Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder

What is Autism? Autism, more recently referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is an umbrella term for a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that can be characterized by difficulties with verbal & nonverbal communication, social interactions, and repetitive behaviors. The word spectrum infers that there is a range of symptoms, impairments, and severity of ASD. Theses can be arranged as a hierarchical levels based on the severity and functionality of the individual. The sub groups of ASD include Asperger syndrome, autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Some with ASD have visual, musical, mathematical, or artistic abilities that they particularly excel

According to the Autism Society there are two different categories of treatment (1) nonmedical which constists of behavioral, educational, communication and other therapies, (2) biomedical treatments such as diet modification, adding vitamins and minerals, gut treatments, immune system regulations and others. There are medicines that are used to treat the three core symptoms of autism but they are most effective when other interventions are used in conjuction, most commonly being behavioral therapy. Other therapies treatments include speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy, and physical therapy. Challenges with motor skills are addressed by physical therapists, although some individuals with ASD have these challenges, there are many that don’t. Some of the common challenges that they can present with are difficulties with sitting, walking, running, and jumping, just to name a few. The role of a physical therapist is to evaluate the physical limitations of the individual and then develop a program that will improve poor muscle tone, balance, coordination, or any of the identified limitations. The research field for autism is a difficult one, because each individual with ASD is

My mother worked in an integrated preschool that had kids with many different disabilities and also children without disabilities. Many of theses kids were diagnosed with autism, and a few that weren’t officially diagnosed but had many symptoms that could lead to a diagnosis of autism. I would go in every once in a while and help my mother and other teachers out when I was in high school. Around that time there was no diagnosis of ASD that I was aware of, it was simply known as autism. As I got older I was more and more aware of the fact that there was a wide range of autism based on the functionality of each individual. Some were high functioning and able to do most things by themselves where as others were heavily dependent on caregivers all day. I think that is when I really became more fascinated by ASD because it wasn’t a cookie cutter diagnosis; there wasn’t a set regiment for diagnosing or treating individuals with ASD. This paper is the most in-depth research I have done on ASD and have learned so much more about this diagnosis, which may come along with all the research that has been done since the last time I did a project about ASD. But these projects were also not as focused on treatments or as keen on the research part of ASD they were more of just what is autism and who can be diagnosed with