Free Essays on Autism

around 10 to 14 months. ¡Ã‚ ¨(LDDD) Children with showing signs of autism usually are diagnosis before age 3. Usually receive an exam because their development is speech area aren ¡Ã‚ ¦t usually on track with other kids. Their disabilities in communication and comprehension range from mild to profound. Communication problems such as speech and language vary depending upon the intellectual and social development of the individual. There may be delays or impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication. Autistic children have problems acquiring and using language and relating socially. Those who have verbal language have difficulty developing each of the five components of language: Æ’Ã ¦ Pragmatics- study of the rules and the use of a la... Free Essays on Autism Free Essays on Autism It is generally accepted that autism is caused by abnormalities in brain structures or functions. Using a variety of new research tools to study human and animal brain growth, scientists are discovering more about normal development and thus how abnormalities occur. The brain of a fetus develops throughout pregnancy. Starting out with a few cells, the cells grow and divide until the brain contains billions of specialized cells, called neurons. Research sponsored by NIMH and other components at the Nation Institutes of Health is playing a key role in showing how cells find their way to a specific area of the brain and take on special functions. Once in place, each neuron sends out long fivers that connect with other neurons. In this way, lines of communication are established between various areas of the brain and between the brain and the rest of the body. As each neuron receives a signal it releases chemicals called neurotransmitters, which pass the signal to the next neuron. By birth the bran had evolved into a complex organ with several distinct regions and sub regions, each with a precise set of functions and responsibilities. Brain development, however doesn’t stop at birth. The brain continues to change during the first few years of life, as new neurotransmitters become activated and additions lines of communication are established. Neural networks are forming and creating a foundation for processing language, emotions and thoughts. However, scientists now know that a number of problems may interfere with normal brain development. Cells may migrate to the wrong place in the brain. Or, due to problems with neural pathways or the neurotransmitters, some parts of the communication network may fail to perform. A problem with the communication network may interfere with the overall tasks of coordinating sensory information, thoughts, feelings, and actions. Researchers supported by NIMH and other NIH Institutes ar... Free Essays on Autism Autism Children with autism will grow and can learn, even if it might be at a different development rate than other children. Many professionals in the field of autism agree, developing an appropriate community-base education and treatment program for an individual with autism at an early age is an important step to ensure the child will reach his or her potential. Not to say that older children or adults cannot learn or develop. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism and it’s associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in 1 in 500 individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1997). Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. Researcher’s from all over the world are devoting considerable time and energy into finding the answers to the disorder. Although a single specific cause of autism is not known, current research links autism to biological or neurological differences in the brain. In many families there appears to be a pattern of autism or related disabilities- which suggest there is a reason to suspect genetic disorders, although at this time no gene has been directly linked to autism. It has been proven that autism is not a mental illness, it is not unruly kids who choose not to behave , nor is it caused by bad parenting, and it has no been proven to be caused by psychological developments. An accurate diagnosis is based on observation of the individual’s communication , behavior and development. However, because many behaviors are shared by other disorders, various medical tests may be ordered to rule out or identify other possible causes of the symptoms exhibited. Ideally, a child would be evaluated by a team of professional’s to include a neurologist, psychol... Free Essays on Autism Autism often brings to mind a non-verbal, non-emotional, severe behavioral problem child. Some people think that autistic children can not love and can not be loved. This is extremely far from the truth. For one thing everyone can be loved, it’s just up to people to decided if they want to love that person or not. Most people dislike what they don’t understand, and most people haven’t got a clue what autism is. Many different levels of autism exist. No two autistic people are alike: although they may have some of the same symptoms, they all have something unique about them. Teachers and parents wonder whether autistic children should be in regular classrooms or not. They have a lot of questions. For example, teachers wonder if the autistic child will disrupt the class to the point where it’s very hard for them to teach the other students. Parents that have an autistic child have concerns whether or not a regular classroom is going to give their child what they need in order for their child to get the best education that they can. But what most people don’t realize is that all children learn differently than one another (Maurice 35). The main thing is that people need to educate themselves and other people about autism so they can understand it and know whether or not it’s a good thing to have an autistic child in a regular classroom. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is a result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. â€Å"Autism and its association behaviors have been estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 500 individuals, autism is four times more prevalent in boys as it is in girls and knows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries (Autism Society of America).