Free Term Paper on Autism
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Autism or PPD (pervasive developmental disorder) is defined by the Columbia encyclopedia as a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the inability to relate to and perceive the environment in a realistic manner. The onset of the disorder is in infancy or early childhood, generally before the age of thirty months, and males are affected four times as often as females. Symptoms include impairment in social interaction, fixation on inanimate objects, inability to communicate normally, and resistance to changes in daily routine. Diagnosing Autism is based on four characteristics: difficulty with language, abnormal responses to sensory stimuli, resistance to change and difficulty with social interaction. "Other characteristics of autism may include: making the same repetitive motion for hours, repeating a sound or phrase, inability to hold a conversation, practicing unusual play patterns, and extreme sensitivity to sound and touch." Autistics can exhibit any combination of these characteristics in any degree. That is why autism is referred to as a "spectrum" disorder, because at one end of the disorder a child may be inflicted with some symptoms, while at the opposite end a child may be inflicted with multiple symptoms with many areas in between. Children who display few symptoms may be characterized as "mildly autistic". The cause for autism remains unclear, although most neurological studies seem to indicate a dysfunction in the brain as a possible reason. Autism has been found in children with brain abnormalities such as congenital rubella syndrome, neurofibromatosis, and tuberous sclerosis. Autism can also be present in genetic syndromes such as fragile X syndrome and phenylketonuria. Some research has shown that there may be an autism gene, or two genes working together. These genes are thought to be on the seventh and thirteenth chromosome. The disorder may be hereditary as shown by twin studies that cite there is a "substantially higher rate in identical twins-so much so that heritablity is over 90%", says Joseph Piven. In a Harvard Mental Health letter statistics found that the rate of autism and mild retardation in brothers, sisters and fraternal twins of autistics is 50-100 times higher than average and in identical twins the rate is 65% to 90%. In 1980 it was found that among 11 families with a father diagnosed with autism more than half of their children were autistic. The apparently normal parents of autistic children had undiagnosed mild symptoms of autism when tested. Early signs of Autism may appear in the first months of life. Autistic infants tend to stray away from other people, avoiding touch and become limp or stiff when picked up or help. Autistic children don’t reach maturation as fast as normal children. A normal child will point to objects or smile when seeing their mother before the end of their first year, but children with autism develop this behavior much later. These symptoms may go on unnoticed by parents or doctors in infancy, but by the age of two to three it is clear that something is wrong. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that one in 500 children in America suffer from autism. Autistic children are unable to recognize themselves or remember things that they have just done. For example, if an autistic child were to show someone a toy of theirs, they would forget they have just showed it and show the toy repeatedly as if they have never presented it before. They may examine a simple little toy or electronic device for hours without losing interest, or rock back and forth in a particular spot for an entire afternoon. The repetition of little things seem to be a grand achievement for these children. In diagnosing, or assessing autism the child's history is taken into consideration. For instance whether or not the family has autism in any other branches of its tree can help to determine whether a child may or may not have autism. The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states: Aspects of the assessment will vary depending on the child's age, history, and previous evaluations. The history would include the history of the pregnancy and development of the child, marking such milestones as communication and motor skills (ex. child's first words or steps), and when thought to be unusual. Doctors will often discuss their medical history, such as possibility of seizures, hearing and visual impairments along with other conditions or syndromes such as fragile X syndrome. Doctors will do this because there is not a specific laboratory test for autism at this point in time. These studies and discussions help in the search for a diagnosis. A test for fragile X syndrome may be given because of its association with autism. Autistic children are often characterized by repetitive motions such as clapping, hand flapping and rocking back and forth. Some are extremely sensitive to minor noises, scents and pain, and may even throw tantrums for no apparent reason at any given time. Experts say early intervention is critical. Some treatments include special diets and vitamin supplements, and focus on drawing a child with autism away from their agenda. If an autistic child is geared away from what they want they tend to become aggressive. Autistic children tend to stray away from conversation or tasks in an irregular manner unable to focus on what others may want. Some signs of the disorder include a decrease in language skills and interaction in activity and attention with others. People with autism don’t understand social norms or rules like normal people. Autistics are unable to learn from observation. They need to be taught the significance and meaning of a frown as a pose to a smile, or how