Exploring Ways of Conceptualizing ASD in Africa

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has a number of features. First of all, every disorder is identified using a name and a numerical code. In addition, the manual provides the criteria for diagnosing each disorder as well as establishes subtypes of a disorder and examples that would illustrate the disorder. The manual goes further by addressing the typical age of onset, culturally related information, gender-related information, prevalence of a disorder, typical clinical course of a disorder, typical predisposing factors of a disorder and genetic family patterns of a disease (Summers, 2009). The DSM-IV is a tool that is used by mental health practitioners and social service workers. As has been demonstrated

The DSM is used as a standard of reference for psychological diagnosis. The DSM was originally published in 1952 containing only 106 diagnoses; today the revised DSM-IV-TR contains 365 diagnoses. Throughout the history of the DSM, individuals in the mental health profession have relied on it for clarification of disorders, facilitating research, improving communication with other professionals and improving the collection of clinical information. With a new DSM-V underway, there has been a lot of issues surrounding the contents and classifications of the new DSM. There are

Research has found that on average 33% of youths in the juvenile justice system are identified as disabled and eligible for special services. However, there has been little research studying the characteristics or prevalence rates of youth with ASD in the criminal justice system. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly have impairments in communication, social skills, deficits in abstract thoughts and specific interests that could prevent individuals with ASD from understanding legal and illegal behaviors. It is also suspected that the high rates of psychiatric comorbidity associated with ASD, for example ADHD, may increase the risk of delinquency in youth with ASD.

Every culture will contain its own unique perspective and understanding of mental illness. Each culture devises different terms for disorders and diseases. For example, an individual from another culture runs amok. In this culture amok means an individual is experiencing an episode of violence, aggression, and homicidal ideation. In my culture one may consider this individual in terms of manic or psychopathic (Sue & Sue, 2013). Culture effects everything about ourselves and it is essential counselors are aware how their cultural worldview effects the counseling process.

For many adults diagnosed with ASD, taking the risk of leaving the security of a parent’s or relative’s home is driven by the desire for independence and involvement in community life. In 2011, the Autistic Self Advancement Network (ASAN), Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), and the National Youth Leadership conducted 72 one-on-one interviews to ask persons diagnosed with ASD what they sought in a community. Most interviewees expressed they desired a community that:

DSM-IV TR, which stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition), Text Revision was published by the American Psychiatric Association in 2000 and serves as a guide book for many health professionals to diagnose a patient with a mental disorder. It also helps health professionals to determine what types of treatment could be carried out to help the patient. The latest DSM is widely used, especially in the USA and many European countries.1However, it may not be completely followed by health professionals as they know that there are some weaknesses of the latest version of DSM as well. This essay will discuss the strengths and

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 spectrum disorder (ASD) is a hereditary neurodevelopmental disorder. Like many other psychological disorders, it is commonly misunderstood in popular culture. Many allude to it casually, often equating it with crippling social awkwardness and disability when it is in fact a spectrum disorder with many degrees of severity. It is somewhat of an enigma within the scientific community as well; there are many things we do not know about ASD and there is ongoing research to learn more about the disorder. The purpose of this paper is to explain what is currently known about ASD: general facts, symptoms, prognosis, treatment, and demographics.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a life long brain disorder that often makes it hard to communicate with and relate with others. This disorder is characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication. Researches have found that all autism disorders were merged into one diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder and Asperger syndrome were recently recognized as distinct subtypes of ASD. Autism Spectrum Disorder can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention, and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbance. Putting aside the negative effects of autism,

health and well-being, and quality of life for individuals with ASDs. This section of the

I agree with you, tantrums are one the most unpleasant behaviors in ASD and non-ASD children, I would say they are parent’s worst nightmare and a problem that all parents fear to deal with. Unfortunately, people believe that children are not disciplined at home when overreact in public. Children do tantrums as a way communication, to express themselves. But with play therapy, music, and breathing techniques can be improved. I used play therapy with my son, when we started the PCIT (parent child intervention therapy), I did the time-out square. When my son would do tantrums in public, I would pull out a blue handkerchief and place it on the floor in a specific corner for him to do time-out. I only did it about three times. When I knew

Deficit in social development is another diagnostic characteristic of ASD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). They exhibit impairments in relationships to peers, the use of nonverbal communicative behaviors within their social exchanges, the use of imitation, and symbolic or dramatic play. As described by DeMyer et al. (1972) and Stone et al. (1997), children with autism use fewer nonverbal gestures and a more limited range of facial expressions in their communications than children with other types of developmental disabilities of the same developmental and chronological age. Children with autism appear to pay less attention to other people’s emotional displays than do comparison groups and to demonstrate fewer acts of empathy or shared

The discourse used in the DSM is one of the problematic aspects about using this manual on a global level. The language and descriptions that are used for the diagnosis of disorders cannot be readily translated into other languages that invoke intended signified meanings. More so specific disorders that are listed in DSM cannot be readily conceptualized in every culture.

According to Ben-Arieh & Miller (2009) children who do not express themselves in any way, who do not understand language, lacks non-verbal communicative interactions or does not respond to his or her name when called are the most common communicative symptoms you can identify the child may have ASD. Other ways you can tell the child has ASD communicative problems are the requirement of repeating something-like a question-over and over again, when the child exercises echolalia-where he or she quickly respond with the question you asked them or when he or she recites a short clip of a movie or a conversation he heard, and when the child reverses pronouns-when he uses “you” when he actually means “me”. Children with ASD usually have a hard

The symptoms of mental disorders are found in all nations and in all cultures; there are recognizable symptoms that are common worldwide. Mental health researchers have not yet been able to determine whether culture bound syndromes are indicative of one or more possibilities that include distinct disorders that exist only in specific cultures, and reflect different ways in which individuals from different cultures express mental illness, as well as reflecting different ways in which the social and cultural environment interact with genes to produce disorders, or any combination of these. (pp. 101)