Autism is a collection of various neurodevelopmental disorders, often represented by social communication difficulties and unusual, repetitive behavior and interests, evident from early childhood. In a survey conducted by the Australian bureau of statistics (ABS) in 2012, 115,400 Australians suffered from Autism, which equates to 0.5% of the total population. The prevalence of this disorder in Australia has seen a major increase from 2009, where 64,400 people had the condition (ABS, 2012). Males have been seen to be four times more likely to suffer from the disorder then females. Individuals who suffer from Autism are characterized to have unusual cognitive profiles, which include impaired understanding of how to behave in social environments, …show more content…
executive dysfunction and abnormal information processing (Lai, Lombardo & Baron-Cohen, 2014). The occurrence of autism spectrum disorder cannot be determined by one single cause, however it is generally accepted that the disorder is the result of abnormalities in the child’s brain structure and function.
In addition to the environmental factors during the child’s early development, such as ingesting harmful substances during pregnancy, genetics also plays a major role in the causation of autism. Individuals, who suffer from specific medical conditions, such as fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis and congenital rubella syndrome, tend to experience higher prevalence of the disorder. Once the individual has been diagnosed with the disorder, early intervention can attempt to improve the child’s social communication skills, reduce anxiety and lower their aggression levels. It is crucial that the individual suffering with the disorder is within a supportive and nurturing …show more content…
environment. In an attempt to provide a commonly understood language and criteria for defining and classifying mental disorders, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) published the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1952. Currently the DSM is in its fifth edition. According to the fourth edition of the DSM (DSM-IV), an individual would be diagnosed with Autism if they showed characteristics from six impairments within three categories, social, communication and behavior/interests. In the fifth and latest revision of the DSM, an individual is diagnosed with Autism, if they showed difficulties in social communication, including deficits in social emotional reciprocity, deficits in nonverbal communication and deficits in developing and maintain social relationships, as well as abnormal interests and behaviors. With regards to the DSM classification of autism, in the domain of social communication, language impairments are a key criterion differentiating autism from other developmental disorders, such as Asperger’s syndrome. It is widely accepted that by definition of autism, the individual who suffers from the disorder demonstrates delays and deficiencies in the acquisition of language (Tager-Flusberg, 2009). Difficulties regarding verbal and non-verbal communication, is central to ones understanding of the disorder as it is often the first noticeable symptom (Kjelgaard & Tager-Flusberg, 2001). The first study into the disorder began with Christiane Baltaxe’s research of pragmatic deficits in the language of autistic adolescents in 1977. Her research attempted to identify the features that distinguished language impairments associated with autism in comparison to other developmental disorders. Baltaxe’s research concluded that children who are diagnosed with autism experienced extensive difficulties with regards to communicative capabilities. Such difficulties include, complications with narrative skills and a restricted range of speech acts (Hughes, Hall & McEvoy, 1998). Children who suffer from the autism disorder experience a range of language impairments. Pragmatic Language Disorders (PLD) refers to a particular category of language impairments that unfortunately affects all autistic children. Pragmatic Language Disorders are characterized by the inability to comprehend and understand non-literal sequences such as jokes and metaphors, difficulties with assumptions and other conversational behaviours (Belkadi, 2006). Pragmatic Language Disorders are also associated with difficulties in the production of speech. Due to the fact that children who suffer from autism experience major difficulties in terms of communication, specifically around people who are unknown to them, analysing their language skills are an immense challenge. In addition to this non-pragmatic characteristic of autism, sufferers have also been associated with impaired phonological skills. This refers to an individual’s ability to recognise the sound structure of their verbal communications. In research conducted by Simon Baron-Cohen, many autism children were found to lack adequate phonological skills and therefore their speech has been described as monotonous and dull (Baron-Cohen, 1997). Those suffering from autism also experience a cognitive disorder known as mind-blindness.
