Autism Spectrum Disorder
When thinking about disabilities, there are many that come to mind. However, the autism spectrum disorders are where I will focus my attention. When you hear the words autism spectrum disorders, what comes to mind? For me, the word spectrum stands out and makes me think of something like a scale, range, or continuum of severity. In fact, Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015) state that the word spectrum emphasizes that the disabilities associated with autism spectrum disorders fall on a continuum from relatively mild to severe. (p. 211) It is my goal to show that while ‘people’ in general see the negatives, there are positives to identify as well. It is important to be able to identify characteristics of the disability
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(2015), impaired social communication can include communicative intent, joint attention, and pragmatics. (p. 217) These are very important as most people are able to pick up these skills by watching and interacting with other people. Hallahan et al. (2015) describes this as the hidden curriculum, “dos and don’ts” of everyday living. If you think about how education is shifting to a cooperative learning environment, this will have a dramatic effect on students with autism. I can only imagine how the learning could be impacted negatively by being put in small groups when you cannot interact socially on the same level. Remember this is a spectrum and under the least restrictive environment outlined in the IDEA some of these students may be in classrooms where this is occurring. Ideally the teacher would be able to notice the discrepancies and implement a form of intervention that would help the …show more content…
While that could have been for many reasons, it is also a characteristic of a person with autism. These types of behaviors are considered to be repetitive behaviors. Another behavior addressed by Hallahan et al. (2015) is restrictive behavior. (p. 218) Restricted behavior is associated with fascinations or a small range of interests. Basically, this means that the person has an extreme interest in certain objects and little to no interest in other objects. I have seen this in students I observed during practicums. One of the students had an extreme fascination with trains while the other was drawn to construction equipment in general. When introduced to other topics or ideas, the focus was almost immediately
Children with autism don’t know how to communicate. Some do not talk at all, then some will talk very little and only do one answer questions. The children with autism that is able to talk. Normally will hear something that a family member said, or something said on television and repeat something that was said over and over. A lot of the time, they will have mental breakdowns when they need to say something and can’t. The main symptom of autism is the problem with social interaction. People with autism are
2.2. Describe why autism can be considered as an spectrum, encompassing individuals differing in the expression and severity of their symptoms
Autism is the main form of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism is a developmental disorder that is manifested in problems with communication, impairment of social functioning, and repetitive behaviours. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), ASD diagnoses must meet four different areas of criteria. There are three symptoms of "deficits in social communication and interaction across contexts," four symptoms of "restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities," "symptoms must be present in early childhood," and the symptoms must "together limit and impair everyday functioning" (Carpenter, 2013). There are many theoretical positions on the causes of autism spectrum disorders. Some of which have been discounted by empirical studies that have been researched and performed.
Many of us have heard about Autism, also knows as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Some have a family member, a friend, or know someone who has ASD. Increasingly it is becoming a more common disability. “Autism is one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the U.S” (Autism Speaks). Autism has no respect for gender, race, social class and or ethnicity. “Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that involves abnormal development and function of the brain.” (Autism Center of Excellence) People who have autism have a lot of difficulties with social skills, communication and also will develop behavior issues. These behavior problems of an individual with autism can vary at times and can go from mild to severe. According to the Autism Science Foundation it says,” Many people with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention, and reacting to different sensations. The thinking and learning abilities of people with ASD can vary—from gifted to severely challenged.” The causes and symptoms, as well as the diagnosis, and the treatments of autism vary.
