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Introduction Autism Essay

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Introduction Autism is on the rise. Many researchers feel the reasons isn’t because there are more kids being afflicted with it, but the increased public awareness has allowed this disorder to be more easily recognized and diagnosed at a earlier age. The word “autism” was first used by a Swiss psychiatrist Eugene Bleuler in an article written in the American Journal of Insanity in 1912. It comes from the Greek word meaning self. Bleuler used it to describe the schizophrenic’s seeming difficulty in connecting with others (“Autism”). It wasn’t until 1943 when the classification of autism was introduced by Dr. Leo Kanner. Dr. Kanner, a psychiatrist from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, reported on eleven child patients …show more content…

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). A common myth about autistic individuals is that they cannot show affection (“Defining Autism”). Autistics show affection, but they are very precise about who they show affection to. They have to be very comfortable with this person and their affection they show is not like normal children’s. The affection is a brief hug or something simple. On reason they do not show affection is they simply do not seek parental attention. As an infant the autistic child may have appeared very calm and not cried very often (“Autism”). Even though these children

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