† This disorder impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. â€Å"Children and adults with ... Free Essays on Autism Autism Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism and its associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 500 individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1997). Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls (Autism: Basic Information) and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. Although autism manifests itself at an early age, it doesn’t worsen as a child ages (webofcare.com). Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults 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. Persons with autism may exhibit repeated body movements (hand flapping, rocking), unusual responses to people or attachments to objects and resistance to changes in routines. Individuals may also experience sensitivities in the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. However, autism isn’t a condition a child will grow out of. â€Å"Autism doesn’t occur because of inadequate parenting. The causes of autism are unknown, therefore prevention isn’t possible† (Autism: Basic Information third edition). Over one half million people in the U.S. today (Autism: Perspective) have autism or some form of pervasive developmental disorder. Its prevalence rate makes autism one of the most common developmental disabilities. Yet most of the public, including many professionals in the medical, educational, and vocational fields, are still unaware of how autism affe cts... Free Essays on Autism Autism By: tony Overview of Autism Autism or PPD (pervasive developmental disorder) is defined by the Columbia encyclopedia as a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the inability to relate to and perceive the environment in a realistic manner. The onset of the disorder is in infancy or early childhood, generally before the age of thirty months, and males are affected four times as often as females. Symptoms include impairment in social interaction, fixation on inanimate objects, inability to communicate normally, and resistance to changes in daily routine (Anthes, 1997). Characteristics of Autism Diagnosing Autism is based on four characteristics: difficulty with language, abnormal responses to sensory stimuli, resistance to change and difficulty with social interaction. â€Å"Other characteristics of autism may include: making the same repetitive motion for hours, repeating a sound or phrase, inability to hold a conversation, practicing unusual play patterns, and extreme sensitivity to sound and touchà ¢â‚¬  (Riccio, 1999). Autistics can exhibit any combination of these characteristics in any degree. That is why autism is referred to as a â€Å"spectrum† disorder, because at one end of the disorder a child may be inflicted with some symptoms, while at the opposite end a child may be inflicted with multiple symptoms with many areas in between. Children who display few symptoms may be characterized as â€Å"mildly autistic†. Early signs of Autism may appear in the first months of life. Autistic infants tend to stray away from other people, avoiding touch and become limp or stiff when picked up or help. Autistic children don’t reach maturation as fast as normal children. 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. These symptoms may go on unnoticed by parents or doctors in infancy, but by the age of two ... Free Essays on Autism Autism Outline Thesis statement: Autism is not nearly as widely known as the familiar Down’s syndrome, yet, surprisingly, autism is far mode widespread†¦. So what is it exactly? I. Definition of autism A. Spectrum disorder B. Communication disorder II. Causes and effects of autism A. Causes 1. Psychological causes 2. Abnormal brain structure 3. Exposure to toxic agents B. Effects 1. Speech disorder 2. Mental retardation 3. High intelligence III. Behavior of autistic individuals A. Indifference B. Repetitive activities C. Loneliness D. Weird actions IV. Treatment and frequency of autism A. Treatment 1. No effective treatment 2. Some hope B. Frequency 1. In the U.S.A 2. Around the globe V. Education of autistic individuals A. Important parents’ role B. Special educational centers. Autism A little girl named Jenny, quietly sits alone in a corner, racking back and forth, humming to herself. Her classmates roam about in a chaotic manner, casually conversing, and inadvertently ignoring the little girl. She never participates in the collective games, but she prefers to play alone. And, if anyone calls her name, she stays totally indifferent as if she has not heard anything. Her behavior was absolutely weird and unexpected comparing to the children in her age†¦ Jenny’s parents begin to wonder: is it just a phase or something more? They learn soon that it is something more†¦ With little more observation than that of what her parents have observed, jenny’s pediatrician decided that she should be tested for autism. As he expected, the test turned out to be positive: Yes, Jenny was an autistic child. She was affected with one of the most serious disorders that plague today’s society. Autism is not nearly as widely known as the familiar Downâ€⠄¢s syndrome, yet, surprisingly, autism is far mode widespread†¦. So what is it exactly? First of all, autism is a condition presen... Free Essays on Autism Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. This is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. Autism is four more times prevalent in boys than girls. Autism shows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism’s occurrence. Autism and its associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in as many and one in 500 individuals. In this essay, I will discuss the signs and symptoms of autism, types of autism, the diagnosis of autism and studies done on autism. Autism affects the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults with autism have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions and leisure or play activities. This disorder makes it hard for them to relate to the outside world. It is hard for them to communicate with others. Aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present in some cases. They may exhibit repeated body movement, such as hand flapping or rocking, unusual