...behavior. Autism Spectrum Disorder affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize, however, how this occurs is not well understood. Autistic Disorder is only one of four recognized disorders in the autism spectrum. The others included in the spectrum are Asperger Syndrome(AS), Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), which is diagnosed when the full set of criteria for Autistic Disorder or Asperger Syndrome are not met. In an article from the American Academy of Pediatrics (2011), over the last twelve years, prevalence of developmental disabilities has increased 17.1% which equals about 1.8 million more children in 2006 through 2008 as compared to a decade earlier. Additionally, prevalence of Autism increased 289.5% while the prevalence of ADHD increased 33.0%. With this increase, more research and studies are being done to learn more about a disorder that is relatively recent. Specifically, the focus of this paper is on Asperger Syndrome, which is defined as a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and motor coordination, and unusual or restricted patterns of interest or behavior. Clinically, the distinction between Autistic Disorder and Asperger Syndrome is often made in terms of severity and in the qualitative expression of the criteria. Both syndromes are characterized by social interaction...
Words: 3207 - Pages: 13
...neurological disorder that affects the normal brain function. It is a disorder characterized by deficits in three major areas of behavior-social, communicative and the display of repetitive or restricted behaviors. This research paper will provide a review of people with autism spectrum disorders, including the symptoms, diagnosis criteria, and possible causes. In addition, it will describe with how it has impacted the society, families and themselves. Completing the Puzzle of Autism Spectrum Disorder Can you imagine trying to understand what your parents or peers are saying but you don’t really know what the words mean? Sometimes this can make a child very upset and frustrated just because they can’t come up with the right words to express his or her feelings or thoughts. These kids with special needs try to live their lives by learning to handle stuff that are challenging and annoying for them. People with autism can make a significant contribution to society, as well as to their families. However, having autism is generally difficult for the person themselves and their family, it also involves great financial sacrifice. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) most commonly known as “Autism” is a neurological disorder that has an effect on normal brain function, affecting a person’s communication skill, social interaction, behavior and interest. ASDs are spectrum disorders because it affects each person in a different...
Words: 1743 - Pages: 7
...of the kids diagnosed with either Down Syndrome or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Seven years later, I am still assistant coaching and more than ever I want to learn more about the disorder. After learning that “as many as 1 in 110 people have autism, which is more common in guys than in girls” (Teenshealth) I wanted to learn a little bit more about the disorder that is becoming so common in today’s society. Autism has many different characteristics which helps identify the disorder but unfortunately where the disorder is from is still unknown. However, with constant research and with the information that is known treatments are being introduced to those who are diagnosed with Autism. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Autistic disorder, sometimes called autism or classical ASD, is the most severe form of ASD, while other conditions along the spectrum include a milder form known as Asperger syndrome, the rare condition called Rett syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). ASD varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group” (Ninds.nih). Another...
Words: 2299 - Pages: 10
...Life is movement, flows spontaneously but requires ducts, follows the principle of inhibitory modification. Trunk stability is allowing us to sit and use hands. Is the control of hand movements which allows us to use each of our fingers voluntarily. Is the inhibitory tuning, which gradually sculpt the baby awkwardly finely controlled actions. The formation of character, like the movement involves voluntary choices based on self-control that gives us the discipline. The most important tools that we can give our children is the self-control, the ability to strive for their goals. When the child grows up with a disability, this tool becomes indispensable. His life, develop their abilities, fulfill their dreams, the construction of a daily life where you feel full, we require a double effort. Therefore, it’s essential not only learn to work hard but learn to enjoy this effort, the way of high performance athletes. The word “authority” comes etymologically from the Latin verb boom, which means among other things, to grow. We can not educate if we give up our authority as parents. The contradiction of all training is to learn to send ourselves in obedience to others. As ivy, children need to grow, a wall that gives, at once, support and resistance. So, to be truly nurturing, the authority has to go left, slowly, a space to another. Take over is a strong word, it means take the place of one more, steal your identity. Overprotection and authoritarianism are usurping the authority...
Words: 1818 - Pages: 8
...Autism Spectrum Disorders Cristina Sanchez Introduction to Psychology Professor Hall April 23, 2011 Life is movement, flows spontaneously but requires ducts, follows the principle of inhibitory modification. Trunk stability is allowing us to sit and use hands. Is the control of hand movements which allows us to use each of our fingers voluntarily. Is the inhibitory tuning, which gradually sculpt the baby awkwardly finely controlled actions. The formation of character, like the movement involves voluntary choices based on self-control that gives us the discipline. The most important tools that we can give our children is the self-control, the ability to strive for their goals. When the child grows up with a disability, this tool becomes indispensable. His life, develop their abilities, fulfill their dreams, the construction of a daily life where you feel full, we require a double effort. Therefore, it’s essential not only learn to work hard but learn to enjoy this effort, the way of high performance athletes. The word “authority” comes etymologically from the Latin verb boom, which means among other things, to grow. We can not educate if we give up our authority as parents. The contradiction of all training is to learn to send ourselves in obedience to others. As ivy, children need to grow, a wall that gives, at once, support and resistance. So, to be truly nurturing, the authority has to go left, slowly, a space to another. Take over is a strong word, it means...