to focus on the person that is talking to them. Autism is easily confused with low intelligence, but many children with autism are in fact very smart. "While 70 percent of the children diagnosed with autism score below average on IQ tests, many are of normal intelligence, and a few are considered quite bright" (Riccio). Autistics can learn and improve their education and behavior, and this allows some of them to function as close to normal if not equal in society although most still need assistance with living and job skills throughout adulthood. Every autistic child is unique and not all therapies are universal. Each one has to be tailored for the specific patient. People with autism like a very structured environment. They like consistency in their surroundings. Even a slight change in their home setting, i.e.: the movement of a table, can be very unsettling and make the child agitated. Although most autistic people are severely mentally retarded, about 10 percent are autistic "savants". A savant is a person who incredibly excels in a particular area, such as music or math. A person who has autism yet can play a Beethoven sonata after hearing it just once, or can do complex mathematical equations, or tell you whether December 3, 1956, fell on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Savants may be mentally retarded but they have what Dr. Pratt says is "a very strong, specific talent." Savants may also have the ability to focus solely on one specific task, or talent while tuning out their immediate surroundings. The part of their brain that their talent is derived from may be intensified, and used almost to full capacity. Gary Anthes, a reporter for Computer World states that "autistic individuals are excellent candidates for computer programming and graphics positions." Because autistics can often exhibit strong talents and are able to focus so well these types of jobs would be greatly beneficial to themselves and their employers, also because of their lack of social skills they are able to focus solely on their work, and the fact that autistic people need a clear cut plan or goal, like the plans and goals programming offers, helps them overcome the obstacles of life with autism. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 helped produce user-friendly work environments for those with physical impairments. This act has helped both the disabled and the employer realize the specific needs of each other and work together to suit the interests of both the employer and the disabled associate. In conclusion, autism is a very complex disorder and because of the different extents of the disorder it is very hard to find a cure. With the technology of today improving at a rapid rate autism is now better understood and treated than fifty years ago when autism was first "announced". People are starting to realize and understand that people with autism have something to offer, and just aren't mentally retarded. Although this disorder is not very pleasant its condition has improved over the time it was first introduced as a pervasive development disorder, and hopefully within the next fifty years a possible cause or cure will be developed for autism. |
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Autism 2 There are many diseases and disorders that plague today’s society, but one of the most serious of those disorders is autism. Autism is not nearly as widely known as the familiar Down’s Syndrome, yet, 2. Early Intervention And In the past children with disabilities were most often neglected, abused, and even killed. Today, however, society has become more understanding and involved in the lives, as well as the education of 3. Autism 3 “Many years ago, I watched a young boy rock back and forth as he worked a crossword puzzle. I tried to distract him from working the puzzle to ride bikes with me. I continuously asked him to play with 4. Autism: False Words And False Hope Prof. Sims MWF 10:00-11:00 29 November 1995 Autism is a childhood disease where the child is in a private world of their own. A description of an autistic child by her mother is: We start with an imag 5. The Rainman The Rain Man stars Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. The movie was made in 1988. The movie is about an autistic man named Raymon, who is a idiot savant played by Dustin Hoffman and his fast, talking self 6. Autism is one of the mental, emotional, and behavior disorders that appears in early childhood. , or autistic disorder, almost always develops within the first 3 years of a child's life. Children and adolesc 7. Feral Children are those said to have been nurtured and reared by animals in the wild. Children who have wandered off and survived on their own and children who have been deliberately deprived of human contact may a 8. Autism A biologically based developmental disorder, lasts throughout one’s lifetime. Although it is most commonly accompanied with mental retardation, can be traced to all IQ levels. Sometimes referred to as 9. My Leadership Ability And Working Well With People Two very important talents that I posses is are my ability to stand out as a leader and my ability to work well with people through Community One of the examples of my leadership was working at my chu 10. Autism is a rare mental disorder that impairs a person's abilities. They have the largest problem talking and socializing with others. is usually diagnosed within the first 30 months of life. Autistic child 11. Self-injurious Behaviour The incident which I have chosen for my Nursing Project happened on the last day of my learning difficulties placement. It involved a young Autistic man, who I will refer to as ‘John’ thro 12. Vaccine Children are one of God's best gifts to people, as watching their children grow is one of the best pleasures people enjoy during their life course. For this reason, parents must take good care of thei 13. Autism Isolated in their own worlds, people with appear indifferent and remote. They are normally unable to form emotional bonds with others. Although people with this brain disorder can display a wide range 14. Medical Miracles On The Horizon The world and its inhabitants will face a multitude of problems in the 21st Century, including drug addiction, deadly disease, violent crime, warfare and hostility, hunger, and homelessness to name a 15. