Autism Spectrum Disorder And Autism 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

Some of the characteristics of those who have autism consist of repetitive thinking and compulsive attention in things like symbols, languages and numbers. The cause of autism is not yet known as of now, however, many people consider it a genetic disorder which takes place at birth. Christopher Boone has one specific form of autism known as Asperger’s syndrome, his disorder is reflected through his fascination with mathematics, detail, astronomy and colours; his thoughts on routine and violent hatred to interaction, even though it is not specified in the book. In 1943 Leo Kanner a psychiatrist published a paper surrounded around the research of 11 young patients that fit into a fine variety of diagnostic principles that he measured out to be autistic. During Kanner’s career he has seen fewer than 150 cases that go with the description he came up with of the syndrome, he theorised that autism was very unsupported and rare. Autism turned out to be a foundation of embarrassment and several of those who were diagnosed were certified; in the 1970s everything started to change (Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Simons Foundation, n.d.). Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner both used the word autism, in the 1940s when they were doing

Many people who don’t know what autism is would think that it’s a new issue in modern society, but it has become far more predominant today compared to previous years. The term autism comes from the Greek word “autos”, meaning “self”. The word autism was first used in 1908 by a swiss psychiatrist named Eugene Bleuler. He used it to describe a schizophrenic patient who had withdrawn into his own world. However, the innovators into autism research were Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner. While they were not working together, they were both doing studies during the 1940s. Leo Kanner, an American child psychiatrist, started by studying the behaviors of 11 children. What he discovered in their behaviors are both pros and cons. The pros are that they had good intellectual potential and can recollect things relatively well. Nevertheless, the cons are difficulty in socializing, adapting to change, repeating words, just to name a few. Kanner referred to their condition as Kanner’s syndrome, which was later named Early Infantile Autism. Similarly, Hans Asperger also studied a group of children that mimicked Kanner’s descriptions. One thing that’s different from Asperger’s research compared to Kanner’s research is that the children he observed did not have echolalia as a linguistic problem because they spoke like young adults. Additionally, Hans did mention that the children he evaluated were clumsy and had difficulty with fine motor skills. Hans Asperger described the milder form of 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.

In the 1940’s, Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician, observed children with autistic-like behaviors and social and communication challenges. These kids had normal intelligence as well as normal language development. Asperger syndrome is a type of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). PDDs involve delays in the development of skills, mostly around social, communication, imagination, and abstract thinking skills. Many experts argue that Asperger syndrome is a milder form of autism, referred to today as high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). Asperger’s work consisted of a historical review of specific Autism case studies that were not representative of the entire spectrum even though they were a great basis for the upcoming research in the field (Draaisma, 2009).

Eugen Blueler, a psychiatrist, was the first to introduce the name "Autism" but he diagnosed this disease to a schizophrenic adult. Leo Kanner distinguished the two later in order to clarify the understanding of the disability. (Forty-six)

     Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is a pervasive developmental disability first identified in 1944 by Dr. Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician. However, since his paper was written in German and published during World War II, his findings were not well known in the United States and in other non-German speaking countries. In 1981, Dr. Lorna Wing, a British researcher, brought AS to the attention of the English-speaking world. In addition to summarizing Asperger’s findings, she also pointed out the similarities between AS and autism, raising the question: Are they the same disorder or two separate ones (Ozonoff, Dawson, & McPartland, 2002)? It was not until 1994

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

In 1943, an American psychiatrist named Leo Kanner used the word “Autism” to describe the behavior of a group of children he studied (Mandal, 2014). Studies state that, “Leo Kanner systematically observed a small group of children with a condition he called Infantile Autism, launching the scientific study of autism” (Thompson, 2013, p. 81). The group of children Kanner examined in his studies displayed characteristics such as complications in social interactions, hardship with adjusting to changes in their day-to-day routines, and echolalia. In 1944, Hans Asperger also studied a group of children who shared similar characteristics with the group of children Kanner studied. However, the children Asperger studied did not have echolalia but generally struggled in the area of motor skills. Furthermore, the concept of the influence parenting skills has on Autism was studied and argued by psychologists Bruno Bettelheim and Bernard Rimland. Bettelheim suggested that cold behavior from mothers towards their children may be the cause of Autism and Rimland who was also a father of a child with Autism disagreed with Bettelheim’s statement. In the 1980’s, more people believed that parenting skills did not cause Autism

In 1912, Paul Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, coined the word “autism” within the American Journal of Insanity. The term, derived from the Greek autos meaning “self”, described what he believed to be the childhood form of schizophrenia. Bleuler authored The Textbook of Psychiatry in 1916 which set the standard for many years until an Austrian-American physician, Leo Kanner, published his landmark article titled “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact” in the journal The Nervous Child in 1943 describing eight boys and three girls between the ages of 2 and 8 who displayed an extreme preference for solitude from birth onward, had persistent interests, repetitive behaviors, lack of imagination and language difficulties 9.

Autism spectrum disorder first became a diagnosed disorder when it was described by a psychiatrist named, Leo Kanner in 1943. As a result of a study he conducted involving 11 children, he developed a diagnostic criteria based on observations of repetitive, stereotyped behavior with consistent impairment in social interactions (Volden, 2017). Over time however, autism became synonymous with Asperger’s disorder and pervasive developmental disorder that included similar, but widely different diagnostic criteria in social interactions. Not until 1994 did the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders 4th edition recognize autism as a distinct disorder, being classified today in the 5th edition of DSM as autism spectrum

ASD stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder and since the early 1900’s; it has been a mystery to many researchers and psychologists. Autism is usually noticed in the first three years of life but there are many theories on which it comes about. Before the 1940s, children who showed signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder were labeled schizophrenic, emotionally disturbed, and psychotic (Kartemquin, 2008). Not until about 1943 did Leo Kranner give a clear definition for autism, by writing Autistic Disturbances of Effective Contact, describing his research of autism cases. The paper descriptively addresses the behaviors of the children, describing them as self- satisfied, showing no apparent affection for others, oblivious to their surroundings as if they live within themselves (Kranner, 1943). From this, many other scientists like Bruno Bettelheim pinpointed the main cause of autism as psychodynamic; meaning the mothers of autistic children were the root cause (PBS, 2002). This became known as the “Refrigerator Mother Theory.” Bettelheim stated that children with autism have an emotional disorder developed from psychological distress brought upon by their mothers (PBS, 2002). Previously, Bettelheim spent ten months in a Nazi concentration camp and wrote his book The Empty Fortress: Infantile Autism and the Birth of the Self. He stated his experience paralleled the experiences of autistic children, as if their parents were Nazi prison guards wanting

The term “autism” is derived from the Greek word “autos”, which means “self”. In the 1940s, Leo Kanner, a doctor at Johns Hopkins University, began using the term to describe children whose behavior was socially and emotionally withdrawn. From then until the 1960s, many researchers and therapists believed that autism and schizophrenia were linked disorders. Initial treatments for autism included the use of LSD, electric shock, and behavior change techniques, which regularly relied on punishment and pain to change behaviors.

autism was first described in the 1940s. Leo Kanner in the United States and Hans Asperger in Austria independently published papers describing children with severe social and communicative impairments. Both Kanner and Asperger used the term "autism" (meaning “alone”) to describe the syndromes they had identified. Kanner described children who had impoverished social relationships from early in life, employed deviant language, and were subject to behavioral stereotypies. Asperger’s description identified children with normal IQs and normal language development who suffered from social and some types of communicative impairments. (slaughter)

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.