The Term ' Autism '

Autism is a developmental disorder, which is characterized by a dyad of difficulties in a) communication and social interaction and b) restricted interests and imagination (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might find it challenging to understand what other people think or what the reasons for their behaviours are, as their ‘theory of mind’ may not be well developed (Schuwerk, Vuori & Sodian, 2015). It is possible that this is why they might behave in socially inappropriate ways, being unable to differentiate between different contexts, while they might also find it difficult to make friends. Moreover, it is likely that they are fond of routines, repetition and structure (Carnahan, Musti-Rao, & Bailey, 2009), as they might be nervous with unknown, new situations. In addition, some of them might not do eye contact with other people, whereas some others might not endure to be touched and might have a difficulty developing speech (Jordan, 2005). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might sometimes be prohibited to initiate conversations and might struggle with finding different ways to play and behave, due to the possible deficit of imagination, which in some cases might result in them having a narrow sphere of interests. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this group of people is rather heterogeneous, as characteristics of autism may differ from one individual to another (Gwynette, 2013). Another point is that people with Autism

We are living in a time where a remarkable and advanced medical treatments exist. However, scientists and medical professionals are constantly faced with diseases and disorders that contemporary humanity needs a cure and treatment. Amongst the disorders that affecting our young people today is the autism spectrum disorder. It is a “complex and life long behavioral disorder marked by impairment in social and communicative abilities”(Evans, et al., 2008). People living with autism range from those with high IQ’s to those with intellectual retardadtion.

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

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 is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. There is more classification of Autism that is based on the severity of symptom. Childhood disintegrative disorder, also known as Heller 's syndrome is a rare condition characterized by a late onset of developmental delays in language, social function, and motor skills. Asperger Syndrome is a developmental disorder related to autism and characterized by higher than average intellectual ability coupled with impaired social skills and restrictive, repetitive patterns of interest and activities. Atypical Autism is the term used when the person has symptoms but don’t have all the symptoms to diagnose Autism. Atypical autism usually differs from autism in terms either of age of onset or of failure to fulfill all three sets of autism diagnostic criteria.

In the United States, about 1 in every 68 births has a mental disorder called autism. (CDC, 2014) However in the world, about 1 percent has autism. (CDC, 2014) Autism is a mental disorder that an individual develops in their early childhood with the causes of abnormal brain structure, shape, and function. This mental disorder deals with the impairment of someone’s ability to communicate and their interaction with others. In addition to, it is a developmental disability, which means the signs of autism will not happen right away, but will develop throughout their years. People with autism cannot control the effects of their behavior in society, considering its effects of being a mental disorder, cannot be cured and it makes life difficult for

I decided to write about Autism and what it is all about. It is something that is on the rise and that is a huge part of the ECE world. Autism is a lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person communicates and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both of the terms used for disorders of brain development. These disorders are different; there are different degrees to this brain development, like problems in social interactions, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. Autism disorders were merged into one. ASD is sometimes associated with intellectual disabilities, difficulties in motor coordination, difficulties with attention and physical health issues such as sleep like I said above and stomach issues, usually caused by anxiety due to autism. Some of the time people with autism excel in visual skills, music, math and art. The reason for these excels it because children with autism are way more organized and pay attention to every detail. This topic is interesting to me because of all of the reasons it can occur I want to know more about its attributes and complications. I want to know more about autism so I can be successful in my career if I work with these children. Children with autism get stuck on one subject and they need extra time to process things, I want to know why that happens and if there are any ways to help with it. Autism statistics

Autism is the second types of brain disease. According to Scheruermann and Webber (2002), autism is a development of disorder that caused by neurological impairment affecting brain chemistry and or brain structure. Even the exact reason of the neurological impairment is not yet known, but it is mostly due to the genetic links. Nevertheless, this symptoms is well-defined, hence essential information for educational treatment been contributed. Understanding based on autistic symptomology is the best way to teach student with autism. Presently, there are three main theories explaining the existence of common symptoms. The first theory is a perceptual/cognitive theory. Autism children may have specific differences in capability of their thinking and the way they receive external input, due to the brain defects. They also have to withdraw, and have a complicated time making sense of or processing, physical phenomena because of they might be stimulated by auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli. A second theory is from a developmental explanation holds that brain defects is the reason individuals with autism difficult to evolve in language, cognition, social, and motor domains. Scheruermann and Webber also stated that, it is estimated that the students need to improve through developmentally sequenced experiences for them to expert the necessary skills just as children without disabilities because they are developmentally delayed. The last theory is the behavioral explanation, holds

