My Family: My Autistic Brother Essay

Autism is a developmental disorder, which is characterized by a dyad of difficulties in a) communication and social interaction and b) restricted interests and imagination (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might find it challenging to understand what other people think or what the reasons for their behaviours are, as their ‘theory of mind’ may not be well developed (Schuwerk, Vuori & Sodian, 2015). It is possible that this is why they might behave in socially inappropriate ways, being unable to differentiate between different contexts, while they might also find it difficult to make friends. Moreover, it is likely that they are fond of routines, repetition and structure (Carnahan, Musti-Rao, & Bailey, 2009), as they might be nervous with unknown, new situations. In addition, some of them might not do eye contact with other people, whereas some others might not endure to be touched and might have a difficulty developing speech (Jordan, 2005). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might sometimes be prohibited to initiate conversations and might struggle with finding different ways to play and behave, due to the possible deficit of imagination, which in some cases might result in them having a narrow sphere of interests. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this group of people is rather heterogeneous, as characteristics of autism may differ from one individual to another (Gwynette, 2013). Another point is that people with Autism

In Catherine Maurice’s novel “Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family’s Triumph Over Autism” Marc and Catherine Maurice are the parents of three children, two of which, Anne Marie and Michel, have autism, whereas the eldest of the three children, Daniel, does not. Catherine Maurice first had Daniel, and all was well with him, as it was for her second child, Anne Marie, at least for a little while. Between the time Anne Marie turned one and when she turned two, her parents started to notice some behaviors that were not normal, like repeating behaviors, or a lack of communication skills. They receive a diagnosis of autism for Anne Marie and their world is turned upside down. They go to a number of doctors and are presented with the same bleak outlook from each one. Catherine however decided to search for her own answers and discovers behavioral therapy, and hires a therapist named Bridget to work with Anne Marie. As well as Bridget, Catherine found a supporter of holding therapy, Dr. Welch. With intense training, Anne Marie begins to move away from some of her problem behaviors. At first, Catherine believed that Dr. Welch’s holding therapy was the answer, but she eventually realized that Dr. Welch was a self serving therapist that was more concerned with her own status. As things are finally beginning to improve for the family, Catherine starts to worry about her next child, Michel. At first, the concern level was relatively low due to the fact that Michel was more outgoing and

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 spectrum disorder has become the most common neurological and developmental disorder diagnosed in children today. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) estimate that 1 out of every 88 American children have been properly diagnosed. There is no known cure for autism, and the inconsistencies of the symptoms of autism in each case make it difficult to target a particular set of effective treatments. However some behavior management therapies, specifically physical therapy, may help to significantly control the unwanted symptoms in young children with autism spectrum disorder.

The way information is processed can be described as hypersensitive or hyposensitive. The sensory system can be viewed as having seven components:

1.1 - Explain why it is important to recognise that each person on the autistic spectrum has their own individual abilities needs strengths gifts and interests.

     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:

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.

Stacy don’t open the door." Timmy whispered in a frightened voice. "I won't sweetheart I wont." As I pushed my back against the wall broken glass had splattered above my head and all over me. As soon as I felt the strange man grabbing my hair I stood up, away from the dangerous guy. "What do you want? Don’t hurt these innocent children!" As I yelled in a tone that I had never yelled in before, the threatening man opened the door. As soon as I noticed he had opened the door I stood in front of the children's desk with my hands held apart one to the left, as one to the right. "Please stop!" I yelled in a frightened voice. "Move out the way lady!" As the perilous man pushed me to the side he picked up the desk. Sarah still curled up in a ball. I noticed him picking her up. "Mrs. Stacy please don’t let him take me! Stop I don’t like you dad!" I was in shocked to hear Sarah's words coming out of her mouth. "Don’t come near me lady!" As Sarah's dad was about to leave the room I threw a chair at her dad's back. "Put her down I said!" As I shouted to him, he had left me unconscious there sitting on the

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.

Children With Autism Children with autism have the possibility to improve greatly, and some even overcome the effects of autism if appropriate therapies are begun early enough. A multifaceted disorder, autism has long baffled professionals and parents alike. At a point in time, doctors gave parents absolutely no hope for the recovery of their children. But recently, new treatments and therapies have shown that improvement is possible. With early intervention, intensive care, some children have if not fully recovered, improved, and have been integrated into schools, indistinguishable from their peers.

Autistic infants often show little or no interest in other people and lack typical social behaviors. For example, they may not smile at their mother's voice or make eye contact with caregivers. Autistic children fail to develop normal relationships with their parents, brothers or sisters, and other children. Often they seem unaware of the needs and feelings of other people, and may not respond if another person is hurt or in distress. They also fail to make friends.

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

depending on the severity and complexity of the persons needs. For example just on a basic level,

Once upon a time, there was a scrawny twig boy named Bob. His abnormal body was like a rioting pencil chewed up by a nine year old. He had bald spots around his red haired head. He also wore wriggly raspberry pants and an emerald green dress shirt. I must say, he was shy like a stray cat from the street of New York City. Until one day he discovered his new ability. After school, Bob decided to walk home instead of taking the school bus. He then encountered his bully from school named SpongeBob the 3rd. Bob started to panic. Bob remembered all the times SpongeBob the 3rd had stolen his lunch, called him names and beaten him up. The feelings of not being appreciated and respected came to him. He saw the bully’s eyes like two lit torches piercing