Introduction.The Etiology Of Autism Is As Yet Unknown And

Autism spectrum disorders are a class of developmental disorders that impair social skills, behavior, and communication (Center for Disease Control). ASDs are considered ‘spectrum’ disorders because each patient has a unique experience in the nature and severity of their symptoms (Center for Disease Control). Under the umbrella of ASDs, there are three types of disorders, including Autistic disorder, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (Center for Disease Control). Autistic disorder is the most severe of the three, and patients exhibit significant problems with language, communication, and behavior (Center for Disease Control). Furthermore, people with Autistic disorder often have some intellectual impairment (Center for Disease Control). Asperger Syndrome is a milder form of autistic disorder where patients have some developmental delays, but their language and intellect are not affected (Center for Disease Control). The mildest of the ASDs is the pervasive developmental disorder. These patients usually don’t meet all of the criteria for autistic disorder, but do show some signs of social and communication problems (Center for Disease Control). The number of children diagnosed with ASD is growing, and currently 1 in 88 children fall somewhere on the spectrum (Mari-Bauset et al., 2013). Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism, and while the exact cause of these disorders is unknown, both genetic and

Founding editor of Spectrum, Apoorva Mandavilli recounts information she has found throughout many studies particularly pertaining to autism in females. She is an accomplished writer with her work appearing in many famous magazines and news articles such as, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Slate, Nature, and many others. Throughout her story “The Lost girls” Mandavilli explains the differences in how women and men react to the same thing as well as the treatments they undergo. She writes a very informative but powerful story by using perspectives of a few separate instances of autism. She then goes on to explain the differences in boys and girls social interactions.

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neuro-developmental condition which effects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. People with autism may have a difficult time understanding ‘typical’ social cues and social behaviors, and they may face challenges engaging with those around them either by using words or non-verbal behaviors and refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech. As well as by unique strengths and differences. We now know that there is not one autism but many types, caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences (what is autism,

Females with ASD are significantly more vulnerable than their male counterparts to “delayed or missed diagnosis”, leaving them untreated and at significant risk for adverse psychosocial and medical outcomes (Lai, 2015). Second, understanding the etiology of the gender discrepancies in presentation of ASD will deepen our understanding of the disease from a nosological perspective and possibly lead to new and novel hypotheses about the conceptualization and treatment avenues of ASD. Specific Aims: To examine existing literature for genotypic and phenotypic differences between males and females diagnosed with ASD. While prior meta-analyses have examined the differences between males and females with ASD in the “core triad of impairments”, none have examined genetic variations as well as symptomatology (Van Wjingaarden-Cremers et al. 2014). As our nosological framework is limited in our understanding of gender’s effect on autism, examining both phenotypic and genotypic data such as neuroimaging (brain MRIs), and genetic analyses, could further our understanding. On examination of brain MRI, genetic mutation burden, and symptomatic impairments validated using various outcome measures such as the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence - Second Edition, Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition and the Child Behavior Checklist, females with

Autism is a scientific labyrinth, providing an infinite amount of questions but very few answers. Over the past few decades there has been a significant rise in the number of people who have been diagnosed with Autism. Due to the increase in Autism diagnoses, there is also an increased need for better research and understanding about this complex neurological and developmental disorder. Autism has been documented and diagnosed in all social, economic, religious, and ethnic groups. Autism is referred to as a spectrum because of its wide range of severity levels and disorders. Autism is characterized by its impact on communication, cognitive ability, socialization, behaviors, and emotional understanding. Autism was initially speculated to be an early form of schizophrenia, which sparked the belief that it was caused by negative experiences or bad parenting. With

Autism is a behavioral syndrome usually presenting behavior abnormalities before the child is 30 months of age. These behavioral abnormalities include marked social deficits, specific language abnormalities and stereotyped, repetitive behaviors (Piven, 1990). Although the exact etiology of autism is not known it is now believed that it is a dysfunction of one or more unidentified brain systems and not the result of parental and environmental influences. Variations in symptomology and in prognosis among autistic persons depend on both the severity and the extent of the underlying brain dysfunction (Repin, 1991). Several studies have been conducted including neuroanatomic imaging, microscopic neuroanatomic observations and positron

