Autism is a developmental disability that hugely impacts the lives of the people it touches. The word Autism comes from the Greek word autos, meaning self. To say that it only touches the life of the individual would be naïve; it is better stated that autism goes deep down into the person’s being, consuming their whole life by impacting their communication skills; intelligence, language and their overall behavior. There are many forms and degrees of severity of autism, therefore there is no universal treatment and each individual with the disability will respond to treatment in different ways. However, there are steps that can be taken to ensure that the individual develops and thrives. Autism affects not only how an individual interacts and communicates with others but how they develop; there is no cure, but early diagnosis, treatment and behavioural support can alleviate the stress of living with autism.
It must be understood that an early diagnosis plays a large role in choosing the appropriate treatment and behavioural support for a child with autism. There are signs and symptoms that can be recognized which should prompt a diagnosis. Generally speaking, symptoms of autism can begin to appear around the age of three. They include lack of touch, little eye contact, and no verbal skills. Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute recognized that delays in social skills, communication and motor skills can be seen as early as 14 months of age. Studies show that a child’s neural plasticity is at its maximum when a child is very young. (Exkorn, 2005, 88) When a child is only 14 months old their brain is more malleable and receptive. If you provide early intervention to children during these sensitive periods (zero to twelve wee...
... middle of paper ...
...ed – as the endpoint to an illness. But not anymore. In fact, my vision of healing doesn’t imply illness at all. And it’s not some passive state where you can wait for something to happen. Rather, I now think of healing as an active process: an energetic and constantly evolving process that encompasses hope and acceptance.” (6) The word disability is described as a condition that damages or limits a person's physical or mental abilities. (Merriam-Webster dictionary) Many would argue that this definition is inaccurate, especially for children with autism. Although some autistic individuals may seem handicapped to society because of their different forms of communication, high/low intelligence and social issues, they have talents and gifts locked up inside their brain that can be revealed through the assistance of early diagnosis, treatment and behavioural support.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that presents itself during the first three years of a person’s life (Nordqvist). Some children even develop normally until eighteen to twenty-four months old and then stop using or lose his/her skills (Bhargava). This condition is the result of a neurological disorder that affects a person’s normal brain functions, including the development of a person’s communication and social skills (Nordqvist).
“Your child has autism spectrum disorder” are words no parent wants to hear. They are words that will instill fear, worry, and sadness. When parents hear this for the first time, they will have many questions. “Is there anything I can do to help my child? If so, what can be done?” Early intervention services; such as applied behavior analysis therapy, occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy, and speech therapy before the age of three; can help improve the development of children with autism spectrum disorder. As an educator, early intervention is a subject teachers should be well educated in. It would be beneficial to the educator and the student, for a teacher to know and understand early intervention strategies.
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, issue, alludes to a scope of conditions described by challenges with social abilities, monotonous practices, discourse and nonverbal correspondence, and in addition by remarkable qualities and contrasts. Autism spectrum disorder falls under the developmental disability category. We now realize that there is not one type of autism but rather many sorts, caused by various mixes of hereditary and natural impacts. there is no cure of autism yet but there are other options as in treatments and education approaches that can help a person to lessen disruptive behavior and can teach basic skills for one’s independence
There are so many types of mental illnesses that affect people every day. When some people think of mental illnesses they think of the ones that would cause people to have physical symptoms as well, but that’s untrue, there are many more that you would never know anyone has if you were to see them on the street. As defined by the 2008 encyclopedia “a mental illness is any disease of the mind or brain that seriously affects a person’s ability or behavior. Symptoms of a mental illness may include extreme moods, such as excessive sadness or anxiety, or a decreased ability to think clearly or remember well.” A mentally ill person has severe symptoms that damage the person’s ability to function in everyday activities and situations. Every nation and every economic level can be affected by a mental illness. In the United States alone about 3% of the population has severe mental illness and to add to that number about 40% of people will experience a type of mental illness at least once in their lives. Some cases of mental illnesses can go away on their own, but some cases are so severe that they require professional treatment. There is so much more available to help people recover from their symptoms than in the past.
