CHILDREN WITH ASD

Children with ASD



Table of Contents

Abstract2

Introduction3

Evolution of the Diagnostic Criteria10

DSM-I and DSM-II10

DSM-III and DSM-III-R11

DSM-IV and DSM-IV-TR13

Growing Awareness about the Causes of ASDs14

The Psychoanalytic View14

Recognition of Biological Factors16

Developments in Assessment and Treatment19

Innovation in Assessment Methods19

Progress in Treatment Methods21

Noteworthy Legislation Pertaining To ASDs24

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)24

No Child Left Behind27

Assistive Technology for ASDs28

Methodology30

Working with Families32

Conclusion33

References36

Abstract

The report focuses on the “Children with ASD.” The author has discussed various aspects about this disorder. This study evaluated the expert's papers about the children with autism spectrum disorders. ASDs can be found worldwide. Their formal history is less than a century old, yet individuals with ASD probably have existed throughout human existence, or at least for hundreds of years. This research focused on the collection of secondary data. The extraction of data has been done from a number of sources like articles, journals, internet publications and books. Secondary research aims at gathering information through different mediums like broadcast media, literature, publications and other kinds of sources. The rationale for this change is based on research showing that ASDs exist on a continuum; although their symptoms may range from mild to severe, all of these conditions represent a single type of underlying disorder.

Introduction

Child psychiatrist Leo Kanner published a groundbreaking paper in 1943 that introduced the world to the present-day concept of autism. Prior to Kanner, however, several physicians described the condition of autism without identifying it as such. A textbook published in 1809, titled Observations on Madness and Melancholy, and contained a description of a boy whose symptoms fit the modern definition of autism. The book's author, Dr. John Haslam, wrote about a 5-year-old male who was admitted to the Bethlem Asylum in 1799 with a medical history that included a case of measles when he was 1 year old. The boy's mother claimed that at age 2 years, her son became harder to control. She also indicated that he did not begin to walk until he was 2½ years of age and did not talk until he was 4 years old. Once hospitalized, the boy cried only briefly upon separation from his mother and was “constantly in action” suggesting that he was hyperactive. Hyperactivity is a characteristic commonly found in children with ASDs. Although this child watched other boys at play in the hospital, he never joined them and played intently with toy soldiers by himself. The boy could not learn to read and always referred to himself in the third person (Vaillant, 1962). Grammatical errors in speech can be observed among individuals with ASDs (Bromley, 2010, 409-423).

Haslam again examined this boy when the youngster reached the age of 13 years. He still was a loner who was obsessed with toy soldiers and military music. This youth was also preoccupied with attending church services, although it was reported that he did not comprehend their purpose. Prominent psychiatrist George Vaillant (1962) wrote that Haslam came closer than anyone else did to anticipating the definition of autism that emerged in the 20th century (Barnard, 2011, ...