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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.