The Autism Spectrum is a mystery. With no cause or cure, researchers have been working hard, to the best of their abilities, to diagnose, treat, and educate those with autism. For centuries, since 1943, with enhanced technology, the view on autism has improved tremendously. New advancements have been developed to diagnose autism earlier, help create more successful treatments, and to help better an educational plan for people with autism.
Autism is a developmental disorder that appears within the first three years of a child’s life. It affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. Autism affects 1 out of 68 children. It is also the fastest growing disability in the United States. There are multiple types of Autism, some children are considered high functioning, and some are low functioning. “High functioning” is when a child with autism can function in life, and completes jobs, and chores with little to no help. “Low functioning” is when a child with autism cannot complete simple daily tasks without help, and (or) constant supervision.
Autism is a general term for a group of complex disorders of brain development. The Autism spectrum is vast and varies in degree of severity from person to person. The challenges that come with Autism Disorder include difficulty in social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. Autism has been a diagnosable disorder since 1951. Treatment options have changed since the first diagnosis. Available treatment today has advanced over the sixty-three year span and has become the best possible form of treatment available for Autism.
Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Rogers, T., Roberts, W., Brian, J., & Szatmari, P. (2005). Behavioral manifestations of autism in the first year of life. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 23(2), 143-152.
65 children, 52 boys and 13 girls who were not diagnosed with autism, from 3 different clinics, were used for this study. They were under 3 years of age, they were referred to the clinics due to social and/or language issues, and their parents provided informed consent. The children had also previously had 2 independent diagnostic evaluations. A second group of 37 children were used from this sample, th...
Understanding autism, which is professionally known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, otherwise known as (ADS) can be a difficult task, especially for someone who is not trained in helping persons with disabilities. The first person to discover autism was a child psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943. He names the spectrum disorder after the Greek word autos, meaning of or for oneself, due to the way the child display social avoidance. Many doctors’ believed in the past that autism was caused by the way the mother not caring for her child properly or ignoring him or her. There was also a time when it was thought to be caused by certain environmental stresses that cause neurological issues within the brain. Autism is one of the most misunderstood
Autism is a developmental disorder which affects many small aspects of the person's life and can sometimes affect major parts. Autism affects 1 in 68 children and for most it’s a lifelong
Autism is characterized as a developmental disorder that is seen in children by the age of three years old. Autism affects the brains normal, natural development, and causes many impairments. The major impairments that affect an individual are reciprocal socialization, Qualitative impairment in communication, and repetitive or unusual behavior. Signs of Autism can be seen in early infanthood, with proper awareness and resources. An infant child can appear to be adverse to eye contact early on. Some signs in early infancy appear as being indifferent to affection and physical contact. When spoken to, they can appear to be deaf or ignoring the parent or caregiver. Noticing the early red flags of Autism can provide an early intervention and give the child the best chance at learning to tolerate their environment. Children around three years old will display certain signs and symptoms.
Autism usually occurs within the first three years of life, and drastically affects the development of a child. It is also the fastest growing developmental disorder in the United States (Autism Project, 2014). One out of eighty- eight children is diagnosed with autism, and boys are five times more likely to be diagnosed (ASDS 2013). Many areas of development are affected by autism. This is a disease that disturbs the brains normal development of communication, social interaction, and sensory processing (Inc 2013).
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that effects the brains development. It is characterized by affecting communication, cognition and social interaction. The spectrum of the disorders ranges from a mild condition called Asperger’s syndrome to a more severe form, which severely impairer’s development. The Office of Communications and Public Liaison states that the disorder affects one and eighty-eight children, however ASD effects boys more frequently than girls (Office of Communications and Public Liaison, 2013). ASD emerges in all age, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The significant varied character and severity of the disorder is why ASD is considered a spectrum that poses a broad range of symptoms.
Mental health refers to the state of individuals psychologically, emotionally and socially. Mental health affects a person’s emotions, feelings, thoughts, and sections when exposed to different situations. Furthermore, mental health is responsible for a person’s reaction to stress and other social conditions. Generally, mental health affects how a person relates to others and their ability to understand and interact with them. Therefore, problems that affect a person’s mental health affect the abilities to socialize, their feelings, moods, reaction to situations. The person experiencing mental health problem may portray different behaviors when confronted with different issues. Mental health issues have several