How Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Pecs ) Essay

Autism is a brain disorder that can affect a child’s development in the sense that they would have trouble with verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behavior, or social interaction in general. Autism can be detected in children ages two to three years old and 1 in every 88 children in America are diagnosed with autism yearly.

Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a complex developmental disability. I happen to have two nephews with autism, one who I am very close to and interact with a lot. A child is usually diagnosed with autism during the first three years of life. It is a result of a neurological disorder that has an effect on normal brain function, and affects the development of the person’s communication and social interaction

Autism is a form of neurodevelopment disorder in the autism spectrum disorders. It is characterized by impaired development in social interactions and communication, both verbal and non-verbal. There is an observed lack of spontaneous acts of communication; both receptive and expressed, as well as speech impairments. A person diagnosed with Autism will also show a limited range of activities and interests, as well as forming and maintain peer relationships. The individuals will display limited interests, which are often very focused and repetitive. He or she is likely to be very routine oriented and may show behavioral symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggressiveness, and self-injurious behaviors.

     Autism is a developmental disability that affects all areas of behavior and perception. Approximately 10 out of every 10,000 children are diagnosed with autism and four out of five are males. Autism is the third most common developmental disability, more common than Down Syndrome. Children with Autism are characterized by impairment in several areas of development such as: Cognitive, Language, Play/Socialization skills and exhibit many challenging behaviors. Behavior Patterns of Autism:

H., Carpenter, M., Le, L., LeBlanc, L. A., & Kellet, K. (2002). Using the picture exchange communication system (PECS) with children with autism: Assessment of PECS acquisition, speech, social‐communicative behavior, and problem behavior. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 35(3), 213-231.

Autism Spectrum Disorder affects various aspects of an autistic child’s life. Many children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder every year, while others go undiagnosed for an extended time, or even for their whole life. A child exhibiting delays in language benchmarks or showing little interest in the surroundings should be examined for possible ASD. Language is often impaired and although the level of impairment can range from severe too unnoticeable in each child, a child is likely to have a delay in another area, like coordination of motor skills, if not in language. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that causes impairments in various aspects of language development.

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.

Scientifically, autism and autism spectrum disorder, also known as ASD, are commonly used names for difficult disorders that have to do with brain development. Disorders like these are grouped by someone’s difficulty in social interaction, repetitive behaviors, and nonverbal communication. To the people who are diagnosed with this disorder and the families it affects; it is so much more than just science.

Autism: It is a complex neuro – behavioral condition which is characterized by difficulty in communicating, forming relationships, usage of language, basic social skills, understanding concepts, repetitive behavior etc. Also, called ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) the severity or the degree of the same may vary from an individual to an individual. Autism may be summed up as a developmental disability manifesting itself during the first 3 years of a person’s life. It may be relevant to mention that NO two individuals with Autism will have exactly the same symptoms – would range from mild to severe.

In “Brief Report: Increasing Communication Skills for an Elementary-Aged Student with Autism Using the Picture Exchange Communication System” (Kamps, Kemmerer, Kravits & Potucek, 2002) the researchers used a unique characteristic which is implementing PECS in different settings by mother, school teachers and peers. The study demonstrated that “ Molly’s use of the system helped her become a much more spontaneous person using the icons in home and school activities” (Kamps, Kemmerer, Kravits & Potucek, 2002,

Neurological disorders are complex in nature and often the least understood. Given the recent boom in imaging technology and other diagnostic methods, it is now possible to see more clearly into the scope of neurological development and accurately determine the etiology of these diseases. One of such disorders is Autism; a multifactorial condition impairing normal brain development. It affects many aspects of development, including social behavior, cognitive ability and communication skills1 and is commonly diagnosed in children before the age of three1. The symptoms of this condition can vary greatly between individuals; hence its classification as a spectrum disorder. Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome and pervasive

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a topic that is not addressed the way it should be. Many people have heard the work autism, but could not define it if asked. Two essays I recently came across, “Joey: A ‘Mechanical Boy’” written by Bruno Bettelheim and “Thinking in Pictures”, written by Temple Grandin, share the common topic at hand, autism. Both essays talk about the struggles autism brings to not only the one diagnosed with the disability, but those around him or her. Also, the essays also explore on how those with autism are treated and looked at differently.

According to the CDC, autism is “a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges (Facts About Autism, 2016)”. Autism was first discussed in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner, after he observed 11 children who had fixations on the inanimate environment rather than people (Quick Facts About Autism). It affects about one percent of the population, and is

According to the "Dictionary of Special Education Terminology, Concepts, and Procedures" by Zachary Fenell, et al, autism is defined as “a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum disorder” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees” (Fenell et al).

People with Autism are presented with difficulties with social interactions, in particular, establishing and maintaining relationships. There is a lack of responsiveness to non-verbal forms of communications, like facial expressions, physical gestures and eye contact. Often, they are unable to fully express needs due to being unable to interpret and understand others needs. These lack of social interactions effect their ability to share others interests and activities, which gives the appearance that they are socially distant. The cause of their inability to understand non-verbal forms of communication which causes them to become withdrawn socially; is due to a delay in speech.