Autism

Autism is a very poorly understood and extremely misrepresented disorder. Over one half million people in the U.S. today, children and adults, have autism or some form of pervasive developmental disorder (Vaccines and Autism Theory, 2001). It starts to affect the child at a very early age. Autism is a behavioral disorder that controls the mind and it impairs communication and social skills. Many professionals feel that it “encompasses a broad spectrum of disorders that range from mild to severe” (Autisminfo.com). This disorder can occur in as many as twenty-two of every ten thousand births, and is four times more common in boys than girls (Edelson, 1999). Autism is a “severely incapacitating lifelong developmental disability” that typically appears during the first three years of life (Facts About Autism, 2001). Autism has been found throughout the world in families of all racial, ethnic and social backgrounds. No known factors of the environment of a child have been shown to cause autism. This disorder is not a genetic disorder, which means it is cannot be passed down from generation to generation (Mehl-Madrona, 2000). Autism often occurs by itself or in association with other disorders that affect the function of the brain, such as viral infections, metabolic disturbances, and epilepsy (Autisminfo.com). In very severe forms of the autism, they may include extreme self-injurious, repetitive, highly unusual and aggressive behavior.

Dr. Leo Kanner, a child psychologist at John Hopkins Medical School, first diagnosed autism in 1934 (Bettelheim, 2000). Dr. Kanner watched the behavior of eleven children between the years of 1938 and 1944. He observed characteristics of isolation, withdrawal from human contact, and social and communication abilities towards one another (Bettelheim, 2000). Most early theories about of causes of autism focused on the family environment. However, through studies of emotional tension within the family indicated extreme stress of caring for children with autism were likely what brought on the emotional difficulties (Mehl-Madrona, 2000). These difficulties are not the source, but thought of as a result of the disorder. In the 1960s there was more information founded in the understanding of the causes of autism. Research showed that the condition is the result of neurological and biochemical abnormalities in the brain, rather than family or genetic problems (Bettelheim, 2000). Symptoms and characteristics were soon identified and this helped to distinguish autism from other disorders.

Autism impacts the normal development of the brain. This is found especially in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. The disorder makes it hard for them to communicate with others and relate to the outside world. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present (Edelson, 1999). Persons with autism may exhibit repeated body movements such as hand flapping, rocking, unusual responses to people or attachments to objects and resistance to changes in routines (Andolsek, 1998). Individuals may even experience sensitivities in the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste (Autisminfo.com). However, autism isn’t a condition a child will grow out of, but they can find ways to cope with it.

Its occurrence rate makes autism one of the most common developmental disabilities in the nation. Yet most of the public, including many professionals in the medical, educational, and vocational fields, are still unaware of how autism affects people and how they can effectively work with individuals with autism (Andolsek, 1998). The causes of autism are highly debated over and overall the cause is still unknown. Researchers from all over the world are devoting significant time and energy into finding the cause and treatment to this life impairing disorder (Mehl-Madrona, 2000). Medical researchers are exploring different explanations for the various forms of autism also. Although the specific cause of autism is unknown, current research links autism to biological or neurological differences in the brain (Edelson, 1999). Yet, this is only a start to finding the answer.

In many families, there does appear to be a pattern of autism or related disabilities, which suggests there is a genetic basis to the disorder. Although at this time no gene has been directly linked to autism (Facts About Autism, 2001). The genetic basis is believed by researchers to be highly complex, probably involving several genes in combination with one another. Several outdated theories about the cause of autism have been proven to be false. Autism is not a mental illness and children with autism are not unruly and choose not to behave. Bad parenting does not cause autism (Edelson, 1999). Many parents believe that the cause of is because of their parenting and believed that they did something to their child and often blame themselves. When if fact “autism doesn’t occur because of inadequate parenting. The causes of autism are unknown, therefore prevention isn’t possible” (Facts About Autism, 2001). Furthermore, no known psychological factors in the development of the child have been shown to cause autism (Mehl-Madrona, 2000).

There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. An accurate diagnosis must be based on observation of the individual's communication, behavior, and developmental levels (Mehl-Madrona, 2000). However, because many of the behaviors associated with autism are shared by other disorders, various medical tests may be performed to rule out or identify other possible causes of the symptoms being exhibited (Edelson, 1999). Since the characteristics of the disorder vary so much, ideally a child should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team which may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning consultant, or another professional knowledgeable about autism (Facts About Autism, 2001). Diagnosis is difficult for a doctor with limited training or exposure to autism. Sometimes, the smartest professionals have misdiagnosed autism. Difficulties in the recognition and acknowledgment of autism often lead to a lack of services to meet the complex needs of children with autism (Facts About Autism, 2001). A brief observation in a single setting cannot present a true picture of a child’s abilities and behaviors. Parent’s, teacher’s and other caregivers’ input and developmental history of the child are very important components of making an accurate diagnosis (Vaccines and Autism Theory, 2001). At first glance, some persons with autism may appear to have mental retardation,