Throughout their lives autistic children avoid eye contact and are unaware of other people’s feelings. They are unable to make friends and do not learn to play with other children. They often prefer social isolation.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder, which is characterized and diagnosed by social interaction and communication impairment and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior and language.1 It is a debilitating and life-long disorder that affects health, relationships, and learning of affected children.2 It describes a continuum of mixed characteristics on main impairments in social and communicative abilities together with the presence of repetitive behaviors.3 It affects an estimated 1 in 110 children with an increasing incidence.1 Treatments vary in their effectiveness for treating children with ASD. Studies on the gluten-free and/or casein-free (GFCF) dietary intervention, which eliminates all
Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that is characterized by impaired communication (verbal and non-verbal), social, and comprehensive skills. Distinct features of individuals diagnosed with ASD are repetitive or restricted behaviors, for example daily or patterned routines: others may experience symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome, which delays cognitive/speech development: or other conditions similarly related to Down’s syndrome. ASD is often utilized as an umbrella term to encompass a wide range of genetic conditions and mental disorders; as such no two individuals diagnosed with ASD are alike. Because of this, researchers, therapists, and medical practitioners are still puzzled by the mysteries of ASD; however, many infants and toddlers are now beginning to show signs of ASD and many more are being diagnosed on the autism spectrum. With this increase, many people are beginning to understand and educate themselves on the effects of ASD and also cope with the lifestyles of autistic peoples. However, even with the increase of autism awareness and advocacy, individuals with ASD are discriminated against because of many stereotypes and societal myths that surround the disorder. One of the main sources that distribute these false stereotypes and myths is the media. In truth, many popular movies, like Rain Man and Forrest Gump, portray characters that are affected by ASD in stereotypical ways that overshadow the true complications of ASD and the
“Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) formerly known as just Autism, is a disorder that affects about 1 in 68 children here in the United States.” (Facts about ASD) This is a pretty high prevalence and the number is continuing to rise. “Autism is a developmental disability that can cause significant impairments in behavioral, communication, and social aspects of everyday life.”(Facts about ASD). The intellectual functioning of individuals with ASD is among one of the biggest of all disabilities. The range can occur from moderate intellectual disabilities all the way up to super genius levels. However, most students function at average intelligence in all academic areas except for reading and math. The reason the name switch form Autism to ASD occurred is that now according to the DSM-V Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) are now disabilities that fall into the spectrum that is ASD. Diagnosis of Autism can be determined at age 2 with high reliability, but is not often discovered until the individual reaches school age and begins to fall behind their peers. It is critical that a parent goes and gets their child screened for developmental disabilities at the doctor at least every 9 months during their few first years of life, so that if they do have a disability early intervention strategies can be employed. ASD occurs in every racial and ethnic group,
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavior challenges and was first described by Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943 (Brown & Percy, 2007). Individuals with ASD can range from high functioning to low functioning in their ability to learn, think, and problem solve (Brown & Percy, 2007). Behavior problems are common among individuals with ASD (Hill at el, 2014). Kogan (2009) estimates that approximately 637,000 children in the U.S. alone have ASD and within those 637,000 children, Hagopian (2007) suggests that half of those children, who are diagnosed with ASD, also display problem behavior. According to Hagopian & Hardesty (2014), Applied Behavior
The DSM-5, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a diagnostic tool used in the United States for psychiatric diagnosis. One of these disorders is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and according to the DSM-5, there are two manifestations. These are: social interaction and communication as well as restricted, repetitive, stereotyped behaviors and interests. Deficits in social communication include social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communicative behaviors and social relationships. As for restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behaviors and interests, these are displayed in several ways, including: repetitive motor movements or repetitive use of objects or speech, inflexible adherence to routines, fixated interests,
The purpose of this research paper is to reflect on the understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in depths. Autism Spectrum Disorder is categorized as a set of complex neurodevelopment disorders that accompany repetitive and specific patterns of behaviors along with difficulty with social interaction (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes [NINDS], 2015). This research paper will discuss Autism Spectrum Disorder in several aspects such as definition, symptoms, cause, diagnosis, treatment and relatable disorders.
Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term "spectrum" in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity. (mayoclinic.org) Autism Spectrum disorder is a broad name for other diagnosis such as Asperger’s Syndrome, Autistic Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Asperger Syndrome (AS) sometimes called high functioning Autism, is part of a unique group of neurodevelopment disorders, all complex. Those affected by it suffer social impairment, difficulty
There are a wide variety of symptoms that have been associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, the name adopted in 2013) including, repetitive movements, emotional difficulties, sensory problems, etc. The exact cause of these symptoms is a widely debated topic. In this paper, I will discuss the overall prevalent causes for Autism as well as the different variations and subgroups. People are familiar with other disorders such as Down syndrome or Trisomy 21. These types of disorders are discussed frequently because of the knowledge and commonality of them. However, not everybody is familiar with a disorder such as Autism. This is due to the uncertainty of the cause of Autism and isn’t non life-threatening existence. The overall concept
An estimated 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States (Autism Speaks, n.d.). Can be diagnosed in all racial and ethnic groups, as well as every age group. In the 2013 publication of DSM-5 diagnostic manual, Asperger syndrome, Autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder- not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) were merged into one category of ASD. This paper will explain what Autism Spectrum Disorder is, causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, clinical trials and what it is like living with someone with Autism (Autism Society, n.d.).
The study and research pertaining to autism is very broad and includes more than just autism itself. A child with an autistic disorder is hard to identify because autism is not easily seen. Autism is more of a mental and social disorder; it doesn’t really have anything to do with a physical outlook. The autism disorder doesn’t only deal with autism; there are five other primary disorders involved with autism. When screening a child for autism, they will find out if any other disorders should be diagnosed. Screening children for autism at a young age can be beneficial in diagnosing children early for autism, or the five other primary disorders under the autism spectrum.