Words: 1826 - Pages: 8
...everyday society, despite a lack of everyday knowledge on this multifaceted disorder. Children are diagnosed with a range of autism disorders, fearing the consequences that come with it. In a short amount of time, the fields of medicine and psychology have advanced tremendously in their knowledge of this disorder and how it affects the development of children. In this paper, we will explore aspects of autism, from the different causes offered by researchers, common symptoms, and the latest treatments to combat this complex disorder. Overview Autism is not one disorder, but rather a group of developmental brain disorders, collectively referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) (2011) the term “spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms, skills, and levels of impairment, or disability that children with ASD can have. As indicated by Johnson and Myers, Leo Kanner, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University first described autism in a small group of children in 1943 (as cited in Kanner, 1943). Kanner documented that they showed extreme aloofness and total indifference to other people. In 1944, Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician published an article that demonstrated symptoms similar to those of Janner’s patients, with the exception that verbal and cognitive skills were much higher (Johnson & Myers, 2007). The term “infantile autism” first appeared as a diagnostic label in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental...
Words: 1899 - Pages: 8
...What is it? The Autism Spectrum Disorder (A.S.D.). Consists of 5 main criteria. The first 2 are so rare that they are often not spoken of. These two are Rhett's Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrantive Disorders. Rhett's is only found in females, like all autism is caused by a random genetic mutation. It isn't till they reach 18 months that their development slows down. Their heads stop growing normally. They don't develop normal speech and exhibit strange breathing breathing patterns and unusual breathing problems. They suffer from seizures, rigid muscles, growth retardation and other problems life expectancy is around 40 years. With C.D.D. this mainly effects males. The child is normally ok till around 42 months, when suddenly they experience a dramatic loss of language and social skills. Loss of bladder control and seizures may also result. Children with this disorder are very very low in intelligence and this is the easiest on the spectrum to diagnose Classic autism). Autism Disorder. This is the most severe kind of autism- remembering that Rhett's and C.D.D. are very rare. It is characterised by social impairments. Communication difficulties, restricted and particular patterns of behaviour. The most classic sign is impaired social interactions. A person with A.D. may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on a single item. They find it difficult to follow what people are saying or thinking as they can't pick up social cues, such as body language and tone of voice....
Words: 4711 - Pages: 19
...THE AUTISM EPIDEMIC By ENGL 135 December 9, 2008 The Autism Epidemic For many adults one of the happiest days of their lives is when they see their children being born. Sometime between the two and four age some parents begin to realize that their child’s behavior is a bit abnormal. At first they chalk it up to just children being children and ignore what is happening with their behavior. It gets to a point and the parents realize that they should go see the child’s pediatrician concerning the abnormal behavior. The doctor runs tests and comes back with a scary diagnosis: Autism. Autism, a lifelong disorder, is defined as a behavioral and neurological disorder affecting physical, language, and social skills1. Autism is a common condition among children that begins within the first two and a half years of life, although it may not be evident until three or four years of age. Autism is a mental behavior that causes children to experience the world differently than normal kids. Autism impairs behavioral skills and development from early on and into adulthood. Children with autism almost always learn at a slower rate, have a lower rate of communication skills, and often times have repetitive types of behavior such as body rocking, clicking a pen for hours at a time, or turning the TV on and off again. Adults with autism continue to have difficulties interacting with society, show some socially inappropriate behavior, and show peculiar use of language such as repetitive...
Words: 2945 - Pages: 12
...saying hi to someone because you don't know about the country's social cues and mannerisms and they don't understand yours. People will judge you before they even get to know you because you are not like them. This is what it feels like to live in America with Autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD is a complex brain development disorder. ASD has varying degrees of severity and many sub groups, including Asperger's syndrome. Most people with ASD are born with the disorder and can be diagnosed as early 2 years old, although symptoms...
Words: 1785 - Pages: 8
...the most common signs of autism in young children include; avoiding eye contact, lack of facial expression, lack of communication, and irregular use of toys/objects. Those who are older than toddlers may experience social awkwardness, learn at a slower pace than others their age, and may have trouble coping with changes in their daily routine. Some of the most common causes of autism can be brain abnormalities, complications at birth, traumatic events both physical and emotional, and serious sickness during early childhood. Different events can determine how severe the disability is, from Aspergers to more severe forms than can change life drastically for those involved. Specific problems that could cause autism are; respiratory complications, creating a lack of oxygen in the brain which doesn't allow it to develop correctly during birth/ infancy, Fragile X Syndrome, genetics that may affect brain development, and research is still being done to determine what sort of environmental factors that could contribute to the symptoms, researchers are leaning towards viral infections and possibly air...
