Autism Spectrum Disorder Essay

Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a complex developmental disability. I happen to have two nephews with autism, one who I am very close to and interact with a lot. A child is usually diagnosed with autism during the first three years of life. It is a result of a neurological disorder that has an effect on normal brain function, and affects the development of the person’s communication and social interaction

A lot of people don’t realize the challenges of living with a child who has been diagnose with Autism can be. It is a twenty-four-hour seven day a week job no vacation, no sick time and no pay. From the time the child is diagnosed it is a constant worry especially if the parents don’t know much about the condition. It starts with continuous Doctor visits, social services, and therapy sessions, just to figure out how serious the condition may be and what level of the disability the child has and this is only this beginning. Next, to find the tools the child needs to overcome the disability, like learning development and cognitive process, social skills, comprehension capabilities, and many more depending on the severity of autism.

Diagnosis. The earliest indicators of autism are impairments of verbal and nonverbal communication. A child with autism will have difficulties responding to their name, smiling and making eye contact, babbling or cooing by twelve months, and using single or two word phrases by twenty-four months (NIMH, n.d.). A proper diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is a two part process. The child is first given a general screening to check for developmental issues. If the child is not making satisfactory developmental progress according to his or her age group, the child would be referred for additional screening. At this stage, the child will need to be screened to check for specific symptoms of autism. The screening can be based solely on the parent’s observation of the

“Independent of the genome screens, evidence suggests that the region on chromosome 15q11-13 contains a gene or genes relevant to Autism.” (Dr. David Pauls 2003). Basically, there are suggestions that the chromosome 15q11-13 is somehow mutated, deleted, or duplicated, causing this disorder to transpire. In addition to genetics, environmental factors can influence Autism; though they are not greatly supported ideas, they can’t be entirely ruled out. In the UK there have been reports of the measles vaccine having a part in causing this disorder. (Dr. David Pauls 2003). Newer studies have even shown that prenatal care before a woman even conceives reduces the risk extensively. “Woman who did not take a daily multivitamin in the three months before conception and during the first month of pregnancy were almost twice as likely to give birth to a child with ASD as a woman who had taken a daily multivitamin.” (The Harvard Mental Health Letter 2011). Multivitamins contain a lot of helpful vitamins to maintain a healthy pregnancy, but researchers suggest that the folic acid is the most significant influence that reduces the risk of a child born with ASD. (The Harvard Mental Health Letter

Autism statistics in today's world are alarming. Even more alarming is having your own child diagnosed with autism.

If you or someone you love has autism, you know how frustrating it can be. You sometimes feel as if you are at the end of your rope and that nothing can be done other than leave that person or child on pharmaceutical medications that have some devastating side effects. Until now.

In a study of 44 sets of twins, there was a high concordance rate of autism and other disorders on the ASD spectrum for monozygotic twins (92%)5. This suggests that the genetic similarity between MZ twins influences their risk of expressing Autism. Dizygotic twins however, had a much lower concordance5, supporting the hypothesis that there is a correlation between genetic similarity and Autism risk. According to the study, complications during pregnancy are not likely to be the cause of autism, but simply happen more often in twin pregnancies5. The association of severe brain damage in pregnancy and Autism has not been found in singletons5. In 29 cases of twins discordant for Autism, biological hazards associated with brain damage usually affected the autistic twin. This

Every single day is a struggle for an autistic child and his or her family. Autism affects all aspects of a child’s life from their ability to show affection to their family to being able to do simple tasks such as communicating and thinking in ways that we take for granted. Autism is defined as a developmental disability in which children experience abnormalities in social functioning, language, often act in puzzling ways, and usually appears before the age of three (Mash &Wolfe, 2010). Although the exact causes of autism are unknown there does seem to be a strong genetic component. Having a child or family member with autism is a constant battle of emotion and frustration. Everyone wants to help the people they love when they have

Since the birth of your son/daughter you have dealt with many hurtles and obstacles ever since their doctor said these four words, “Your child has Autism”. No matter where your child is in the Autism Spectrum, you knew that there would be challenges throughout their lives, and I’m sure you also knew that you would do anything you could to help them conquer these challenges.

It can be really scary to hear about anything that might be wrong with your child. Autism is no exception. It’s one of the most common disorders affecting people from all over the world. No matter how common this disorder is, it still doesn’t make it any easier for a parent to receive this news. It’s one thing to hear about autism from the news, or even from your friends. When you find out that someone you love and care for has autism, it can be very intimidating because you feel so unsure of what to do next.

There is no excuse for someone to be clueless about autism spectrum disorder as it is the most common form of brain development disorder. According the the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) around one and sixty eight children in the United States are placed somewhere on the spectrum. “ASD affects more than three million individuals in the United States and tens of millions world wide” (What).

Autism is a disorder characterized by significant problems in communication and social functioning. Autism is actually called Autism Spectrum Disorder and encompasses a broad range disabilities such as Asperger syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, and Pervavasive Development Disorder (Dunlap & Fox, n.d.). There are also varying degrees of the disorder from low-functioning (no communication and no social interaction) to

The cause of Autism is not quite specified but there are numerous studies indicating that the root of the problem is genetically based. Males are more likely to be diagnosed with autism than females. Autistic individuals have a difficult time communicating and expressing their feelings so it is important that those in the care of an autistic individual to be very mindful and not make assumptions. In today’s world Albert Einstein would have been diagnosed with autism. Although, he was a very bright individual, he had difficulty in his speech and learning in school. The reason may have been because he did not have different teaching styles

Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts (“Autism” Def). It’s a disability that affects a person’s communication skills and/or changes in behavior. Autism is usually diagnosed before three years of age and has a lifelong persistence. The causes of this disorder is unclear and there is currently no cure for it. There are two core characteristics of autism. The first being a deficiency in social communication and social interaction. The second is a restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities. Clinical features of autism include walking on tiptoes, lack of eye contact, extreme dislike of certain foods or sounds, poor communication skills, repetitive behaviors, and

Autism is considered a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of a child’s life. The result of this neurological disorder affects the functioning of the brain by slowing the development of language and cognitive processing autism and its associated behaviors have been estimated to occur