I grew up in Armenia, where, unfortunately, people with mental disabilities didn’t have a big role in society. The situation is changing to the better now, but when I lived there, there were no support groups for these people, no special schools, and the parents didn’t even hope that these kids could have a normal life. The first person with Autism that I’ve met was a little girl at my mom’s friend’s house. Being around 10 years old myself, I didn’t know much about autism or any mental disorders. All I knew was that girl was different from me, that she was too aggressive, and when she wanted to play with a fake phone, she started screaming until we gave it to her. My mom later explained to me what her disability was, and I thought she was …show more content…
The society, regular people like me are also doing everything in their power to make the lives of people with ASD more “normal,” and to make the struggle with the disease easier. I’ve also had the opportunity to work with a child with ASD during a “Spirits in Actions” event, organized by the accounting fraternity Beta Alpha Psi at USC. So meeting that little girl with Autism when I was young has sparked an interest in me about Autism, its treatment, and most of all, about the lives of those with the disease, which is why I decided to do more research and to write this paper about that disease. When speaking about Autism, the image that usually comes to people’s minds is someone who doesn’t interact with others, doesn’t show emotions, and is a genius in some field of science or music. Though this might by the true picture of a person with autism, symptoms of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder can vary greatly. The main characteristics of ASD are: hardships in social behavior, repetitive behavior, interests in a specific subject or subject area, which cause “significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.” ASD should be noticeable in the first couple of years of a child’s life. In the US, about 1 in every 68 children has ASD, boys being affected 4 to 5 times more than girls (nimh.nih.gov). The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental Disorders,
“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.
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 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
Autism is the main form of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism is a developmental disorder that is manifested in problems with communication, impairment of social functioning, and repetitive behaviours. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), ASD diagnoses must meet four different areas of criteria. There are three symptoms of "deficits in social communication and interaction across contexts," four symptoms of "restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities," "symptoms must be present in early childhood," and the symptoms must "together limit and impair everyday functioning" (Carpenter, 2013). There are many theoretical positions on the causes of autism spectrum disorders. Some of which have been discounted by empirical studies that have been researched and performed.
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. ASD. Autism. When people hear any of these, it’s either “avoid that person at all costs”, “be super sympathetic”, “pretend to be their friend” or “I have no idea what that is”. My best friend and illustrator of my second book, has no idea what autism is. I tried explaining it to her. It’s very hard to explain how you feel, first of all. To put the fact that you are autistic makes it even more difficult. It doesn’t bother me too much that she doesn’t know. As long as she knows that I truly am a good person, we’re good.
Currently, efforts are being made by foundations, such as Autism Speaks and the National Autism Association not only to bring awareness of seriousness of the disorder, but also to establish ways towards the cause and a cure for autism. In 1997, Congress requested the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Autism Coordinating Committee (ACC) to “enhance the quality, pace and coordination of efforts at the NIH to find a cure for autism” (NINDS, 2009 p.18). ASD is too extensive of a disorder to find a single cure for it; these “cures” would require millions of dollars in further research and testing, just like any other medication or treatment. While there have been autistic geniuses in the past, not all with ASD should be hailed as such; instead of trying to justify or cure the disorder, more people should be willing to accept it.
Over the years, more people are becoming aware of Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD. The growing number of individuals who are affected by ASD have been increasing over the years. This could be do to the new DSM development of what is considered ASD or simply more children are being born with ASD. Either way, ASD is more predominate in our society today. ASD is defined in the DSM 5 as having abnormal social aspects, lack of social skills, non-verbal communications skills, deficits in development, lack of understanding of relationships, and self-stimulation through repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Although these are not all of the symptoms caused by ASD
Autism disorder is an issue facing many people today. It’s an issue widely discussed in the news and social media. In Gale’s data from 2015 defines autism as a general term for a group of complex disorders of the brain development that are grouped together under the broader term of autism spectrum disorder also known as ASD. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2014, about 1 in 68 out of 1,000 children were diagnosed with ASD. This was a dramatic increase from 1 in 150 children in 1992. The CDC also
Autism. A simple word with so much meaning and mystery behind it. Autism is so much more than developmental disorder it’s a normal way of life for 1% of the United States population. Autism is a developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate or interact. The disorder begins to show itself when children are around 2-3 years old. Children who have this disorder can have symptoms such as troubling talking/delayed speech, sensory issues, little to no social interaction and repetition of words/actions. The range of severity for the disorder can vary. For the past week I have been reading articles about people who suffer from this disorder. One person's story has affected me understanding of the disorder.Stephen Wiltshire is a 44 year old man who has Autism however instead of letting the disorder impact his life he uses it to create brilliant works of art. By reading about Stephen and seeing how he overcomes his struggles my outlook on life has changed.
Each year, more than 200,000 people are diagnosed with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the U.S. ASD or Autism can be characterized as a brain development disorder that directly affects the nervous system. As noted on AutismSpeaks.org, ASD can be deemed as an intellectual disability. Symptoms of Autism can include difficulty with communication, difficulty in social interactions, obsessive interests, and repetitive behaviors. The severity of these symptoms vary with all ASD patients. Some patients with ASD thrive in non-interactive subjects such as math, art, and music.
The issue that is in our world today would be that there is not enough education presented to the public about autism, as well as any or all special needs. Everyone should in some way be educated about these things, at least in a generalized aspect. There are so many families that have a child in their lives who struggle with a disorder that they have no control over, it takes control of them. It is very typical for families to go out with one another, to shop or eat. Environments as such may be an everyday thing to an atypical person. However, everything is heightened to an individual with autism. This causes an overstimulation for an individual, which ultimately results in misconduct. One common thing amongst these individuals is that how they look physically may not represent how they think mentally. For someone from the outside looking in on a situation, seeing someone with a physical characteristic one way, yet behaving another looks absurd. We as a society need to change people’s understanding of the functionality of a person on the spectrum. A negative response can affect this individual’s behavior, take someone approaching them in the wrong way, and ultimately not comprehend a situation correctly. Autism awareness should be understood unanimously, offering people the right education, getting them to be compassionate, and simply showing manners there would be much more respect shown to people with autism.
One in every hundred people has autism. This means that a big percentage of people in the world have autism. Autism is a disorder that causes social impairment, difficulty in communication, and difficulty taking an interest in activities, I will be researching how these and other aspects affect an autistic person’s life. Being autistic makes it very difficult to socialize and it makes it hard to be socially accepted especially when someone is told they’re different. When someone is told they’re different, they actually start treating themselves differently and pulling themselves away from society and start believing that no one will ever want to be around them because they’re a little different.
Having a family member with the disorder of Autism has made me question how people can cope with this type of syndrome. As I am continuing my education I have decided to work as a therapist who diagnose and treat such children with disabilities. As I researched books in the psychology section, I was able to find a book that will extend my knowledge in my career and answer my questions of Autism. Author Liane Holiday Willey is a Parkway North, 1977, graduate that has a Doctoral on education (Ed.D). At the age of thirty-five she was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, and now she is a professor of psycholinguistics, a motivational speaker and a sponsor of therapy programs. As a woman with Asperger’s syndrome, she is dedicating her career to educate people around the globe about the high-functioning autism in woman. Not only did she experience growing up and living with the disorder but also dealing with her youngest daughter
In today society, there are various physical and mental issues that is being discussed that affect human beings from all around the world. The life of person living with a disability is never understood by the people on the outside but only people living with the disability. The impact of various disability ranging from physical disability and mental disability impairs an individual ability to function. Reading the book Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin had a profound impact on my view about Autism. “Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication” (Mayo Clinic 2018).