Preview

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3728 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Autism Spectrum Disorder
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Danella Armstrong Coun 646 Liberty University

Abstract Autism is a very unique disorder in that no two individuals with the disability are identical with regard to signs and symptoms. Because there is such variety in the behavior and level of functioning with this disability, there are several other diagnosis under the umbrella of Autism to include: Asperger’s disorder, Rett’s disorder, Fragile X Syndrome, Child Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Development Disorder NOS. All of these disorders have similar characteristics; however, there are also so very distinct differences between them. Research shows that the world of Autism is changing but still has a long way to go.

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that is characterized by qualitative impairments in social interaction, communication, and behavior patterns and activities that are repetitive, restrictive, and stereotypic (Manning-Courtney, et. Al. 2013). Under the umbrella of Autism Spectrum disorder lies several other disorders that are characterized by similar impairments. These disorders are identified as Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Childhood Disintegrative disorder, Rett Syndrome, and Fragile X Syndrome. To be diagnosed as being on the spectrum versus having autism indicates that the individual exhibits enough of the characteristics on the autism spectrum to receive a formal developmental diagnosis; however, they do not exhibit enough of the characteristics for it to be labeled “autism.” An example would be a child that displays qualitative impairments in social interaction and communication but does not exhibit any repetitive, restrictive, or stereotypic patterns in his or her behaviors or activities.
Autism is usually manifested during early toddler stages. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is recommended that “all children be screened for



References: ASHA. (2013). Autism. Autism Spectrum Disorders. Retrieved from http://www.asha. org /public/speech/disorders/Autism.htm. Atwood, T. (2006) Aspergers Syndromm. Tizard Learning Disability Review Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Garber B. Kathryn. Visootsak, Jeanine. Warren T Stephen. (2008). Fragile X syndrome. Journal of Human Genetics, Pp. 666-672,Vol. 16. Doi: 1018-4813/08. Hayward, P Neely, J., Amatea, E.S., Echevarria-Doan, S., & Tannen, T. (2011). Working with Families living with Autism: Potential contributions of marriage and family Parr, Jeremy. (2010). Autism. Institute of neuroscience, Pp. 1-2, Jan 2010, retrieved from http://ncbi.nlm.hih.gov.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Autism is a condition that effects the development and behavior of a person. It is usually identified in early childhood and is diagnosed by recognizing three deficiencies. These include; impaired social skills, communication and repetitive behaviors. Children with autism show limited interest in people and have difficulties identifying emotions. Autism is a condition that children are born with, although the cause is still unknown. The dramatic increase of autism over the past two decades, has raised many questions to weather it is an epidemic. It is evident that numbers of people being diagnosed are rising, although there are still not justifiable reasons as to why. Many Scientists believe that autism is in fact fiction because the diagnosis criteria for autism broadened in the 1990’s, epidemiology is not an accurate way of testing and because there were records of children with autism before the 1990’s.…

    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    autism

    • 1176 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Autism is a mental disease or disorder characterized by difficulties and problems in talking, interacting, communicating and performing activities. Autism is characterized in many different degrees, one worse than the other. The disorder is commonly established in the first 2 years of age; anyhow, they are autistic since the first day they were born. According to scientists, autism is much more likely in boys than in girls: one in 88 girls and I in 54 boys. Autism is the fastest growing disease in the United States. This complex disorder has no cure, except to understand the “world” of these children. Autism is an expensive disease, costing a family $60000 a year. The many different symptoms of autism can occur by themselves or in combination with other conditions such as: mental retardation, blindness, deafness, and epilepsy and echolalia. Children with autism vary widely in their abilities and behavior. Each symptom may appear differently in each autistic child. Children with autism often show some forms repetitive behavior called stereotype behavior. Each child with autism is unique. Some symptoms and characteristics are: problems in socialization, speech, language, and communication, strange relationships to objects and events, unusual responses to sensory stimulation, and progress delays.Autism is a mental disease or disorder characterized by difficulties and problems in talking, interacting, communicating and performing activities. Autism is characterized in many different degrees, one worse than the other. The disorder is commonly established in the first 2 years of age; anyhow, they are autistic since the first day they were born. According to scientists, autism is much more likely in boys than in girls: one in 88 girls and I in 54 boys. Autism is the fastest growing disease in the United States. This complex disorder has no cure, except to understand the “world” of these children. Autism is an expensive disease, costing a family $60000 a year. The many…

    • 1176 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    THE AUTISTIC SPECTRUM According to the National Institute of Mental Health, all children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders demonstrate deficits in, social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviours or interests. Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders do not follow the same patterns of child development. In some children, hints of future problems may be apparent from birth. Most of the time, problems in communication and social skills become more noticeable as the child lags further behind other children the same age. There are also many other disorders that often go hand and hand with ASD, such as Attention Deficit Disorder. There have been a lot of studies showing the correlation between the two. Which of course makes learning that much harder, considering it is often difficult to teach the Autistic child, due to the lack of social cues and skills. In addition, the lack of attention is often problematic. (National Institute of Mental Institute)…

