...Research Proposal, Draft 1 It’s the morning of December 15, 2012, a day after the Sandy Hook Elementary Shootings involving twenty-year old Adam Lanza. After having to support by brother through the intense fear of being looked at differently for his disability following the shooting, I found the topic of the media scapegoating Asperger Syndrome as a main factor in school violence relevant to our class. As school violence has grown in the past twenty-five years, the media has similarly sensationalized the many killers, often times looking to diagnose them with some sort of mental illness instead of digging deeper into the environment of the individuals who commit these acts of violence. In particular, I am interested in examining the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, as well as the UC-Santa Barbara shooting. What I am particularly interested in learning more about is the media’s reaction to these two shootings in conjunction, as one was done at an elementary school with children ages 5-11, whereas the other was done on a college campus. This interests me because Asperger Syndrome is a social disorder, and the social scene of an elementary school is quite different from the social scene of a university. By providing statistical data, victim and killer testimonials, and historical data, I will make the main claim that the media has sensationalized school shootings and too often jumped to the conclusion that Asperger Syndrome is to blame, instead of investigating...
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...Abstract Every woman wants to have a healthy baby. Sometimes there are factors that may influence the growth and development of the baby in a negative way. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs the child for a lifetime. Some of the causes of this disorder can be controlled, such as Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)or drug use while pregnant. Other causes may be genetic or due to complications while pregnant. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD): according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as “any of a group of developmental disorders (such as autism and Asperger's syndrome) marked by impairments in the ability to communicate and interact socially and by the presence of repetitive behaviors or restricted...
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...“Autism” or also known as “Autism Spectrum Disorder” is severe developmental disability which affects the functions of the human brain. It is developed due to a neurological disorder. An individual struggles with social, communication and behavioral challenges. In this research paper various topics will be discussed, for instance; the history and description. What is Autism and how it was developed. What are the main causes of this disorder? Different types of treatments that a autistic person may receive and possible risk factors that a autistic person may encounter to accomplish. Throughout the paper each section will give a good sense of understanding to comprehend the entire disorder. Autism is identified as complex disorders of brain...
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...The history of autism has been report as far back as year 1908, a term that was used to describe patients with a subset of schizophrenia; this causes the patient to displays signs of being withdrawn and self-absorbed. Several decades later a child psychiatrist by the name of Leo Kanner later researched and wrote about children with these signs and symptoms. In his research he finds that these individuals are extremely intelligent in more ways than one, however finds that they display “a powerful desire for aloneness and an obsessive on persistent sameness”. He named this condition “early infantile autism”. Autism is known as a broad range of behaviors such as nonverbal communication, repetitive motions such as pacing or hand flapping....
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...Quanesha Pickens HDFS 2113 18 October 2016 Should we try to “Cure” Autism? Autism is a disorder that is not limited to certain values but can vary within continuous elements. People with this disorder see things differently than any average person would. They tend to be more comfortable in understanding how the world works than understanding the people in this world. They can’t read emotions nor can they tell what other people are thinking so it makes it hard for them to socialize with others. People with autism also largely rely on visualization to understand concepts that are not inherently visual (Rothstein 2012). When they read a sentence they can visualize it in their head and remember it whereas hearing the words will help them none....
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...Autism Spectrum Disorder Out of the estimated 12-16% of developmental and behavior disorders that children may develop, autism spectrum is one of the common ones. Autism spectrum disorder is one the neurodevelopmental disorders that begins in early childhood and are characterized by impaired social interactions and communication, with restricted interests, activities, and behaviors, and repetitive patterns of behavior. (Ball, Bindler, Cowen, p.865). As recently as 1990, autism was considered a rare and hopeless disorder. The prevalence was thought to be 1 in every 2500 children. (Bell, p.1) Today, on average, about 1 in every 100-150 children are diagnosed with this disorder. (Ball, Bindler, Cowen, p.865). Where does this disorder come from?...
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...Education 301 Autism Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder in the autism spectrum disorders. Some investigators expand the nature of autism brain disorder and the role vaccines, and the preservative used for the vaccines causing autism. There are different emotions with the diagnoses of autism and there are ways to accept it and how to handle stress that accommodates with a new diagnosis. The characteristics of autism consist of impaired development through social interactions and communication, both verbal and nonverbal. There is lack of communication both receptive and expressed, as well as speech impairments. A child with autism with language problems may not speak, or may only speak a few of the same word. There...
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...stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder and can also be called Autistic Spectrum Disorder. ASD’s are any developmental disabilities that have caused brain abnormality. A person with ASD typically has difficulty with social and communication skills. A person with ASD often prefers to stick to a set of behaviors and may resist any major or minor changes to daily living. Autism Spectrum Disorder has no single cause, but both genetics and environment may play a role.Several genes seemed to be involved in ASD. Even for some some children, ASD can be associated with a genetic disorder such as Fragile X syndrome. (Fragile X syndrome is an inherited condition when the X Chromosome is abnormally susceptible to damage especially by Folic Acid Deficiency)....
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...Some of 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...
