AUTISM

Autism

Autism

Introduction

Autism is defined as a complex developmental disability that usually appears during the first three years of life. Many people with autism experience difficulty in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. Autism makes it hard for them to relate to the outside world. Some other effects of this disorder are extreme aggressive behavior. (Howlin, 1998, 322) This aggressive behavior can be towards others and even to themselves. People with autism may show behaviors such as repeated body movements such as rocking or hand flapping, resistance to changes in certain routines and unusual and unexplained responses to people. They may also show signs of abnormal responses to sensations.

Causes and Symptoms of Autism

The one question that remains to be positively answered is: What causes autism? Even though a single specific cause of autism is not know, researchers have been able to link autism to neurological or biological differences in the brain. In some cases, there appears to be a pattern of autism in families supporting the thought that this disorder may very well be genetic. Although, almost all people with autism are born to parents who do not have the condition. It also appears that autism could be influenced by environmental factors. Autism can result from certain events before or shortly after birth. Factors such as infection of the brain with herpes virus, infection of the pregnant mother with rubella virus, and also problems with brain structure such as hydrocephalus which is also known as "water on the brain." (Howlin, 1998, 322) Although, this has yet to be proven because no gene has been directly linked to the disorder. With this all still a sort of mystery, there is one thing for sure that has been able to be proven. This is that autism is not a mental illness.

The prevalence of this disorder is not yet known but it is estimated that the range from one-in-500 to one-in-1, 000 cases are reported in the United States (nichd.nih.gov). It is also shown in statistics that autism affects males three-to-four times more than females. Current studies show that there is an increase in prevalence of this condition opposed to studies done in the 1960s. The reason for this is believed to be because there is more concrete diagnostic criteria to determine whether someone is classified with autism than there was in the 1960s.

Studies show that there are five different types of autism. The first type is Autistic Disorder. This is defined as impairments in social interaction, communication, and imaginative play prior to age three. The second type is Asperger's Disorder. This is characterized by impairments in social interactions and the presence of restricted interests and activities, with no clinically significant general delay in language, and testing in the range of average to above average intelligence. Third, is a disorder called, Pervasive Development Disorder. This disorder is commonly known as atypical autism. This is when a child does not meet the criteria for a specific diagnosis but there are severe ...