This cognitive disorder refers to an individual who is unaware of other’s mental states and is a key indicator of an individual’s ability to communicate and be social with others. This ability is a major deficit for those suffering with autism. The Mind-blindness theory portrays that children who lack these abilities display an underdeveloped theory of mind. The mind blindness theory is unable to account for certain characteristics associated with autism such as repetitive behavior, and perceptual processing abnormalities, however it does address some of the language deficiencies (Frith,
2001). The theory of mind is able to account for the language impairments that autistic individuals experience. The theory of mind is referring to the idea that individuals who suffer from the disorder are unable to comprehend that other people have their own thoughts and point of view. Moreover, they experience difficulty when it comes to understanding and accepting other people’s decisions, emotions and beliefs (Edelson, 2015). Failing to understand that other individuals may have varying perspectives then that of their own results in many autistic individuals to experience major difficulties when it comes to interacting with others socially and communicating in ways that everyone can understand. The theory originated in 1985, when Simon Baron-Cohen, Alan Leslie and Uta Frith proposed that children suffering from autism experience the inability to understand another person’s beliefs. For the past decade the cognitive impairment of language difficulties can be closely associated to the deficits referred to in theory of mind, which are widely considered to be at the core of autism. The theory of mind perspective of autism provides a crucial theoretical outlook of the nature of the language complications possessed by those with autism. There have been multiple studies conducted in an attempt to investigate the theory of mind in autism, such as false belief tasks, deception tasks and visual perspective taking. When developing an individual’s theory of mind, the ability to recognize that other people posse’s thoughts and beliefs about the world that may contrast their own. This ability can be determined by undergoing the false belief task. The false beliefs task are deceptively basic, however they require the participant to exhibit a variety of abilities and face problems that can be solved in different ways (Frith, 2001). There are varying versions of this task, originating from Heinz Wimmer and Josef Perner in 1983. Currently, the most common adaptation of the false belief test is referred to as the “sally-Anne task”. In order for a child to pass this task they must be able to comprehend that another individual’s representation of a particular situation can vary from their own interpretation. Typically, normal mentally developing children will be able to pass this test by the age of 4 or 5, however children suffering with the autism disorder will only be able to pass this test later in life. Comparing children with Down’s syndrome and autism who underwent the false belief test, 86% of participants suffering from Down’s syndrome passed the test, whilst 80% of autism affected participants failed (Baron-Cohen, Leslie & Frith, 1985). This test acts as evidence for supporting the theory of mind concept as it highlights that autistic children experience significant challenges when it comes to comprehending a false belief. Despite the extensive amounts of evidence supporting the theory of mind as an appropriate explanation for the social and communication based deficits that those suffering with autism experience, many studies have criticised the accuracy of the theory. With reference to the false belief task, philosopher Daniel Dennet claims that the task is not sufficient enough to determine that one individual can predict that mental state of another (Bloom & German, 2000). Based on tests conduced by Simon Baron-Cohen, it was concluded that the main deficiency experienced by autistic children is the incapability to comprehend the thoughts and beliefs of others, however these tests did not take into account many of the other difficulties that autistic children are forced to live with. These difficulties include language impairments, high anxiety/stress levels, and misinterpretations of prepositions (Zurcher, 2012). Furthermore, 20% of autistic children passed the Sally-Ann false belief task, which shows that the theory of mind account has its limitations, as it doesn’t account for all children with the disorder (Frith & Happe, 1994).
Part of the disruption in communication and social interaction that occurs with many individuals who have autism can be better explained by the Theory of Mind and Executive Function Theory. These two theories are very similar in nature in that they both place great emphasis on the executive function of the mind. Executive functions are “cognitive abilities that appear to depend on the prefrontal cortex” of the brain (Pinel, 2014, p. 349). Executive function also encompasses “innovative thinking, lateral thinking, insightful thinking, and assimilating new information to update plans and strategies” (Pinel, 2014, p. 349). This is significant because the executive function of the brain can impact one’s ability to empathize and relate to others, interpret and sustain social interactions, and process new information (Williams et al, 2014). Many times individuals with autism are unable to understand and process what others are feeling. For example, they can recognize sadness or when somebody is crying, but they do not associate with it. It’s not that they don’t feel these emotions themselves, they absolutely do. However, they may have trouble connecting and relating to those feelings when they see somebody else experiencing them. This can result in difficulty in making and sustaining relationships with
Cognitive challenges also exist when counseling children with ASD as they have difficulty distinguishing their own mind from somebody else’s, this is known as theory of mind (Woods et al., 2013). Counselors should address deficiencies in theory of mind as the lack of knowledge in others feelings and empathy causes challenges across all social contexts for children. While there are a numerous factors to consider when providing therapy for children with ASD, therapeutic interventions are crucial to the development of social skills as well as adaptive emotional and behavioral responses in social settings.