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...Autism and children Contents Autism Defined Qualitative Impairments in Social Interaction Qualitative Impairments in Communication Restricted Repetitive and Stereotyped Behaviors, Interests, and Activities The Diagnosis of Autism Causes of Autism Treatment for Autism What research is being done? References Autism Defined Autism is the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV), published by the American Psychiatric Association (2000, pp. 70-71), children with autism demonstrate the three core symptoms: qualitative impairments in social interaction, qualitative impairments in communication, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interest, and activities. The symptoms vary according to the severity of the disorder. Qualitative Impairments in Social Interaction Social interaction is characterized as having problems with interacting with other people. Among the symptoms with infants is they do not exhibit any eye contact, and this is something...
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...Vaccines, Do They Cause Autism in Children? Michael L Eisenmenger Western Governors University Vaccines, Do They Cause Autism in Children? Vaccinations have been used for centuries to prevent the spread of some of the most dangerous diseases in humans. In 1998, a research study from Dr. Andrew Wakefield was published in the journal Lancet, suggesting common vaccinations were the cause of autism in children (Brink. 2013). That study has since been retracted by the Lancet and Dr. Wakefield has had his medical license revoked. However, the rates of vaccinations have declined because of the study and new outbreaks of diseases once considered eradicated are killing children. Research has shown that vaccines are not a cause of autism in children because the preservatives suspected of causing autism have been removed from them, research studies have shown no link between the two, the original research has been proven false, and the diagnosis of autism has changed. Ever since the debate of vaccines being a cause of autism has started, the ingredient thimersol has been one of the focus’ of study. Thimersol is a preservative that was used in vaccines until 2001. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated, “In 2001, thimersol was removed or reduced to trace amounts in all childhood vaccinations except one type of influenza vaccine, and thimersol-free alternatives are available for influenza vaccines.” (CDC, 2014) Thimersol contains the type of mercury...
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...August 8, 2011 Project Topic: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) “Putting Together 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...
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...Do Childhood Vaccinations Cause Autism? Jennifer Jones XBCOM / 275 August 24, 2014 Kristine Dunn Do Childhood Vaccinations Cause Autism? The idea that autism is caused by childhood vaccinations has been influencing public policy, even though rigorous studies do not support this hypothesis. Legislators are right to take into account the concerns of parent groups and other individuals who are directly affected by autism, but policy decisions should be based on hard evidence rather than unproven ideas. The hypothesis is based on the observation that the number of autism cases increased in the years of the 1980s, coinciding with a push for greater childhood vaccinations, which increased above recommended levels of a child’s exposure to mercury in the vaccine preservative, called thimerosal. The autism diagnosis continued to rise even after thimerosal was removed from the United States childhood vaccines in the year of 2001. A review by the Institute of Medicine, of over 200 studies concluded that there were no links between vaccines containing thimerosal and autism. Autism is no more common among vaccinated children than those children who are unvaccinated, and its incidence has not varied with the presence of thimerosal in vaccines across different times and locations. These findings have not persuaded supporters of the mercury autism link, whose strategies have become more extreme as the evidence against the hypothesis have mounted. Mercury is a known neurotoxin,...
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...Autism is a brain development disorder that is defined by restricted and repetitive behavior, and by impaired social interaction and communication. Autism is a complicated disease having many signs and symptoms, myths, misconceptions, and different diagnoses and treatments. The environment of an autistic patient plays an important role in the treatment or therapy because it can help or impair the effectiveness of the treatment. The severity of signs and symptoms vary between individuals who suffer from autism, but there are some core signs and symptoms that all autistic people share in the areas of social interactions and relationships, a lack of interests in play and activities and nonverbal and verbal communications. Some of these signs and symptoms include gazing, certain facial expressions and posturing, failure to establish friendship, lack of interest in sharing enjoyment, interests, empathy, delay or lack of learning to talk, repetitiveness, preoccupation with certain things, need for the same routines, rocking, hand flapping, or banging of the head. Signs and symptoms of autism are almost always noticed by parents first during their child's first three years. Parents often become aware that something is wrong with their child when the child does not seem to be interested in playing certain games or being held, when their child's hearing abilities change, and when the child does not begin to talk or suddenly loses his or her ability to talk. The word autism goes...
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...Student’s name Teacher’s name Course name Date The impact of immunization on the development of autism In recent years, a worldwide concern over immunization and its schedule has increased dramatically. The vaccine-autism hypothesis belongs to the most extensively debated theories related to the origins of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Critics of dangerous ingredients contained in vaccines designate that such preservatives may contribute to, or cause, a range of cognitive disorders in children. When administered at early age, immunization may seriously affect neurological and not completely developed immune systems. In contrast, both biological and epidemiological studies tend to contradict the vaccine-autism theory. Given this fact, it is of vital importance to thoroughly examine both sides of the coin and come to a reasonable conclusion. PECULIARITIES OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER Autism, or, more broadly, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), includes a number of complex cognitive and communicational disorders. According to Richard Lathe, the molecular biologist, autism is difficult to define (20). However, there exists a range of distinctive peculiarities, by which one can recognize ASD. Repetitive patterns of behavior, a withdrawal from social relatedness and interaction, and specific movement patterns characterize autism. The symptoms occur from early childhood, usually at age of 2-3 years, and affect daily functioning (Lathe 32). The diagnosis of ASD incorporates the evaluation...
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