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Throughout the years, studies have shown that prenatal alcohol use can cause physical and mental disabilities in infants and children. According to Anderson " (FAS) is expressed as a pattern of mental 16. Schitzophrenia, Childhood, Mental, Anxiety And Other Disorders By: Michael Dugger and Amanda Peachrin Mental Disorders The term mental disorder means psycological and behavioral syndromes that deviate signicantly from those typical of human beings enjoying good m 17. Schitzophrenia And Other Mental Disorders By: Michael Dugger and Amanda Peachrin Mental Disorders The term mental disorder means psycological and behavioral syndromes that deviate signicantly from those typical of human beings enjoying good m 18. Mental Disorders are psychological and behavioral syndromes that deviate significantly from those typical of human beings enjoying good mental health. In general, a mental disorder involves present distress or impairm 19. Nurture Plus Nature Psych101 Dec.9th 1996 The classic debated topic of nurture versus nature has been, and always will be an argumentative subject in the scientific world. Some psychologists and scientists share the view 20. Autism The term " was first used more than 50 years ago by psychiatrist named Dr. Leo Kanner. He was working at Johns Hopkins University’s, Child Psychiatric Clinic with a group of children who were most oft |
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Autism: 5
Things You've Wondered But Never Asked - Term Paper Reference - Autism
By Jessica Deets While most people understand that autism affects the brain, impairing communication and interaction skills, very few realize that scientists don't even really know what causes it. Recent studies indicated that as many as 1 in 166 people are affected by some form of autism. With the rate so high, educating ourselves about autism is crucial. Here are a few things about autism that might surprise you. 1. Is there more than one kind of autism? Autism Spectrum Disorder is the title that describes a group of conditions. Classic autism, which is also known as Kanner's syndrome, is one of these. Also Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). Each of these differ in expression of symptoms and even different people diagnosed with the same condition can vary in their level of functioning. Despite these different categories, autism causes developmental difficulties in three major areas: communication, social behavior, and repetitive behavior patterns. 2. What causes autism? While there is no exact answer for what causes autism, there are several things that scientists do know. People with autism differ neurologically from those without autism. Some people may have a genetic disposition toward autism. The brain chemical, Serotonin is elevated in people with autism. While these conclusions do not seem very close to a cause, they are encouraging to families who deal with this condition. From the point of view of those whose loved ones are autistic, they want to first, find the cause, and then find the cure. 3. Is there any prevention? Early intervention has been shown to help those with autism. While many parents don't discover their child has autism until they are toddlers, those who identify the problem early on and seek professional assistance have a greater chance of having higher functioning children. From a report of one family with two boys with autism, the children developed normally until nearly 3 years old, when they began to slip backward cognitively and socially. It is very important to diagnose autism early, as this seems to be the only way to affect the outcome of the brain, as it is in it's most crucial stage of development. 4. Who is more likely to be autistic? Boys are more four times more likely to have autism than girls. This is the only discrimination that autism affords. Otherwise, autism doesn't care about race, wealth or status, it affects all populations equally. 5. What is the treatment autism? Autism can be treated through a combination of drugs and therapies. It is not uncommon for a child with autism to have several therapists in their home during the week. While these are not cures, they can help families manage through difficult times in an autistic child's development. Life expectancy is no different for a person with autism than it is for the general population, so parents must think ahead to who will care for their autistic children when and if they no longer can. Autism is a very complicated condition that affects millions of Americans. And because people with autism don't generally display any physical signs it is hard for strangers to identify their disorder. Often, a child with autism appears out of control in a public setting, kicking, thrashing, screaming, and causing alarm to on-lookers. It is important that we all know a little more about autism so we can be more sympathetic in these situations. Jessica Deets is passionate about autism and other disorders and volunteers her time to help organizations dedicated to overcoming physical disorders. The website at http://www.bestautismnews.com has more information and news about autism. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Deets |