Autism Spectrum Symptomatology In Children

Autism is a varied and complex disorder which can affect individuals in a number of ways. ASC affects not only the individual with the diagnosis, but their whole family - parents, siblings and others close to them. Below are examples of how ASC can affect different people:

Having a child given a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a very stressful event for parents. It is imperative to understand that there is much that can be done for both parent and the child. From the current literature we know that parents of children diagnosed with autism worry about many things like lifetime dependency to family dissonance. We know that these parents are distressed and angry, the parents of children with more unusual behaviors feel a lot more stressed than the parents of children with fewer unusual behaviors. However, having a strategy to approach it correctly and to get the best possible help for your child is probably the most important step, one can take to relieve stress and to aid the child’s development.

The literature review explores the issues and challenges of parents of children diagnosed with autism, challenges such as accepting the diagnosis, lack of social and family support, guilt, judgment, and coping with the child’s autistic behavior. The studies indicate that there is a connection between the parent’s psychological distress, such as depression and stress, and parenting a child with autism. A big part of the battle parents are facing depends on their self-acceptance, feeling of judgment by society, and the child’s level of behavioral problems. Many of the studies also explore different types of coping mechanisms of parents of children with autism and suggest different solutions and interventions to assist the parents.

The goal of this review was to examine ASD and how it has impacted families. The literature was consistent in its findings, which stated that, Autism is a complex disorder that is diagnosed in childhood and has a wide range of symptoms. Many of the studies showed that children with ASD have the same symptoms such as hyperactivity, anxiety and self-injurious or aggressive behavior. The initial autism diagnosis leaves parents and siblings confused and they may have a hard time accepting that the child/sibling they were anticipating is not the child/sibling they expected. This transformation in their family can impact the relationship in the family, as feelings of fear and worry overwhelm the family system. ASD impacts parents and siblings as it changes the dynamics of the family. It is significant for families to find coping mechanisms that work for them as they

“Autism is a disorder characterized by severe difficulties in social interaction and communication and with unusual behaviors.” (Dr. David Pauls 2003). This disorder is assumed to be caused by genetics, environmental toxins and/or prenatal care. (Harvard Medical School 2013). Social behaviors/interactions affected by Autism is the ability to process learning, communication and family/peer relationships. Autism is a disorder in which its cause makes it impossible to prevent and it takes a toll on its victim’s everyday life tasks.

Autism is a rare disease that can be characterized by a “neurodevelopmental disorder categorized by the inability to relate to and perceive the environment in the realistic manner.” (Anthes, 1997) The signs of autism are mainly found in infants to young children usually between the ages of newborn to two years. The main symptoms that are discussed are “impairment in social interaction fixation of inanimate objects, inability to communicate normally, and resistance to changes in their daily routine.” (Anthes, 1997) Autism is a very understood disease but one thing most people do not know is that autism not only effects a child’s life mentally and physically, it also effects their social ability to have friends, play normally and even grow up

As a teacher who works in a school for children with autism, I have seen first hand how the families are affected by the disability of their child. The parents in my school have shown tremendous strength and support for their children, contributing positively to their quality of life. They come into school and learn how to work with their child, have continuous contact with the teacher, and tremendously help the school with fundraising efforts. I have been lucky enough to see the positive effects that parent support can have on a child with autism, but I am sure that there are many cases that are opposite of this. Having a child with autism does put a great strain on all family members, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The work of Liu, King, and Bearman (2011) report that autism ""¦is a developmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, often accompanied by stereotypical or repetitive behaviors." (p.1387) Reported as well is that substantial resources are spent providing treatment to children in families who have been diagnosed with autism and specifically stated is that the resources needed are "significantly more than for other children neuropsychiatric and developmental disorders." (Liu, King and Bearman, 2010, p. 1387)

When it comes to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), many people don't understand what the disability is or how children who suffer from ASD live their everyday lives. “Autism is a serious nuerodevelopmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact.” (Psychology Today, 2015). Usually, autism is diagnosed in children from as early as the age of 2 and symptoms can impact individuals throughout their lifespan. Common symptoms of autism include impaired social interactions, impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, problems processing information from the senses, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. Anxiety is also common among children with ASD, and parents of children with ASD are more likely

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

Autism is a disorder that can wreck havoc in the lives of many, and all it takes is one diagnosis. Most families never expect autism to occur in their family. But once it does, the family will never imagine the effect it will have. The family of a child with autism “[is] faced with intolerable mental, economic, and social pressure” (Mosayebi 4). Could a child with autism have a substantial enough effect on the family to cause separation and divorce of their parents?

One the biggest psychological disorders in our society is childhood autism. Childhood autism is defined as “A pervasive developmental disorder defined by the presence of abnormal and/or impaired development that is manifest before the age of 3 years, and by the characteristic type of abnormal functioning in all three areas of social interaction, communication, and restricted, repetitive behaviour.” (MHresource.org). Furthermore, boys are three to four more times likely to develop childhood autism than girls (MHresources.org). Statistics also show that the prevalence of childhood autism in births is one in fifty-nine and has grown 119.4 percent from 2000 to 2010 (CDC). Now, researchers are looking into what causes childhood autism. They are

A pilot study by McLeod (1999) over three years, with a sample of eight adults, using case studies and both qualitative and quantitative methods of research (including questionnaires, interviews and follow-up) described parents of individuals on the Autism spectrum, as ‘the

Financial burdens are an obvious upset to families with autistic children, on top of the already heavy expense of having a child there is now medical costs and often counselling. Sen and Yurtsever (2007) reported that families often feel “shock, denial, suffering, depression, guilt, indecision, anger, shame, bargaining, acceptance and adaptation” upon discovering they have a child who suffers from ASD. This disorder has effects on their daily “lifestyles, social relationships, economic situation, health, and goals or expectations for the future” (Norton & Drew, 1994; Sen & Yurtsever, 2007). “Autism is the most common neurological condition diagnosed in children and it is now

Dumans, Wolf, Fisman & Culligan (1991) studied parenting stress child behaviour problems and dysphoria in parents of autistic children, down syndrome, behaviour disorders and normal development. 150 families who had children with autism (n=30) , behaviour disorders (n=30), Down Syndrome (n=30) or normal development (n=60)participated in the study. They measured stress with the Parenting Stress Index, child behaviour problems with the Eyberg Child Behaviour Inventory , and dysphoria with the Beck Depression Inventory . They had controlled data for socio demographic differences across groups, and it was established that: (1) Parents of autistic children and behavioural disorder children experienced statistically and clinically higher levels of parenting stress than the