Autism is a varied family of disorders, and its prevalence is on the rise. Today, one in 110 children are diagnosed with Autism. Although there are a few drugs available to treat repetitive behaviors and irritability, associated side effects can limit their use. Currently there are no effective treatments for the core symptoms of Autism which often include language and communication shortfalls, intellectual disability, epilepsy, attention deficits, and hyperactivity (Dolan et al. 5671). Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited form of intellectual disability and is universally recognized as the monogenic cause of Autism. The gene responsible for Fragile X Syndrome, FMR1, is located on the long arm of the X chromosome. It contains a CGG repeat sequence in the 5’-untranslated region that, on expansion to greater than 200 repeats, results in gene methylation and transcriptional silencing of the FMR1 gene. The absence of its protein product, fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), is responsible for the clinical symptoms and pathologic findings of FXS. In the past few years, a plethora of research has been conducted in regards to Fragile X syndrome. Many scientists are hoping to uncover therapeutic agents that not only address the secondary symptoms, but the root cause of the disease as well.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) comprises of a group of conditions including autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (DSM-5, 2014). ASD are a type of neurodevelopmental conditions diagnosed on the basis of three core behavioural domains: 1) Persistent deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication; 2) Impairments in social interaction; 3) Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of activities, interests, and behaviours (DSM-5, 2014). The variation in the severity of behavioural traits between, and within these three disorders is extensive. It should be emphasised that due to this high phenotypic heterogeneity, and clinical variability, caution in the

Autism is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, resulting in lack of interaction and social skills. It is a developmental disability that normally appears during the first two to three years of life. Autism is characterized by difficulties in speech, and forming relationships with others, two important qualities that contribute immensely to a stable and happy life. Autism is one of the most common and heritable developmental disabilities, yet unfortunately it generally precedes devastating outcomes. Without therapy, assistance from family members and society, autistic individuals will most likely never fully participate in society as deserved. It is hard for those with autism to establish relationships

For better understanding of the study the following terms are operationally defined as they are used in this study.

At the present moment there are no medications that alleviate the core symptoms of autism. However for children who are aggressive, self harming, hyperactive and engage in repetitive behaviours there are two medications that have been found to be effective; risperidone and aripiprazole. One of these medications could then be prescribed to reduce the engagement in repetitive behaviours since the boy does not exhibit any other symptoms. However this is only for a short period of time until the other therapies can be started. After all, there is a huge risk in taking these medications which is the possible development of diabetes .

Autism is a developmental disorder which usually occurs during infancy (Hyman, 2002:217). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term used to refer to many disorders which display symptoms of an autistic style. The spectrum covers all types of symptoms ranging from mild to severe (Hollander, 2003:102). Individuals in the spectrum can range from having severe learning disabilities to being mildly impaired (Nimh.nih.gov, 2014). The linguistic skills can also vary from being mute to having the ability to communicate complex sentences (ibid). The different profiles of the sufferers are diverse (Hyman, 2002:217). However, there are three main areas of which they may have difficulties. These are social reciprocity, an inability to communicate effectively and unusual repetitive or restricted behaviour (Davey, 2014:586) this is known as the ‘triad of impairments’ (Dodd, 2005:2). This essay will explain the triad of impairments related to ASD to describe the main features of the disorder. In addition, it will evaluate the biological evidence by investigating the research for genetic factors and brain abnormalities, both of which support a biological basis for ASD (Davey, 2014:588).

Autism is a life-long disability that affects people in three different aspects of life in social interaction, social communication and social behaviour. The range of levels varied depending on the type of severity (severe to mild). It has been put forth as the continuum