AUTISM

Autism

Autism

Introduction

Autism in children is described as “A pervasive developmental disorder defined by the presence of abnormal and/or impaired development that is manifest before the age of 3 years, and by the characteristic type of abnormal functioning in all three areas of social interaction, communication, and restricted, repetitive behavior.” The disorder occurs in boys three to four times more often than in girls (Miller, 1994)

Working Thesis Statement

A child's physical and mental development can be mislead in many ways, and sometimes may result in different behavioral difficulties. Autism is one of the ways in which disturbed development may be shown. It is a severe mental and behavioral disorder that affects a child during his first three years of existence. Typically, an autistic child has difficulties in talking and understanding. Autism is a rare, severe developmental disorder that begins before four years of age. The condition appears as a group of symptoms, the most notable of which is an inability to relate socially to other people. True autism, also called early infantile autism or infantile autism, occurs in about 1 child in every 700. Boys are more commonly affected than girls. There is no known cure for the condition. The term autistic is sometimes used to describe people with severe emotional problems that resemble autism. Many people associate autism only with children. However, the disorder hinders an individual''s social and emotional development throughout life (Miller, 1994)

Discussion

Autism has been mystifying scientists for more half a century. The complex behavioral disorder encompasses a wide variety of symptoms, most of which usually appear before a child turns three. Children with autism are unable to interpret the emotional states of others, failing to recognize anger, sorrow or manipulative intent. Their language skills are often limited, and they find it difficult to initiate or sustain conversations. They also frequently exhibit an intense preoccupation with a single subject, activity or gesture(Wing)

These behaviors can be incredibly debilitating. How can you be included in a typical classroom if you can''t be dissuaded from banging your head on your desk? How can you make friends if your overriding interest is in calendars? When children with autism also suffer from mental retardation--as most of them do-the prognosis is even worse. Intensive behavioral therapy improves the outcome for many patients, but their symptoms can make it impossible for them to live independently, even if they have normal IQs (Miller, 1994).

In the effort to identify autism's causes, researchers had long sought to pinpoint exactly when the disorder begins. Previous speculation had focused on late gestation or early postnatal life as the time of origin, but there was no evidence to back up either hypothesis. The connection with thalidomide suddenly threw a brilliant new light on the subject. It suggested that autism originated in the early weeks of pregnancy, when the embryo's brain and the rest of its nervous system are just beginning to develop. Indeed, Miller and Stromland's work convinced me that the mystery of autism could soon be solved (Miller, ...