Words: 806 - Pages: 4
...the Pieces” Introduction:. The diagnosis of autism in one’s child can shatter a parent. There is a substantial amount of confusion and controversy found in all areas of the disorder, from diagnosis to treatment. Most parents who seek treatment for a child labeled with autism face many dead-ends and obstacles concerning what are best for their child. . Having a child who is autistic will be a struggle throughout both of your lives. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ADS) adversely affects a child’s communication, socialization, and behavior. It has symptoms ranging from mild cognitive, social, and behavioral deficits to more severe symptoms where children may suffer from intellectual disabilities and be nonverbal. The five subtypes of ASD are: Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), Rett Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Because each are so broad, I narrowed down my research to Autism Disorder, a sever disorder that affects the development and function of the brain. It causes problems in such areas as social contact, emotional response, 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 that differ with individuals not having autism would exhibit. I will be talking generally about the history and description of autism, possible causes, early detection, risk factors,...
Words: 2334 - Pages: 10
...treatment. There are gene mutations and variants that have been discovered but due to the disease being heterogeneous and complex it is difficult to find consistency. There is also research indicating that the cause is neurological. The gap between genetics and neurology concerning autism is where the connection needs to be made in order to understand the disability wholly. Autism is a complex developmental disability as the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. The onset of the disability is in infancy or early childhood with males being affected four times as often as females. Autism shows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. The term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is used because it is covering a group of disabilities with similar features. There are three categories of autism spectrum disorder known as Autistic Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Autism affects the normal development of the brain in specific areas such as those responsible for social interaction and communication. Those affected may show severe symptoms while others only suffer mild symptoms. Many children who suffer from autism spectrum disorder never babble or coo and can...
Words: 1668 - Pages: 7
...also called classic autism. This is usually accompanied by substantial language delays, social and communication challenges, and odd behaviors and interests. The second is Asperger Syndrome. Asperger Syndrome is usually accompanied by some milder symptoms of autistic disorder. Although they may still have social challenges and odd or unusually interested and behaviors, they usually do not have any problems with language disabilities. The third is Pervasive Developmental disorder (PDD-NOS) or also called atypical autism. Most people that are diagnosed with PDD-NOS usually have fewer and much milder symptoms then the others. People that are diagnosed with PDD-NOS may only have challenges in social and communication areas. Although there are different types of autism, they all require the same attention to the signs and symptoms of them. Autism is usually detected in early childhood. It will appear in the first three years of life. Often the child will seem to be normal and then regress. Some parents have described it as their child use to talk and then all of a sudden they just stopped talking. There are also some parents that suspected something was not right for a long time and it didn’t become more obvious until around the fifteen to eighteen month stages. Not one child with autism is the same. It affects children and adults in...
Words: 3871 - Pages: 16
...children do. To provide a comprehensive definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder, there are separate labels given to children with autism for different points on the Autism spectrum. At the least affected end, you may find labels such as "Asperger's Syndrome", "High Functioning Autism" and "Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified" (PDD-NOS). At the other end of the spectrum you may find labels such as "Autism", "Classic Autism" and "Kanner Autism". Description Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. The diagnostic criteria require that symptoms become apparent before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood. It is one of three recognized disorders in the autism spectrum (ASDs), the other two being Asperger syndrome, which lacks delays in cognitive development and language, and pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (commonly abbreviated as PDD-NOS), which is diagnosed when the full set of criteria for autism or Asperger syndrome are not met. Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained...
Words: 3105 - Pages: 13
...retardation, autism, traumatic brain injury, severe and multiple disabilities, and deaf-blindness. Understanding the causes and characteristics of these disabilities is important in determining what is needed in the learning environment to ensure that students with intellectual and other disabilities have access to the quality education they deserve. Understanding Persons with Intellectual Disabilities There are several different types of intellectual disabilities that can affect a child’s educational abilities. It is important that teachers and parents understand the causes and characteristics of the different types of intellectual disabilities in order to ensure that all students are provided with a quality education. Intellectual disabilities can be caused by a number of factors or incidents, and can vary from person to person in severity, symptoms and effect on their ability to learn and function. Understanding the causes and effects of such disabilities will assist educators in developing proper teaching methods, accommodations and special materials needed to optimize the learning environment. Intellectual Disability Intellectual disability, previously referred to as mental retardation, is defined by deficient intelligence and adaptive behavior that affects educational performance, and only applies to disability that occurs during the developmental period (AAIDD, n.d.). Culture and language are considered when assessing intellectual disability in relation to a person’s...
Words: 1448 - Pages: 6
