When people hear the word autism, they think of someone with mental disabilities. Psychology Concepts describes autism as a “complex and poorly understood disorder.” (541) According to the National Institute of Mental Health, autism is defined as “a group of developmental brain disorders, collectively called autism spectrum disorder (ASD)”. There are five different disorders in the spectrum, which include autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, pervasive developmental disorder (not otherwise specified), Rett’s disorder, and childhood disintegrative disorder. Many people do not know there are various disorders that are considered a form of autism.
Autistic disorder is also known as classic autism and is what is commonly thought of when people hear the word autism. Children with this disorder have impairments with communication and social interaction and can often experience language delays. Also, children tend to show repetitive actions and have intellectual disabilities. The Autism Community website provides a list of symptoms that can help diagnose children. Based on this list, there are a certain number of symptoms from each category that suggest that a child should be tested for autism. According to an article written by Yong- Hwee Nah and his colleagues, “The Autism Detection in Early Childhood” was developed in 2007. Treatments for classic autism include an assortment of options such as speech and occupational therapy.
Asperger’s disorder is one of the milder forms of autism in which people can still be high functioning. Children diagnosed with this disorder suffer from social isolation and have difficulties communicating. Also, they show restrictive and repetitive actions. According to Aspergers. com, people with...
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...epetitive daily schedule, and a large interest in cars. He is usually very quiet at family events, however he will open up to a few people. He really likes talking to my older brother and loves spending time with him. Steve does not like change; he always orders food from the same restaurants and eats around the same time each day. He also always has a bottle of water and hand sanitizer with him. I can tell he loves cars because he has many car magazines, model cars, and always talks about cars with my brother. Steve would be considered high functioning because he is able to hold a steady job as a bus driver. However, he never moved out of my grandparent’s house and has never had a relationship. Steve has experienced difficulty dealing with his disorder and went through depression a few years ago. Thankfully, he managed to overcome that and has improved.
First, those who suffer from Asperger’s tend to lack the basic social skills required in everyday life, such as hugging, communicating, or expressing their feelings. For example, in “The Curious Incident” Christopher hits people who touch him in an unwelcome manner. So when his father became angry with him, and he latched onto Christopher’s arm: “I don’t like when people grab me. And I don’t like being surprised either. So I hit
A Comparison between Christopher Boone and Raymond Babbitt Asperger s disorder is not a disease, but a developmental brain disorder. It is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls and it shows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle and educational levels do not affect the chance of Asperger s disorder occurrence. According to Hans Asperger: It is important to know that the person with AS perceives the world differently. Therefore, many behaviours that seem odd are due to neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behaviour.
Asperger syndrome belongs to a group of childhood disorders commonly known as pervasive developmental disorders or PDD's. The disorder is recognized as a less severe case of autism. Children who have the disorder have a difficult time in social settings but excel in other areas of inteligence. The disorder is usually a lifelong struggle but has few cases where the patent recovers in adulthood. The disorder is not widely understood by the population but it is becoming a more well known disorder. There is currently no cure for this disorder.
In the 1940’s two doctors in different countries observed children displaying similar behaviors and deficits. One of the doctors was Viennese pediatrician Dr. Hans Asperger and the other was a child psychiatrist named Leo Kanner. Dr. Kanner was the first of the two doctors to report his observations. What he described were behaviors similar to those seen in children with what we call Autistic disorder. The behaviors affected the children’s communication, social interaction and interests. Dr. Asperger later published an article discussing what he dubbed “Autistische Psychpathen im Kindesalter” which translates to “Autistic Psychopathy”. Although some behaviors overlapped, there were differences leading to the belief that these doctors were documenting two different disorders. The two most prevalent were the differences in motor and language abilities (Miller, Ozonoff). Another was Asperger’s belief that his patients were of normal or above average intelligence. It was not until 1994 that Asperger Syndrome was entered into the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM IV), finally becoming an official diagnosis. At the time, Asperger Syndrome (AS) was labeled as a subcategory of autism along with autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive development disorder. Since then, the community of people with Asperger Syndrome has grown to love and better understand the disorder that they live with every day. Some of them have even affectionately named themselves “Aspies”.
In 1968, the APA referred to autism as a single disorder, and now it is known to be a syndrome of behavioral and medical effects. Along with autism, several related disorders are grouped under Pervasive Developmental Disorders, PDD, a general category ...
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be detected early in a child’s life. ASD is a developmental disorder classified by problems with social interaction,
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.
Because autism symptoms vary in degrees and severity, autism is considered a spectrum disorder; each individual falls somewhere within the spectrum depending on their specific symptoms. Though autism affects a small percentage of children, the number of those affected is on the rise. There are different types of autism including Asperger’s, a mild form of autism in which the individual affected becomes obsessive over interests, and Rett syndrome which affects mostly females and is marked by the loss of communication skills. Asperger’s is on the higher
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.
Asperger’s is one disorder of many in the Autism Spectrum. The Autism Spectrum includes early infantile autism, childhood autism, Kanner’s autism, high-functioning autism, atypical autism, pervasive developmental disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Asperger’s (“American Psychiatric Association,” 2013). All disorders found in the spectrum are neurodevelopmental disorders. These types of disorders deal with impairments of development and growth of the brain and nervous system (Lord & Bishop, 2010). Each disorder found in the spectrum may have similarities, but are different from one another too. Asperger’s was not a part of the Autism Spectrum until the latest update of DSM-5 in 2013. It was classified as its own category, but now is an Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD (Macintosh & Dissanayake, 2004). The moving of Asperger’s Syndrome into the Autism Spectrum took place because of the various similarities to ASDs.
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.
This paper was reprinted with permission of Susan Moreno on the O.A.S.I.S. (Online Asperger's Syndrome Information and Support)
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.)
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.
I know autism when I see it. For those not familiar with autism, Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, defines autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees (hence, a “Spectrum” that includes both low- and high-functioning individuals), by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.