Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )

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.

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.

According to the 2014 estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 68 children have been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD); a rate that has been steadily growing over the past 20 years (National Autism Association, 2015). Increases in reported frequencies for ASD are most likely due to a combination of factors including broader diagnostic criteria and increased awareness as well as a true increase in the number of people with ASD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Autism it self does not effect life expectancy and, in general, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can expect to live as long as the non-cognitively impaired population (National Autism Association,

“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 is known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and it’s a neurological disorder that affects children at an early age, even at 2 years old. The misconceptions and controversies about the illness have caused a lot of backlash and hate towards the healthcare industry, especially doctors. Over the years, many people have believed and still currently think that vaccinations cause Autism. However, many tests and reports have been analyzed and studied through numerous scientists and they have concluded that this simply isn’t the case and vaccinations do not cause Autism. And this is extremely imperative for parents to understand the misconceptions about the illness and report to health professionals with any questions and concerns.

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 is defined as a group of complex disorders of the brain. The autism spectrum contains many other disorders within itself, and each of them have different symptoms. These disorders include autistic disorder, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, and Asperger syndrome (Frequently Asked Questions, 2015). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that around 1 in 68 American children are on the spectrum, with the statistics in other countries being even higher. This number has increased in the last 40 years and could partly be because of the improved diagnosis and awareness, all because

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by qualitative impairments in social interaction and communication, and restricted, repetitive behavior (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013), and is associated with impairments in executive functions. Autism Spectrum Disorder is also defined as a group of disorders that impair an individual’s ability to understand and engage in the give-and-take of social relationships. (Boyd, 2015) Autism is a well-known disability in the world today. Autism statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identify 1 in 68 American children on the Autism spectrum. There has been a prevalent increase in the cases of autism in the past 40 years. Over 3 million people in the United States alone are affected by autism. Government autism statistics suggest that the prevalence of autism has increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years. There is no established explanation for why there is such an increase in autism in the recent years, but more people being aware of it and environmental factors could be a factor to the increase. (Jenson, Steinhausen, Lauritsen. 2014)

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a disorder of brain and stage development, “by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors… intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances” (Autismspeaks.org, 2012). The disorders on the spectrum include Rett syndrome, classic autism, atypical autism or pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified Asperger syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder. ASD can be caused by many

As shown to be an epidemic, autism ranges in differences of initial cause, symptoms, precautions taken, and responses to interventions, as well as the possibility of a cure, is at the least described as complex. Autism Spectrum Disorder, which was rare in the 1980’s started to increasingly spread in early diagnoses, rising exponentially during the mid-1990. Before the increase it wasn’t out of the ordinary for a general practitioner and pediatricians to go their whole practice without seeing a single case. Autism Spectrum Disorder is described as a Biological and Neurological disorder that both genetics and the toxic environment around us trigger a range of symptoms, affecting the immunological system, neurological and gastrointestinal systems,

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a life long brain disorder that often makes it hard to communicate with and relate with others. This disorder is characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication. Researches have found that all autism disorders were merged into one diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder and Asperger syndrome were recently recognized as distinct subtypes of ASD. Autism Spectrum Disorder can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention, and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbance. Putting aside the negative effects of autism,

Autism is a scientific labyrinth, providing an infinite amount of questions but very few answers. Over the past few decades there has been a significant rise in the number of people who have been diagnosed with Autism. Due to the increase in Autism diagnoses, there is also an increased need for better research and understanding about this complex neurological and developmental disorder. Autism has been documented and diagnosed in all social, economic, religious, and ethnic groups. Autism is referred to as a spectrum because of its wide range of severity levels and disorders. Autism is characterized by its impact on communication, cognitive ability, socialization, behaviors, and emotional understanding. Autism was initially speculated to be an early form of schizophrenia, which sparked the belief that it was caused by negative experiences or bad parenting. With

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is considered one of the most challenging symptoms to deal with. The National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke(2014) indicates that one of every eighty-eight child has ASD while boys are four times higher than girls at the same age group.. ASD is highly researched in North America, Europe, and Asia (Elsabbagh el at., 2012). Yet in the Middle East not much research on ASD has been conducted.. Being from the Middles East, this is surprising given the challenges that parents, caregivers, and teachers have to face when dealing with students who are diagnosed with ASD in the Middle East.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that is characterized by abnormalities relating to social, behavioral, cognitive and language skills. The genetic architecture of ASD is comprised of a variety of rare mutations. These mutations include monogenic conditions involving autistic symptoms. Furthermore, single nucleotide variants and de novo copy number variants add to disease susceptibility.

It has been observed that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have a harder time engaging in social connections, which can be initially displayed by lack of eye contact. There are many variables in severity on the autism spectrum as well as many therapies and trainings that can assist individuals with ASD to improve their skills of social communication and understanding. The purpose of this study is to have individuals with ASD view a variety of animal and human faces to determine if non-human faces, which allow for fewer social cues, allows individuals with high-functioning autism to make eye contact.