Signs Of Autism In Children

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.

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 is a mental condition, which becomes apparent in the early stages of childhood. Autism is often characterized by the difficulty in connecting and establishing relationships with other people and in the use of language and intangible ideas. Autism is fast becoming a very familiar disorder. Many people across the nation have been trying endlessly to find a treatment for it. There have been limitless establishments which have been continuously trying diverse ideas and ways to bring funding for further research for Autism as well as bringing more awareness towards it. To become more familiar with Autism one should first understand what symptoms can be linked with autism. Some of those symptoms more common to Autism is difficulty with social interactions and relationships, verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and limited interests in activities or play. Although most of these symptoms can seem similar, Autism is continuously changing through the different stages of life; the childhood years, teen years, and adulthood.

In this paper, I will be discussing the disorder of Autism, a sever disorder that affects the function of the brain. It causes problems in such areas as social contact, intelligence, language and speech impediments, along with ritualistic or compulsive behaviors, as well as different responses to the environment that an autistic individual may have different than individuals not having autism would exhibit. I will be discussing generally about the history and description of autism. Also I will be discussing the charactistics that mark an autistic individual, the actual treatment that an autistic person may receive, risk factors that an autistic person may encounter, and interventions/treatments activities that an individual who has autism may take part in. I feel that by doing all of this that I will gain a greater sense of understanding for individuals with autism. I will be giving this information to you by going through each topic that I have outlined in the introduction and explaining what each means and how they affect an individual with autism.

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.

Autism affects 1 in every 110 children today (NICHCY, 2010). This statistic reveals a considerably large ratio of children and adults who have Autism. In society, everyone is diverse and unique in his or her own way. These differences are apparent in appearance, interest, and abilities. Differences are what shapes individuals into who they are, and who they want to become. Individuals learn differently, and the same is true for children with Autism. Autism is a neurological disorder that affects children up to three years and older. (Autism Speaks, N.D.)

The concept of autism covers a range of disorders that affect communication skills, socialization and empathy of the person. The autistic have a personality turned in on itself in a pathological way. Mainly characterized by a deficiency in social reciprocity skills, verbal and nonverbal communication, symbolic play and a restricted range of interests and motivations. It is defined with multiple etymologies and varying degrees of severity.

The condition, “Autism Spectrum Disorder(A.S.D.)” is now seen as an epidemic in the present evolved society. Oxford Living Dictionary defines autism as “A developmental disorder of variable severity that is characterized by difficulty in social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behavior.” (Oxford Living Dictionary) The dictionary is in total concordance with the American Psychiatry Association, as it is clearly implied that autism is a mental illness. The prospect of this research is to let in on the symptoms of autism, the reasons why it is not a total disadvantage and how to cultivate the best traits in autistic children.

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)

Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction, and repetitive patterns of behavior and activities. These symptoms are present in early development

Autism affects a broad range of children and can occur abruptly without warning; a healthy toddler can simply deteriorate into an autistic world and stop advancing through social and communicative milestones (Sears, 2010). Nonetheless, most infants appear to display traits of ASD from birth leading to an early diagnosis (Sears, 2010). A recent 2014 population report conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that 1 in 68 children in the United States are affected by autism (Autism speaks, 2014; Fournier, 2014). As reported by

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by qualitative impairments in social interaction and communication, and restricted, repetitive behavior (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013), and is associated with impairments in executive functions. Autism Spectrum Disorder is also defined as a group of disorders that impair an individual’s ability to understand and engage in the give-and-take of social relationships. (Boyd, 2015) Autism is a well-known disability in the world today. Autism statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identify 1 in 68 American children on the Autism spectrum. There has been a prevalent increase in the cases of autism in the past 40 years. Over 3 million people in the United States alone are affected by autism. Government autism statistics suggest that the prevalence of autism has increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years. There is no established explanation for why there is such an increase in autism in the recent years, but more people being aware of it and environmental factors could be a factor to the increase. (Jenson, Steinhausen, Lauritsen. 2014)

Children can exhibit the behaviors in different combinations and different degrees of severity. One main characteristic is behavioral problems such as aggressive or self-injurious behavior. The child may be either over active or passive. They may exhibit odd or ritualistic behaviors such as rocking back and forth or waving their hands. They may also have a resistance to change in normal routines. Sometimes the child may have an extraordinary talent in art, music, math, or some other area. People with autism have difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships. They do not respond to many of the non-verbal forms of communication that many of us take for granted like like facial expressions, physical gestures and eye contact. They are often unable to understand and express their needs just as they are unable to interpret and understand the needs of others. This impairs their ability to share interests and activities with other people. For this reason they may appear distant and aloof. Because they are often delayed in their speech and struggle to make sense of other non-verbal forms of communication, they may withdraw into repetitive play and behaviour and avoid interaction. People with autism often have communication difficulties in one form or another. There are some people with autism who speak fluently, others who are speech impaired to varying degrees and others still, who are unable to

According to ASHA (American Speech and hearing association) “Autism Spectrum disorder(ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction and the presence of restricted, repetitive behaviors”. Throughout history the definition of Autism has changed from not including social aspects to including social aspects. The definition of ASD is not the only thing that has changed, technology has followed suit. Experts can now detect and diagnose at a faster rate than ever before, allowing parents to watch for signs that point to autism. Informing parents faster can positively aid in how a child develops emotionally, physically and socially. Properly detecting and diagnosing is imperative being

Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts (“Autism” Def). It’s a disability that affects a person’s communication skills and/or changes in behavior. Autism is usually diagnosed before three years of age and has a lifelong persistence. The causes of this disorder is unclear and there is currently no cure for it. There are two core characteristics of autism. The first being a deficiency in social communication and social interaction. The second is a restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities. Clinical features of autism include walking on tiptoes, lack of eye contact, extreme dislike of certain foods or sounds, poor communication skills, repetitive behaviors, and