preview

Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Case Study

Better Essays
Open Document

The recent rise in the diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorders, or ASDs, is alarming parents and doctors alike, and has also given rise to the question of why the rates of diagnoses are increasing. There are many hypotheses on why the Autism rates have been increasing, and they range from the availability of better medical care and the knowledge of the early warning signs, to what a child eats during its early years and environmental toxins. There are also many who believe that diagnosing a child at an early age is beneficial, and others who believe that an early diagnoses could hinder a child from reaching their full potential due to a ‘label’. Autism Spectrum Disorders are a serious matter, often involving the need for specialized medical …show more content…

The disorders are scientifically known as Autism Spectrum Disorders. ASDs can range from the slightest case where a child only shows one or two symptoms in the three core areas, to a very severe case of a child showing six or more symptoms in the three core areas. The three core areas are “social reciprocity, impaired communication, and repetitive restrictive patterns of behavior or interests” (Blenner et al. 343). There are currently three ASDs that can be diagnosed. Asperger’s disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder: not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Autistic Disorder listed in increasing severity of the disorders. Many children can go on about their daily lives not even realizing that they have an ASD. In fact, in the 1940’s, when Autism was first discovered and diagnosed, Autism was “thought to be relatively rare because only the most severely affected people were identified” (Blenner et al. …show more content…

In her study, Lily Hong explains that “infant formula is not an equivalent substitution for breast milk” (Hong et al. 279). Formula is not the same as breast milk because formula is “static” as described by Hong, whereas breast milk is constantly changing throughout the day as well as changing as the child’s needs change (Hong et al. 279). Hong also explains that formulas made for preemies contain more vitamins than recommended for infants born at term. She calls these formulas “super-fortified” and that these formulas can have significant negative effects on an infant’s neural system and on the absorption of other essential nutrients. On the other hand, Hong disagrees with Padhye’s hypothesis because she believes that breast feeding may be the cause of the recent rise of ASDs. Hong explains that environmental pollutants have been found in the breast milk of women who live in developed countries, such as the United States. The persistent organic pollutants or POPs, are stored in adipose tissue because the body doesn’t have a use for them. The POPs can then travel through the lymph of a breast feeding woman and can be passed into the mammary glands and then to the breast feeding child. These POPs can cause severe developmental delays such as those seen in children diagnosed with ASDs.

Get Access