Autism Essay

Autistic spectrum condition is a lifelong disability which affects how an individual communicates and relates to, other people. The understanding of autism has greatly improved since the 1940s when it was identified and one thing that we are aware of is that there is no cure however, there are many things that can be done to support people with autism. There are a large number of symptoms that are in relation to autism, such as a delay in speech development, not responding when their name is called and despite being able to hear, being intolerant of others entering their personal space. In addition to these, there are behavioural symptoms such as insisting on a familiar routine and becoming very anxious or upset if this is disrupted or changed, they will sometime talk at people rather than having a two-way conversation and a failure to understand or implement social rules.

Autism is a developmental disability caused by neurological dysfunction. It affects the way a person understands and responds to the world, how they hear, see, feel, sense, perceive and interpret everything around them. This may affect how they eat, sleep, dress, work, spend leisure time etc. They are likely to have repetitive behaviour

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.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that predominantly affects four times as many boys than girls. Autism is considered a boys disease, leaving a number of girls undiagnosed. Many symptoms include repetitive behaviors, not relating to others, object fixations, however, girls’ symptoms are unique in that they are social able and they don’t fit the norm. The number of children being diagnosed with autism has increased more than ever, as a result, resources needs to be readily available for these families. The rise in the rates in autism has increased from 1 to 68 per child in the United States. A number of reasons such as nutrition, medication, and genetics have also been credited for the rise for autism. According to the DSM-5 (2013), autism has been redefined and ASD is now an umbrella term that includes autism, Retts, Asperger etc. Thanks to the voice of politicians and entertainers, famous people have given autism the awareness it deserves.

Autism, also referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a complex disability of the development of the brain (Concerns).

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

According to the CDC, autism is “a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges (Facts About Autism, 2016)”. Autism was first discussed in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner, after he observed 11 children who had fixations on the inanimate environment rather than people (Quick Facts About Autism). It affects about one percent of the population, and is

Autism- is a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before the age of 3, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.

When an affected child is around two to three years old, obvious signs of autism begin to appear (What is Autism?). Autism diagnosis requires symptoms from each of three categories. Most children with autism have abnormal social interaction. They may lack eye contact with others, fail to seek comfort, and not understand how to behave in social situations (Rodier). Because of this, affected children may feel lonely and not have many friends, as they don’t know how to act around their peers. The second category of symptoms is abnormal communication. Most children with autism have late language development and some never speak at all. If children are fluent speakers, they may talk endlessly about one topic. Affected people often use and take words in a very literal way (Rodier). Because of their abnormal communication, autistic children may have trouble participating in classroom settings. Later in life, they can have difficulties finding work. The third category used to diagnose autism is restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors. Many children with autism appear to have only one interest and they spend their time devoted to that interest. Many also have repetitive movements such as rocking back and forth and flapping their hands. “Children with autism often insist on sameness. They become distressed by changes in their environment or routine,” (Rodier). Other symptoms may include unprovoked tantrums and insensitivity to pain. Another common symptom is seizures, which one out of every four autistic children develops (Autism). All of these traits are common symptoms of autism which differ them from ‘normal’

In a deep, dark blue ocean, an astonishingly beautiful and colorful creature with a crescent moon body shape swims through shimmering waves of light. This mysterious animal goes to a seashore everyday to meet his life-long best friend who, unlike itself, has two legs instead of long, slippery, streamlined flukes. Now, they are sharing one of the best moments in their lives. This is the scene I have always seen in my dream whenever I wish to have a dolphin friend with whom I can freely swim and interact. When I see their eyes, it seems like dolphins are reading my mind, and I also feel like I can read their minds, too. It is uncommon for a person to get an opportunity to interact with that lovely creature and get a feeling of healing.

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.

There are guidelines that a doctor must follow, which will include two levels of screening and many tests to diagnose autism. The first level of screening will happen during a child’s frequent checkup dates at their local doctors office. During these checkups, doctors will look for different kinds of developmental deficiencies. Some of the deficiencies a doctor will look for is no babbling, gesturing, or pointing by the first twelve months. An autistic child will not be able to speak single words by the age of eighteen months and will not be able to put together two-word expressions by the age of twenty-four months. Children with autism will show little interest in imitation and pretend play and these are key behaviors a doctor will look for when he or she is diagnosing this disorder. The second level of screening might possibly include diagnostic procedures by doctors skilled in diagnosing autism, neurological evaluation, including medical history, metabolic testing, genetic testing, CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans, and psychological testing (Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, 2015). Doctors are always doing current research, forming possible treatments, and finding new credible causes for autism.

     Autism is a developmental disability that affects all areas of behavior and perception. Approximately 10 out of every 10,000 children are diagnosed with autism and four out of five are males. Autism is the third most common developmental disability, more common than Down Syndrome. Children with Autism are characterized by impairment in several areas of development such as: Cognitive, Language, Play/Socialization skills and exhibit many challenging behaviors. Behavior Patterns of Autism:

There are many disorders that can affect people, and one of the most confusing disorders is autism. It raises a lot of questions that till today no one could answer it. Autism is a mental condition that appears in early childhood, it emerges between two to three years old. It is characterized by having a difficulty in forming relationships and communicating with others. Scientist believes that autism is caused by a genetic disorder. However, new researches indicates that the environment also can play role. There are some factors for autism, they have a common behavior and the challenges that faces teachers in the classroom.

Autism is a neurodevelopment development that is detected within the first three years of a person’s life. It is becoming a very common disorder in the United States that 1 in every 68 people are being diagnosed with autism (ASD). Levels of intelligence varies through the person with severe to average to above normal intelligence. Autism affects speech, communication, and most importantly are held back from their normal age group activities. The determination to learn more about it is the key to helping those with limitations one has to know how to prevent it, how to cope, and how to treat it.