Considerations of Individuality in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism

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.

Autism is a behavioral syndrome usually presenting behavior abnormalities before the child is 30 months of age. These behavioral abnormalities include marked social deficits, specific language abnormalities and stereotyped, repetitive behaviors (Piven, 1990). Although the exact etiology of autism is not known it is now believed that it is a dysfunction of one or more unidentified brain systems and not the result of parental and environmental influences. Variations in symptomology and in prognosis among autistic persons depend on both the severity and the extent of the underlying brain dysfunction (Repin, 1991). Several studies have been conducted including neuroanatomic imaging, microscopic neuroanatomic observations and positron

One out of every sixty-eight children are born with Autism Disorder each year, which majorly affects brain development. This paper will help those who read have a better understanding of this disorder and everything that goes along with it. Autism is a general term for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized by, in varying degrees, by difficulties of social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors (Autism Speaks, 2016, p. 1). The commonality of Autism has increased in the last forty years due to increased awareness, improved diagnosis, and just a better general understanding of the disorder.

Autism is a developmental disorder in which an individual has problems with communication and interaction. Autism Spectrum Disorder was adopted as a categorization in 2013 and begins in childhood and follows throughout the course of a child’s life and is actually a collection of developmental brain disorders. There is a copious difference between autism and Asperger syndrome, the main difference appearing to be language development. “The first documented case of autism was published in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner” (Introduction to Autism). This disorder is extremely difficult to diagnose because of the copious different presentations of the symptoms, which leads to misdiagnoses such as ADHD and Rett syndrome.

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 is the most rapidly growing developmental disorder in the U.S. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both similar terms for a group of complicated disorders of brain development. Autism Spectrum Disorders are characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and communication skills with the presence of extremely odd behaviors. Autism is a spectrum condition meaning that while all individuals with autism share somewhat common challenges in their conditions they will all be affected differently. Social communication, interaction and imagination are three main areas of which all of those with autism share. Numerous individuals with ASDs have distinct ways of learning and behaving towards certain situations. Autism affects tens of millions globally and 3 million individuals in the United States alone.

Practitioners call autism a spectrum. On one end of it there is those who cannot function in society due to the impairments of the disorder. Then there are those who are at the other end who seem quirky and can have independent and successful lives. The level of

Autism has been on the rise in the past 20 years, and is getting dangerously close to reaching epidemic proportions (Zelan, 1). Statistically, Autism rates have been rising in the United States with Autism now effecting 1 in every 150 children ages 10 and younger (Zelan, 1). Autism can occur in any race and does not gender discriminate, though boys are four times more likely to have Autism than girls (Castrogiovanni). The causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Autism are the main aspects that most interest researchers today. If studies continue to have good results, the quality of life for Autistics could improve exponentially. Autism is a developmental disorder that has baffled researchers for

“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development.” Those with autism may have a number of difficulties such as in social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. It is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder with impairments that have lifelong consequences. This paper will discuss how it is found in people, what the effects are, the levels of autism, and how you can help those with autism.

Autism Spectrum Disorder, more commonly known as Autism, is a prevalent developmental disorder that has grown to a major extent recently in the United States, UK, Japan and Europe as well (Landrigan 219). According to an article written in 2014 by Chris Bateman, 1 in every 50 children aged 6-17 in the United States are diagnosed with autism, compared to decades ago where it wasn’t nearly anywhere close to that (Bateman 1). As autism continues to grow, it is important that we learn about the different aspects, the classification, different therapies and the disorder itself so we understand how to interact better with people who have the disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), also referred to as “autism”, is characterized by defects in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, and atypical behaviors. The word autism is from the Greek word autos which means “self”. As the name “Spectrum” suggests, the degree of severity spans a wide range and varies by each individual. Research on this disorder dates back to 1911 when Eugen Bleuler first coined the term autism while referencing patients with schizophrenia who were “socially withdrawn” (Parks 88). Every decade the amount of individuals diagnosed with ASD rises. The Centers of Disease Control estimated about 1 in 150 children have autism. But, in the past autism was seen in 4 to 5 children per 10,000

Despite its 50 year-old diagnosis, autism is still one of the mostly commonly contracted and rarely treated childhood diseases. Studies suggest that as many as 1 in 500 children may display autistic symptoms. Manifestations of this disability include the stereotypical physical contortions and hand-flapping motions commonly associated with autism, as well as inability to relate to the outside world, limited social skills, lack of concentration, and hypersensitivity to certain stimuli-particularly noise (1). Perceived causes include poor fetal development, genetics, allergies, and a lack of crucial enzymes. Because for many years the disorder was thought to be a result of poor

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 Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder that displays characteristics of significant impairments in social interactions and communication, obsessive interests, and repetitive behaviors.1 The DSM-5 characterizes Autism Spectrum Disorder as having a range of symptoms with varying severity, hence the term “spectrum”.2 Figure 1 shows a representation of the symptoms and sub-types of disorders that are characterized as ASD. The disorder is generally not diagnosable until around 18 months-2 years of age, when children would usually start to display signs of social communication. ASD has a high prevalence of 1 in every 68 children, with boys 4.5X more likely to have the disorder. Currently, scientists do not know the exact cause of autism. However, it is agreed upon that the underlying cause is highly likely to be influenced by genetic heritability.3,4,16

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