990’s the diagnosis of autism was changed to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - the new name reflecting the changing concept of autism to include a broader spectrum of symptoms...” Professor Dorothy Bishop studied adults who were diagnosed with a language disorder. She then compared their symptoms to our new criteria and found that 25% of them would be considered autistic by today’s standards. With a more generic definition of this disorder comes more children diagnosed with

“My little boy now five was diagnosed with autism in August … while we were shopping he threw a tantrum. He was rolling around on the floor, running off, and he hit me twice … people are staring, looking at me with horrible looks and some even laughing.” (Ambitious about Autism). Autism affects 1 in 68 children, it is a very broad disability and everyone on the spectrum is unique. Autism is a mental disorder that affects the way people act in social situations and how they respond to their surroundings. Unawareness of autism is a very prevalent problem in our world, especially to those who experience it firsthand. To be more specific, this lack of knowledge is a problem because it has led to many untrue stereotypes being formed about autism,

Tens of millions of people have been diagnosed with Autism worldwide, effecting both genders, all races, ethnicities and people from all socioeconomic classes. In 2010 a Surveillance Summary was conducted in the United States, where it identified that one in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). It has been recognised