Autism is a syndrome that is characterized by the impairment of social interaction skills, verbal and nonverbal communication, and a decreased interest in participating in a variety of activities. In 1943, Kanner, the man who is attributed with the identification of this disease, hypothesized that autism might be a biological disorder as opposed to a psychological one. Numerous studies have been conducted supporting Kanner’s hypothesis. These studies have ranged from examining the effects of rubella to investigating certain purine metabolic disorders as possible etiological agents. Recently, the areas of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and genetics have played a crucial role in developing a clearer picture into

The American Psychiatric Association (2014) defines Autism Spectrum Disorder as “a range of complex developmental disorders that can cause problems with thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others”. The terms, “autism” and “Autism Spectrum Disorder” are known as “umbrella terms” because they encompass a group of disorders that affect the function of the brain. These disorders include: autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Prior to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), all of these disorders were viewed as separate entities and one could be diagnosed with one of these conditions. Since the publishing of the DSM-5, anyone

The overall statistics, according to the data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that 1 in 68 children in the U.S has autism, 1 in 42 boys have autism while 1 in 189 girls has autism. Autism is so rare in females that, according to an article from the New York Times, they are considered to be “research orphans” because it so difficult to find enough females with the disorder to do a proper research on (Bazelon). Despite the lack of autistic female subject, there has been a lot of differences in the typical behavior of males and females with autism. According to Bazelon, young females tends to do better in behavior than males because they are less likely to set off tantrums and are easier to handle. However, as teenagers, girls tends to suffer from severe depression and anxiety because they are unable to maintain friendship with other females while some autistic males do maintain some friendships with other peers despite their awkwardness. Basically, most teenage females engage in a lot of social networks thus making bonds with typical females a challenge as autistic females do not share the same interests. Males do not face the same difficulties because their expectations are not as high as females. The huge difference of autism in gender is so significant that it even the typical gender roles are somewhat

To understand this, we must first understand what the recognized perception of autism is. For most of the public and many within the research community, autism is seen as a very masculine disease. Not only do males make up most of the population diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, but autism is also seen as an exaggeration of the stereotypical male brain. As a matter of fact, Simon Baron-Cohen, the scientist who discovered the “extreme male brain” (EMB) theory of autism, found that females on the autism spectrum displayed more masculinized personality traits. Baron-Cohen acknowledged that there was a slight difference in the severity of

Autism is a neurological, pervasive developmental disorder which occurs in all ethnic, racial and socioeconomic groups. Although it can occur in anyone could there be factors that affect its diagnosis?

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.

Because it is now agreed on by researchers that children with Autism and PDD are born with the disorder or born with the potential to develop it, psychological factors have been completely ruled out, to the benefit of families that are dealing with an autistic child.Decades of research have shown that males are at far greater risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder than females.

Once a child is born, the parents may ask questions such as what kind of child he or she will grow up to be. However, when the child is born with a disability, the line of questioning may change to how could this happen to my child or what do we do now? Receiving the news that one’s child has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may shatter a parent as their child and family’s life begins to change. These parents are now faced with many obstacles in trying to do what they feel will be best for their child. Now imagine having a child and you believe that he/she is not typically developing, but you never know what exactly is going on with them. This lack of diagnosis tends to occur within ASD when it comes to diagnosing

One the biggest psychological disorders in our society is childhood autism. Childhood autism is defined as “A pervasive developmental disorder defined by the presence of abnormal and/or impaired development that is manifest before the age of 3 years, and by the characteristic type of abnormal functioning in all three areas of social interaction, communication, and restricted, repetitive behaviour.” (MHresource.org). Furthermore, boys are three to four more times likely to develop childhood autism than girls (MHresources.org). Statistics also show that the prevalence of childhood autism in births is one in fifty-nine and has grown 119.4 percent from 2000 to 2010 (CDC). Now, researchers are looking into what causes childhood autism. They are