Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )

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.

The American Psychiatric Association (2014) defines Autism Spectrum Disorder as “a range of complex developmental disorders that can cause problems with thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others”. The terms, “autism” and “Autism Spectrum Disorder” are known as “umbrella terms” because they encompass a group of disorders that affect the function of the brain. These disorders include: autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Prior to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), all of these disorders were viewed as separate entities and one could be diagnosed with one of these conditions. Since the publishing of the DSM-5, anyone

Autism is a developmental disorder and its frequency rate has risen significantly over the past decade. ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) is a disorder that can emerge in the development of the brain and can be characterized in varying degrees such as repetitive behaviors, impaired social interaction, and also verbal and nonverbal interactions. Social skill discrepancies are a key features within the spectrum of autism disorders. Interacting with one's peers can have a substantial positive impact on the lives of individuals with such disabilities. Interaction allows individuals on the autism spectrum to participate and build in their communities. Individuals having better social skills are more likely to be accepted in

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

One can state that the ASD is challenging to be: diagnosed, treated, and assessed. In this paper, high

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

Over the past 40 years, the rate at which diagnoses for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occur has seen a dramatic growth in numbers. With diagnoses for ASD increasing, more siblings are also being found to have grown up with a sister or brother with autism spectrum disorder. Previous studies have shown no consensus on whether or not siblings of persons with ASD are at risk for negative effects. However, patterns of anxiety among these siblings are being examined to see if characteristics of a child with autism spectrum disorder and their parents can predict anxiety. Anxiety disorders are one of the most common psychological disorders found in childhood and research has shown that they can have a negative impact on a child’s current and future development if left untreated (Cartwright-Hatton et al. 2006; Johnson et al. 2000; Visu-Petra et al. 2010; Vitiello and Waslick 2010). About 80% of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder have one or more concurrent anxiety disorders (de Bruin et al., 2007). Research suggests that they may be a link between anxiety disorders and impairments in daily living skills (Drahota et al., 2010). Anxiety does not just put children with ASD at risk but also has an impact on family members as well.

Human beings face obstacles especially individuals with Asperger’s syndrome as they cope with daunting challenges in their existence. These challenges affect their everyday lives particularly in interacting with people and coping with their emotions. Thus, the clinical features, treatments, and accommodations of Asperger’s syndrome impact the affected person’s pivotal aspects of social, communication and demeanour.

Autism is known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) this is a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by reduced social interaction, verbal, and non-verbal communication and restricted and repetitive behavior. (Langone, 2002, p. 3). ASD can also be linked with many other symptoms such as intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination, attention, and physical health issues. Sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances, are known as the physical health issues (Langone, 2002, p. 4). Autism appears to develop and show signs in the early stages of the brain development, specifically between the ages of 2 and 3 years old.

Peer-related social behavior normally develops early in the preschool period, with symbolic play normally emerging by two years of age (Leifer, 2015). A child with ASD tends to have difficulty interacting with others, has flat facial expressions, avoids eye contact, dose not respond to name when called, and prefers to play alone. They may also have problems with sharing and showing their feelings. Since they have difficulty regulating emotions, their outbursts can be from crying to physically aggressive behavior. Some

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms that characterize processes of the brain and also some disorders of the brain development. These disorders are described, in many different aspects, by difficulties in socialization, verbal and nonverbal correspondence and behaviors that use to be repeated. According to the DSM-5 diagnostic manual (2013), “all autism disorders were merged into one umbrella diagnosis of ASD”. Before that they were perceived as particular subtypes, including, including autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) as well as Asperger’s syndrome. ASD may also include intellectual disability, distractibility,

Revisions have been made to the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) between DSM- IV and DSM- V. Many of those who met the different benchmarks for the DSM IV didn’t meet it when the DSM-V was published. In the DSM-IV there were three different areas that can be diagnosed within the ASD spectrum; Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Gibbs et al., 2012). Certain symptoms were to be diagnosed the minimum features were at least 6 in the 3 distinct areas two being from social interaction, one in communication area, the other being abnormality (Gibbs et al., 2012)

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

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disorder characterised by a triad of impairments in social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviour and restricted interest. This spectrum is observed to affect three times more males than females (Hill, 2004). ASD is a syndrome that Leo Kanner first explained while observing the behaviour of children he was researching. He describes that they had particular traits such as the inability to establish social relatedness with other people, failure to use language normally for communication and an obsessive desire for sameness (Frith, 1989).

Neuroimaging and autopsy studies in patients with ASD suggest that brain abnormalities play an important role. These abnormalities include diffuse differences in total and regional gray and white matter volumes, sulcal and gyral anatomy, , cortical structure and organization, brain lateralization, brain chemical concentrations, neural networks and cognitive processing compared with individuals without ASD. (Volkmar and Pauls, 2003)