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).
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.
Every year doctors diagnose thousands of adults and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Due to the growing awareness of autism and recent developments in technology, scientists and doctors can now discover and observe the effects of autism on society, and people. Starting with its discovery, researchers have been able to diagnose people more effectively. Doctors are beginning to discover what causes this disorder, and are currently trying to find ways to prevent and treat it. Many places have opened their doors to people with this disorder, creating autistic friendly environments where people are patient and understanding. Schools have also become accommodating to autistic children and adults. Autism also puts great strain on family and home lives.
Autism is a form of neurodevelopment disorder in the autism spectrum disorders. It is characterized by impaired development in social interactions and communication, both verbal and non-verbal. There is an observed lack of spontaneous acts of communication; both receptive and expressed, as well as speech impairments. A person diagnosed with Autism will also show a limited range of activities and interests, as well as forming and maintain peer relationships. The individuals will display limited interests, which are often very focused and repetitive. He or she is likely to be very routine oriented and may show behavioral symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggressiveness, and self-injurious behaviors.
In 1943, Dr. Leo Kanner, Austrian psychiatrist, published a report on 11 of his patients, entitled “Autistic Disturbances of Affective contact”. He used the term “early infantile autism” to describe “extreme aloneness” that he saw was characteristic. This group of children were alike in behavioral aspects but were different from the normal children. All of the described children were not able to develop normal social relat...
What is Autism? People are quick to label people as Autistic but very rarely understand what it means though they may nod their head and say "ohh makes sense". Autism - also know as ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder- is a complex developmental disorder affecting primarily ones communication and social interaction skills. Meaning they have difficulties communicating effectively or even at all. They struggle in social setting and don 't typically excel in social games or activities.
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 an intricate developmental disorder that is characteristically noticed by parents and or diagnosed by parents between the ages of eight-teen months and three years of age. In recent studies, Werner (2001) isolated themes from in-depth interviews conducted with different parents of children with autism. These themes included the following findings: the family’s life revolves around dealing with the child’s autism and unusual behaviors; parents feel losses because they and their children cannot lead a so called normal life; and the family experiences only fleeting moments of actually feeling like a typical family. Autism does not effect a particular type of person it occurs in all social, racial, and ethnic groups.
Autism is a disorder characterized by significant problems in communication and social functioning. Autism is actually called Autism Spectrum Disorder and encompasses a broad range disabilities such as Asperger syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, and Pervavasive Development Disorder (Dunlap & Fox, n.d.). There are also varying degrees of the disorder from low-functioning (no communication and no social interaction) to high-functioning (some communication and inappropriate but existent social skills.)
positive and negative. Some of these treatments include Early Start Therapy and the Early Start
"If you've met one person with autism, you've met on person with autism. " Nobody can relate to autism unless you are diagnosed with autism but I want people to understand what autism is. The cause of Autism is yet to be discovered but there are vital points that can lead to the finding just like the symptoms of autism are discovered and treatments are being developed. How did Autism start?
The mildest form of autism is Aspergers Syndrome. Affecting males three times more often than females. Usually children with Aspergers become obsessed with a certain object or topic. If they become obsessed with a topic they will talk about it all the time and learn as much about it as they can. Although this helps individuals with this disorder have normal to above average intelligence, their social skills are lacking greatly. (Autism Spectrum Disorders) Often characteristics associated with social s...