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Essay about The Rise of Autism

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Autism has become one of the top disabilities in California’s developmental system. Today, the rise of autism is increasing by 10 - 17 percent each year. (Madeleine 3) "The disease was first identified by child psychologist Leo Kanner in 1943 at Johns Hopkins University" (Little 2). Autism is a disorder that is usually detected within the first three years. According to the Autism Society of America, 1 in 166 individuals are diagnosed with autism, making it more common than the pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Boys are four times more likely to have it than girls. People with autism have a hard time communicating verbally and physically. They have special ways of gathering and reacting to information presented to them. …show more content…

This program is available in two forms: home-based and school-based. Both of these programs offer help with speech, physical or occupational therapy. Autistic people from the age of 3 through the age of 21 can receive a free educational program. This program addresses a wide range of skill development, such as: language, behavioral issues, academics, self-help skills, social skills, and leisure skills. (Pericak 5) Many treatment approaches have developed different ways of dealing with the challenges of autism. First, there is the theory of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which consists of giving a child a specific task, which teaches skills from basic ones to more complex ones, such as social interaction. Children taking this approach, work 30-40 hours a week with a trained professional. (West 66) It may be emotionally difficult for the child, and his/her parents to dedicate so much time, yet it is worth it. However, it has been proven that ABA methods have shown consistent results in teaching new skills and behaviors to children with autism. (West 68) Second, there is a program called, Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) that uses a teaching approach to instill the idea that the environment should be adapted to the child; not the other way around. “The child’s learning abilities are assessed through the Psycho Educational Profile (PEP), and teaching strategies are

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