Essay On Infantile Spasm

Associated with autism, there are a number of conditions comorbid to ASC. There is a high prevalence of epilepsy in individuals with autism, with a 1 in 4 prevalence, with seizures often starting in early childhood or adolescence. Tourette’s syndrome also has a higher prevalence within ASC then the neuro-typical population, with a prevalence of 6.5% compared to 2-3%. This may be due to abnormalities in dopamine, glutamate and serotonin abnormalities in autism. There is also a high proportion of individuals with learning difficulties, whether mild, moderate or severe, with a reporting from as low as 20% up to 70% prevalence.

Autism is most commonly described as a developmental disability that is diagnosed over a broad spectrum of impairment and identifiers; and within the first three to five years of life. The number of cases of ASD have steadily grown over the past several decades and can be seen in 1 in every 88 births (Ogletree, Morrow-Odom, &

The first three years of a child’s life is the most important and central time for the brain’s development. Autism is a disorder that can be diagnosed during the infant or toddler stage. Children can be diagnosed with autism by having different impairments such as social interaction, pattern of behavior, eye contact and speech impairment. Having the child being diagnosed with ASD can change a parent’s life view. Parents can learn different things in order to help their child. Parents will be provided by health providers different treatment, different placement in education and knowing about the different risk factor to make a difference for their autistic child now and in the future.

Today, we are seeing a rising increase in the occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. What once used to be a rare disorder is now commonly recognized in the medical field as well as in the community. Not only is autism a health issue in itself, but many health issues come along with the disorder. This paper will discuss the description of the population, the top health issues and their relevance, and interventions and outcomes that can help reduce these health issues in this specific population.

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.

With ever-increasing cases of pediatric epilepsy, studies detailing the etiology of epilepsy and its association with developmental delay are progressively

Epilepsy, also called a seizure disorder, is a disease that affects many people around the world. Epilepsy causes people to have epileptic seizures. This illness causes about 50,000 deaths each year and believe it or not, the harm that a person could inflict on themselves is more dangerous that the seizure itself.

Some common effects of autism include mishaps of cognitive disorders as well as seizures and other slow development of the brain. The symptoms of seizure are disorders are quite varied. They can range from brief episodes where the child seems to “tune out” to much more obvious convulsions where the child falls to the ground, loses consciousness, and has alternating periods of muscle contraction and relaxation (Volkmar and Wiesner 28). A number of other neurological problems are observed in autism. Some children with autism have delays in the development of hand dominance later than typically developing children (Volkmar and Wiesner 28). Not every child has every problem.

The development of an explanation for the differing levels and severity of symptoms is also the culmination of much research conducted on how diagnostic criteria can be reconciled with those differing levels of severity. The idea of a “spectrum” came about because of those differing levels of symptoms present in individuals with autism. Study and research has also helped to identify genetic and environmental risk factors for developing ASD. A combination of genetic and environmental risk factors has also been shown to predict ASD. Various forms of treatment and intervention for ASD have been developed through much research, study and practice. Treatment for ASD is most effective when combined with a behavioral, communicative, and biomedical therapies. The impacts of ASD on the individual and the individual’s family have also been shown to correlate directly with the severity of ASD in the individual. The impacts on the individual mainly consist of impairments in functionality in many aspects of life. The impacts on the family of the individual with ASD consist of the struggle of adaptation to the person’s behavior and its associated stress on family

Repetitive behaviors like head banging and repetitive routines are consistent for individuals with autism. If the routine is disturbed, he or she screams and throws a temper tantrum (Wing, 24). Like their need for consistency in routines, autistics also need and demand absolute consistency in their environment. Changes in their environment cause them to act negatively (“Autism”). And individual with autism has a different sensory system than normal people, the stimulations are affected differently. For example, they have oversensitivity to light and this oversensitivity may cause seizures (“Autism”). At least one quarter of children with autism have an epilectic seizure before they become an adult. Other behaviors that may occur are high levels or anxiety, odd fears (ex. of color or shape), and emotions that change from one extreme to the other (Wing 31+; Siegel 49).

Over the years autism has changed tremendously. According to an article titled “History of Autism” the term autism was first coined by Eugen Bleuler from the Greek word “autos” meaning self and was originally referred to as “an escape from reality.” In its early history autism was first said to be caused by parents who were rigid, cold, detached and perfectionist by Dr. Leo Kanner. However, in the 1960’s scientific methods were introduced into how autism was studied. Furthermore in 1964 Dr. Bernard Rimland decided to challenge previous theories and the first epidemiological study was conducted. Dr. Rimland screened 78,000 children between the ages of 8 and 10 for indications of autism; the results found that 4.5 in 10,000 children had this syndrome with higher incidences in males. In 1968 and 1971 comparative studies were conducted that validated the syndrome and its features by Dr. Michael Rutter to include that behavioral approaches were the best teaching methods for these children.

Experts believe that autism presents itself during the first three years of a person’s life. A few disorders that sometimes accompany autism include seizures, fragile X or even tuberous schlerosis. The most common disorder associated with autism would be the seizures with about one third of people with

It is estimated that around thirty percent of individuals with autism suffer from epilepsy or recurring seizures, which can cause brain damage. Some signs of epilepsy are unexplained staring spells, unusual or involuntary movement of the face or limbs, confusion or severe headaches that occur with no explanation, sleep disturbance, behavioral regression, and sudden unexplained changes in mood or the ability to control emotions. If an individual with autism is also suspected to have epilepsy or a seizure disorder they may seek an evaluation from a neurologist in order to have an electroencephalogram or EEG done to evaluate the individual’s brain activity (“Autism’s Associated Medical and Mental-Health

“The five primary disorders diagnosed under the autism spectrum are autism, Asperger’s syndrome, Rett’s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and the catch-all diagnosis of pervasive personality disorder not otherwise specified.” (Chittom) Autism and PDD, pervasive developmental disorders, can be involved with hyper kinetic and attentional disorders, OCD, specific and general learning problems, and developmental disorders or motor function. PDD’s are disorders in which autism is the prototypic disorder. Asperger’s and epilepsy are two other big disorders involved with autism. About one in three children affected with autism develop epilepsy. (Autism Spectrum) Epilepsy is more commonly found in a person with autism than a person without. Epilepsy is when a person has a seizure out of randomness. A child with autism may also have a little bit of Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s disorder are similar to those of the autism

The term autism has become a hot topic in recent years. The increasing number of children being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) coupled with the uncertainty of the cause and treatment methods has only added fuel to the fire. The Center for Disease Control currently reports the rate of diagnosis at 1 in 68 children (Baio, 2014). This number is a startling when you consider the studies conducted in Europe in the 1960’s and 1970’s reported the prevalence of autism to be 1 in 2,500 children (Baio, 2014).