AUTISM

Assignment 2: Autism Reflection and Research



Assignment 2: Autism Reflection and Research

Introduction

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, along with restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Autism is an enigmatic disorder of unknown etiology that affects almost all areas of development and is present from birth. Across the country, states are reporting increases in the number of children with this disorder being served each year in the education system, with an average increase of more than 800% since 1992 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], ).

This increase in children with autism, along with treatment studies suggesting substantial gains when treatment is provided at a very early age (Lovaas, 1987; McGee, Daly, & Jacobs, 1994; McGee, Morrier, & Daly, 2000; Strain & Cordisco, 1994), has led to an increased emphasis on early intervention (EI). Although no specific treatment has emerged as the established standard for all children with autism, several methods have demonstrated efficaciousness in research settings and are now considered best practice.

Recently two movements have dealt with the proliferation of multiple treatment methods for children with autism. The first involves the development of best practice guidelines, which either list common practices used with children with autism or include a critical assessment of available practices. The best practices guidelines for California (California Department of Education, 1997) currently include a list of many treatments available for children with autism, without regard for empirical support In contrast, the New York EI program developed a set of recommendations for children with autism ages 0 to 3 years (New York State Department of Health, EI Program, 1999), which did consider experimental evidence for treatment efficacy. They reported strong evidence for intensive behavioral and educational programming but still offered no recommendations for specific strategies. This method has resulted in a list of preferred treatments to be considered when designing EI programs for children with autism.

Discussion Analysis

Naturalistic observation

Naturalistic Qualitative Research: an inside perspective on children with autism in Malaysia Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that has a prevalence of one in 110 children in the USA and one in 625 children in Malaysia (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010; Dolah, Yahay & Chong, 2011). Children with autism are considered to be a heterogeneous group, with considerable individual differences in how autism manifests in each child (Siegel). The Diagnostic and Statistical Model of Mental Disorder-IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for autism states that children should display considerable impairments in social interactions, qualitative deficits in communication, and repetitive behavior patterns. There is a growing awareness of autism in Malaysia, necessitating naturalistic research to understand how diagnosis and intervention can best be addressed at centers in Malaysia (Dolah et al.).

Joint attention deficits have become a crucial factor in understanding and treating autism as well as in the diagnosis of autism in young children (Bruinsma, Koegel & Koegel, 2004; Jones & Carr, 2004). Acts of joint attention involves two individuals sharing attention of an object or event in ...