Informative Speech : Autism Spectrum Disorder Essay

“Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me…Be my advocate, be my friend, and we’ll see just how far we can go” –Ellen Botbohm, author of Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew.

Formal outline Speech title: Autism Specific purpose: To raise awareness about autism Thesis Statement: My expectation is to persuade you to educate yourself, to spread the word and help people accept and understand autism. Introduction Have you read or heard the expression light it up blue or seen colorful puzzles pieces that represented something and wonder what they meant? All this represent Autism also called (ASD) autism spectrum disorder. People in the spectrum are all different as they all go thru different challenges.

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.

Many of us have heard about Autism, also knows as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Some have a family member, a friend, or know someone who has ASD. Increasingly it is becoming a more common disability. “Autism is one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the U.S” (Autism Speaks). Autism has no respect for gender, race, social class and or ethnicity. “Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that involves abnormal development and function of the brain.” (Autism Center of Excellence) People who have autism have a lot of difficulties with social skills, communication and also will develop behavior issues. These behavior problems of an individual with autism can vary at times and can go from mild to severe. According to the Autism Science Foundation it says,” Many people with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention, and reacting to different sensations. The thinking and learning abilities of people with ASD can vary—from gifted to severely challenged.” The causes and symptoms, as well as the diagnosis, and the treatments of autism vary.

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 is defined as, “A complex neurobehavioral disorder that includes impairments in social interaction and developmental language and communication skills and rigid, repetitive behaviors. The disorder covers a large spectrum of symptoms, skills, and levels of impairment. It ranges in severity from a handicap that limits an otherwise normal life to a devastating disability that may require institutional care.” (Melillo, 1)

Before delving into the problems that arise, one should understand how to classify autism. According to O’Callaghan, “autism is not a single disease but a name...given to a behavioral phenotype that may have many aetiologies” (O’Callaghan). While the terminology O’Callaghan used may appear daunting because it leans towards scientific discussion, his definition explains that one should not assume autism is just a disease in itself, but is more than that. It serves another role of representing how an autistic individual acts and that the way they behave is a physical characteristic one can identify when regarding them. He additionally mentioned that autism may not have one cause, but may be composed of several causes attributed towards it.

Autism is described as a developmental disorder caused by . abnormality in the brain that mostly affect early childhood, ages 3 to 6.This disorder affect social interactions, language

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be a disorder in the brain, caused by genetic, environmental or neural levels. Autism effects data processing in the brain by alerting how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs not understand. (Johnson.2004)

Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined as a group of complex disorders of the brain. The autism spectrum contains many other disorders within itself, and each of them have different symptoms. These disorders include autistic disorder, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, and Asperger syndrome (Frequently Asked Questions, 2015). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that around 1 in 68 American children are on the spectrum, with the statistics in other countries being even higher. This number has increased in the last 40 years and could partly be because of the improved diagnosis and awareness, all because

“This mysterious disability, first described and named approximately 60 years ago, is characterized by a peculiar emotional and cognitive isolation and detachment” (The Harvard, 2001). Autism is such a broad spectrum disorder and just as we all have our unique finger prints, children diagnosed under the Autism umbrella have their own set of unique individualities. There are characteristics that are all encompassing but more times than not manifest differently among each individual. Many of the common characteristics are as follows: limited verbal and non-verbal communication; difficulty developing “normal” social skills and relationships; demonstration of unique behaviors and interests and many have difficulties processing sensory input.

Autism Awareness is growing, and the debate on the best way to help the children is still underway. However, this new study is a step in the right direction to understanding the disease and possibly having the ability to diagnose it better, and treat it

Autism can be a mysterious topic, with a black box of information scientists have been trying to open for years. But today, people know a lot more about the inner workings of ASD. Some interesting facts and statistics are that the most obvious signs of autism occur at a very young age, usually 2-3 years old, and 1 in every 68 children have been diagnosed with it (What is autism?). The cause of this disorder is found in the brain, where their mind map is scrambled. This means that there are abnormalities in the cerebellum, brain stem, limbic system, and frontal cortex (Albano). In addition, the word autism comes from the greek word ‘autos’, which means ‘self.’ This is due to the fact that autistic people seem “self absorbed” (Autism Spectrum

Autism are a general term that is used for a combination of complicated disorders of brain development. These disorders cause, in varying level, difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication and interaction with the society (1). Autism leads to intellectual disability, troubles in attention, movement and general physical health problems. However, some autistic patients may surpass the healthy individuals in visual skills, art, and math (2). Autistic patients see, hear and feel the world differently from other people. They believe that the world is overwhelming and this could make them

Autism is a disorder characterized by significant problems in communication and social functioning. Autism is actually called Autism Spectrum Disorder and encompasses a broad range disabilities such as Asperger syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, and Pervavasive Development Disorder (Dunlap & Fox, n.d.). There are also varying degrees of the disorder from low-functioning (no communication and no social interaction) to