Causes And Effects Of Autism

Autism disorder is an issue facing many people today. It’s an issue widely discussed in the news and social media. In Gale’s data from 2015 defines autism as a general term for a group of complex disorders of the brain development that are grouped together under the broader term of autism spectrum disorder also known as ASD. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2014, about 1 in 68 out of 1,000 children were diagnosed with ASD. This was a dramatic increase from 1 in 150 children in 1992. The CDC also

Chapter 1 focuses on autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) and other Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Described in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner, autism (also known as autistic disorder, childhood autism, or infantile disorder) is one of the PDDs along with Rett's disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD) referred to as Heller's syndrome, Asperger disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Rett's is a rare genetic abnormality affecting brain development in girls. There are treatments available, but there is no known cure. Asperger disorder affects an individual's ability to socialize and communicate effectively. Individuals with Asperger disorder may be socially awkward and have a compulsive

Focusing on the role of environmental factors in the development of autism after birth is a popular study amongst the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) community. It is known that genetics strongly influence the risk for developing ASD, but genetics are not responsible alone. The increasing cases of autism have generated great interest in the potential involvement of toxins in our environment and how that impacts children prone to autism spectrum disorder. For example, exposure to the chemicals thalidomide and valproic acid prior to birth has been linked to increased risk of autism.

In the United States, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that between 1 in 80 and 1 in 240, for an average of 1 in 110 children have an autism spectrum disorder, “ASD” (Nirv, Shah 2011). According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, up to six out of every 1,000 children may be diagnosed with some form of autism. In addition, boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism. This means that as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. Unfortunately, the numbers appear to be increasing rapidly. Autism is a disability that frequently appears during the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the

Autism Spectrum Disorder, known as ASD, is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Autistic Disorder, referred to as autism or classical ASD, is the most common and severe form of ASD. Other less severe conditions along the spectrum include Asperger's Syndrome and Pervasive Development Disorder. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize. It is not completely understood as to why this occurs. Autism has a strong genetic basis and in rare cases, it is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. According to the

Autism is a mental condition that presents from early childhood; this condition is a complex neurodevelopment disorder that characterized in different degrees, such as difficulties in social interaction, both nonverbal and verbal communication, repetitive and patterns of behavior. These symptoms are always being a challenge for affected child’s daily functioning. The behaviors in autism children can range in impact from mild to disabling. Autism show up with different characteristic and its severity are not equal in affected children; the symptoms may go unrecognized for some period of time especially in mildly affected children. There isn’t certain about the causes of autism, but it’s possible that genetics and environment play

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired verbal and non-verbal communication, deficits in social skills, and repetitive or restricted behavior. In recent years, the number of diagnosis for autism and pervasive developmental disorders have been rising drastically. Many areas have been explored as a means of describing this phenomenon, but no one reason has proven definitive. Some possible explanations include but are not limited to: changes in mental health care, an overall increase in maternal and paternal age, and an introduction of multiple vaccines. The increase in autism is far from being fully explained and more research is needed to understand this proliferation.

Life as a human is full of mystery and discovery. Throughout history, people have set out to learn more about the world and the people inhabiting it. In the process, they gained knowledge about a disorder that is now referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or simply Autism. ASD is a developmental disorder that results in difficulty in social interactions, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Researchers have come a long way in gathering knowledge about the complex disorder since it was first discovered. Many of its aspects have been discovered and redefined to shape the disorder that is diagnosed and studied today. However, much like many other well-known psychological disorders, autism has yet to be fully understood; instead,

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

In the early 1960s up until today, autism has gradually increased within the number of reports and diagnoses of children. As scientists and doctors continue their research of the increases in autism cases, the more children became diagnosed with this illness. Autism is known as a “medical puzzle” because throughout the decades numerous studies and research were done on children to see if they the diagnosis were accurate. “Traditionally, autism is diagnosed with behavioral tests that assess whether kids are meeting developmental milestones, such as talking, interacting with their parents and siblings, and

According to Shangraw (2012), there is no concrete etiology of autism because it is not diagnosed by its cause but on observed behaviors. The Autism-Society (n.d.) stated that a possibility for the cause of autism is the abnormalities in the brain structure or function. In an MRI research study by Piven et al. (1995), they found that an individual with autism spectrum disorder had a higher total brain volume and tissue compared to a person who is not on the autism spectrum disorder. Genetic problems and environmental factors can be a cause of autism spectrum disorder, according to the Mayo Clinic (2014). In genetic problems such as fragile X syndrome or Rett Syndrome, it can be associated with autism spectrum disorder. There is ongoing research regarding environmental factors and exploring ideas such as viral infections, pregnancy complications, and / or air pollutants to determine if they are active factors of autism spectrum disorder.

Over the years Autism has become a widely known childhood disease that continues into adulthood. Autism first was a disease classified as “developmental retardation” in the 1887, it wasn’t until Dr. Leo Kanner’s study in 1943 that the foundation was built for autism as we know it today. Now autism is diagnosis that has become too familiar throughout the United States, affecting one in every sixty-eight children. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disorders that range between various symptoms, skills, and levels of disability. Some disorders that fall under different types of ASD is: autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. Few people understand what it means to have autism or the

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

According to Sewell (2015), there is no single source of what causes autism. Scientists are looking into the idea that recent changes in genes or mutations could be causing the prevalence of autism; some of these rare mutations are being considered ample enough to be a sole cause of autism. As well, environmental factors swaying brain development in its juvenile stages are being investigated as another catalyst. (Sewell, 2015). However, it is becoming prevalent that autism is caused by a multitude of factors and combinations, which is why it is said that there is “no one type of autism” (Sewell,

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder of the brain that severely impacts socialization, communication, and may even cause obsessive or repetitive behaviors. Autism delays the brain's normal development, and is also correlated with a milder form of the syndrome known as a pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-N OS). Since it was first identified in 1943, there has been increasing rate in new diagnoses each year. Muhle, Trenracoste, and Rapin (2004) found that the rate of diagnosis for Autism has risen 556% between the years of 1991 and 1997. Many feel that this increase is due to a shifting of diagnostic criteria, or newer defining characteristics of the syndrome. The expansion of the diagnostic criteria