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Essay Exploring Autism in Children

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Exploring Autism in Children

Susan was a normal, happy, active infant. Her parents were so relieved that all her checkups at the pediatrician's office indicated that her growth and development were above average. At 6 months she could sit up and crawl and at 10 months she was walking. She seemed to babble more than her older brother did at the same age and was talking at 16 months. All the milestones in her early development were ahead of schedule.

One day when she was 18 months old, her mother found her sitting alone in the yard spinning the wheels of her wagon with such persistence that her mom joked with her friends that maybe Susan would be an engineer when she grew up. Susan's mother began to notice many unusual behaviors …show more content…

Susan's parents decided to take her to the doctor. She went through many tests and she was eventually diagnosed with Autism. By the time she was three, there was no language or interaction.

After years of physical therapy, behavioral therapy and speech/ language therapy, Susan is now 15 and enrolled in residential boarding school, where she receives 24-hour supervision and care. This program is more expensive then a regular school based setting, but has benefited Susan. She has aides to help her with her daily living skills. Susan is able to hold a job at a sheltered workshop under the supervision of her aide (Neuwirth & Segal).

Autism affects one out of every 500 births and over one million people have Autism in the United States. Autism is four times more common in boys than girls. If a girl is Autistic, the symptoms are usually much more severe. Girls tend to have more of the symptoms and lower intelligence.

The following paper will describe the Autism Spectrum Disorder, specifically as it relates to young children with Autism. It will also identify different types of Autism and accompanying disorders. It will describe the history, known causes, characteristics and the hope for the future.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines Autism as "A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three that adversely affects

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