    • 4926 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Autism Fact Sheet

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages

    As I began reading the articles on autism I knew that I did not know much about this disorder and who were the most affected by it. It affects 1 out of 88 children in the world and most of them are males who are four times more likely to develop ASD than females (“Autism Fact Sheet”). Early signs of Autism may appear in the first months of life, and children with autism do not reach maturation as fast as normal children. One of the most common signs is that a normal child will point to objects or smile when seeing their mother before the end of their first year. But children with autism develop this behavior much later, symptoms like this may go on unnoticed by parents or doctors in infancy but, by the age of two to three it is clear that something is wrong with the child (“Autism Fact Sheet”). As I continued reading the article I started to realize how difficult this disease is for children and adults. Children have to rely on their parents most of their lives, and their disease can become more serious if not treated correctly. Autism can impair the lives of children, but it cannot impair their intelligence.…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The autism/autistic spectrum describes a range of conditions classified as neurodevelopmental disorders. These disorders are characterised by social deficits and communication difficulties, stereotyped or repetitive behaviours and interests, and in some cases, cognitive delays. These disorders include Autism, Asperger’s syndrome and Rett Syndrome.…

    • 1149 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The rate of Autism in our society is rapidly growing with time. More and more children are being diagnosed with this exceptionality. Autism is classified as a developmental disability that results from a disorder in the central nervous system. It causes impairments to social interaction, communication, imagination, interests, and activities. Most of the issues based around Autism are controversial because it is still not known what the cause of Autism is! Researchers strive every day to find why it is caused, but still nothing has been proven.…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Hallmark Feature of Asd

    • 3264 Words
    • 14 Pages

    - Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of neurodevelopment disorders characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and repetitive patterns of behavior. These signs usually begin before a child is three years old. Some parents report the change as being sudden, and that their children start to reject people, act strangely, and lose language and social skills they had previously acquired. In other cases there is a plateau of progress so that the difference between the child with autism and other children the same age becomes more noticeable. It is important to note that not all signs of autism appear in all autistic children. The degrees in which they appear may vary as well. But in its mildest forms, autism is more like a personality difference linked to difficulties in understanding social conventions.…

    • 3264 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Rain Man

    • 350 Words
    • 1 Page

    Autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 1 in 500 people. It impairs three main areas of human development. The three areas are speech, communication, and social interactions. All impairments can range from mild to severe. Some symptoms include lack of awareness of feelings of others and the expression of emotion, such as laughing or crying. People with autism also insist on following routines and resisting change.…

    • 350 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    According to the DSM IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), the diagnostic category of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of socialization and communication skills. Parents may note symptoms as early as infancy, although the typical age of onset is before three years of age. Symptoms may include problems with using and understanding language; difficulty relating to people, objects, and events; unusual play with toys and other objects; difficulty with changes in routine or familiar surroundings; and repetitive body movements or behavior patterns. Males are two times more likely to be diagnosed with PDD than females (Stewart, 2003). Autism, a developmental brain disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication skills, and a limited range of activities and interests, displays the most characteristics of and is the best studied PDD. Other types of PDD include Asperger 's Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Rett 's Syndrome (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger’s Syndrome, and autism are more often referred to as autism spectrum disorders (ASD).…

    • 3062 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social behavior, communication and by restricted and repetitive behavior and interests (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Although an individual must show impairment in all three autistic ‘domains’ to receive a diagnosis of autism, there is considerable phenotypic heterogeneity in this population. This variability has led to the claim that the diagnostic classification of autism incorporates a number of subtypes (Fein et al., 1999; TagerFlusberg & Joseph, 2003).…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Autism and Genetics

    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Steffenburg. (1989). Autism Research at the NICHD. In autism and genes. Retrieved May 2005, from www.nichd.nih.gov.…

    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The neurodevelopmental disorder of autism spectrum (ASD) is defined by the American Psychiatric Association 's Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a sole condition to include syndromes which are formerly regarded as individual, these were autism, asperger syndrome, children’s disintegrative syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). The expression spectrum describes the varying ranges of symptoms and severity (2014).…

    • 1331 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Stone, H. (2006). Autism. In G.L. Albrecht (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Disability (Vol. 1, p.146-147). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Reference. Retrieved from http://0-go.galegroup.com.source.unco.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCS3469300080&v=2.1&u=uncol&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w…

    • 1384 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Autism spectrum disorders are life long and have been found to be prevalent in up to 1% of the adolescent population (Simonoff et al., 2008). Many studies have shown that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders have increased radically (Vismara & Rogers, 2008). However, there may be many cases not yet reported or diagnosed correctly. The disorder covers a range of individuals with impairments that change from one person to the next. One individual may have difficulty with language communication and another might have more difficulty with repetition. Since ASDs have an early onset, it is important to identify the disorder early so that interventions can be initiated (Simonoff et al., 2008). The disability is life long and treatment is needed…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Autism Introduction

    • 1254 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The only information that I had ever known regarding autism came from a nineteen eighties movie called Rain Man. Even then, the thought of it was quickly lost in the archives of my mind. Not until I had a child of my own did I realize the significance of autism and the effects that it has on the children of which it afflicts and their families. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that almost one out of every one hundred and fifty children was affected by Autism. Even more alarming is the fact that it affects one and every ninety-six boys. Other than its prevalence in boys, Autism has no known boundaries (Autism Society of America, 2008).…

    • 1254 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays