CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Children with Autism

Children with Autism

Introduction

Autism was first defined in the 1940s by Leo Kanner, a psychiatrist, and was considered a disorder caused by an emotionally unavailable mother. This theory was the prevalent thought throughout the 1970s, with a gradual shift to understanding that autism is a brain-based disorder of undetermined origin. Educational implications and theories of how to help children with autism learn have been a part of this shift in thinking, with continued controversies on treatment and methods. This entry provides a definition of autism and information on models of instruction and therapeutic treatments, which remain a point of dissension within the educational community.

The complex neurological disorder autism, or autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) as it is most commonly known today, has been a cause for mother blame since the early 1940s. In the early days, professionals blamed mothers for lacking warmth and thereby contributing to children's lack of social reciprocity. Despite modern scientific knowledge, mothers of children with autism are still struggling to prove themselves guilt-free in the eyes of both professionals and society as a whole.

Discussion

Autism is one of a group of neurobiological disorders identified as pervasive developmental disorders by the American Psychiatric Association. Autism is defined as a condition that includes impairments in social interaction and communication with repetitive, stereotypical, or restricted patterns of behavior that interfere with interactions and learning. Identification of this disorder usually occurs before age 3, often as a result of the child not developing language or losing communication skills previously evident. For children identified later in life, symptoms are found to have been evident before age 3, even if a diagnosis was not made during the early years (Siegel, 2003).

Those diagnosed with autism have marked impairments in reciprocal social interaction and communication, as well as restrictive and repetitive interests or behaviors. The manifestations of autism vary depending on the age and level of development of the individual. In the past 20 years, the prevalence of autism has increased dramatically. In the 1980s, there were approximately 1 in 2,500 people diagnosed with autism. In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1 in 150 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism. According to the Autism Society of America (2009), there are about 1.5 million Americans who have some form of autism. The Autism Society of America also predicts that this number could increase to 4 million over the next 10 years. The exact cause of autism is unknown, and there is no known cure. The stress placed on families when a child is diagnosed with autism can be devastating. With the number of children diagnosed with autism increasing each year, it is imperative for social workers to have the knowledge, understanding, and ability to support these families. The exact cause of autism is not known. It is generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in the structure and function of the brain. There are a number of theories on the cause of these abnormalities currently being ...