responses to people or attachments to objects and resistance to changes in routines. They possibly will experience sensitivities in the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Children will be within the pervasive development until the ages of 24-30 months, when parents may notice delays in language, play or social interaction. If any of these symptoms occur by themselves, that would not result in a diagnosis of autism. Autism is a combination of several developmental challenges. There are many symptoms of autism. They include: extreme difficulty in learning language, inappropriate response to people, avoiding eye contact, resisting being picked up or cuddled, uncooperative play with other children, extreme hyperactivity and many others. There are five major areas in chi... Free Essays on Autism Autism  ¡Ã‚ §Autism is defined as the brain disorder that begins in early childhood and persists throughout adulthood. It affects three areas of development: verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction, and creative or imaginative play. ¡Ã‚ ¨ (NIDCD) It is a severe disorder of communication and behavior. It is a developmental disability that prevents individuals from properly understanding what they see, hear and sense. The cause of autism remains unknown. However, according to research from the Illinois Project,  ¡Ã‚ §current theories indicate a problem with the function or structure of the central nervous system. ¡Ã‚ ¨ The Autism Research Institute states that,  ¡Ã‚ §in many cases the disorder is evident during the first 30 months of life. ¡Ã‚ ¨ The biological factors associated with autism are high levels of neurotransmitter serotonin, high amount of peptides, low muscle tone, poor coordination, and abnormal patterns of brain activity. Autistic children typically are normal in appearance and develop well physically. Physically, autistic children may have a flat masked facial expression, because of low muscle tone in the face.  ¡Ã‚ §A child should have their first true meaningful words around 10 to 14 months. ¡Ã‚ ¨(LDDD) Children with showing signs of autism usually are diagnosis before age 3. Usually receive an exam because their development is speech area aren ¡Ã‚ ¦t usually on track with other kids. Their disabilities in communication and comprehension range from mild to profound. Communication problems such as speech and language vary depending upon the intellectual and social development of the individual. There may be delays or impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication. Autistic children have problems acquiring and using language and relating socially. Those who have verbal language have difficulty developing each of the five components of language: Æ’Ã ¦ Pragmatics- study of the rules and the use of a la... Free Essays on Autism Adaptations for Autism 1. Perhaps one of the most important adaptations might be a â€Å"stimulus shelter.† According to Professor Trawick- Smith these are spaces in the classroom where a child can go to get away from environmental stimuli and social interaction (1992). Because individuals with autism often display sensitivity to noises, touching, and light, a shelter may help the child deal with over stimulation. This would also be a â€Å"retreat† from social interaction which might allow the child some much needed time to be alone. It is also important to provide the child frequent opportunities and enough room to move around when necessary. 2. Set up the environment to reduce visual and auditory stimulation for the child when necessary. An example of this might be to place shelves and furniture in a way that creates a barrier from more active and distracting activities and areas. 3. Break cards could be used along with the stimulus shelter. These cards are a visual representation indicating that the child needs a break possibly to ease frustration. The child can hand the card to the teacher to indicate that some down time is needed. 4. Communication boards may be used to assist children that have limited verbal ability. With a board a child is able to point to various pictures to communicate with others 5. Computers can aid children in communication as well as in completing class work when writing and language skills are limited 6. Social Stories is another assistive technology that helps the child learn about social situations and behaviors to use during interaction with others. Social Stories are designed for each individual and are used to help the child with their behavior, as well as helping the child learn how other individuals might respond. An example that is given in the Assistive Technology article is staying in an assigned seat on the bus. The stories are written in a way that is understandable to th... Free Essays on Autism Children with autism will grow and can learn, even if it might be at a different development rate than other children. Many professionals in the field of autism agree, developing an appropriate community-base education and treatment program for an individual with autism at an early age is an important step to ensure the child will reach his or her potential. Not to say that older children or adults cannot learn or develop. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism and it’s associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in 1 in 500 individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1997). Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. Researcher’s from all over the world are devoting considerable time and energy into finding the answers to the disorder. Although a single specific cause of autism is not known, current research links autism to biological or neurological differences in the brain. In many families there appears to be a pattern of autism or related disabilities- which suggest there is a reason to suspect genetic disorders, although at this time no gene has been directly linked to autism. It has been proven that autism is not a mental illness, it is not unruly kids who choose not to behave , nor is it caused by bad parenting, and it has no been proven to be caused by psychological developments. An accurate diagnosis is based on observation of the individual’s communication , behavior and development. However, because many behaviors are shared by other disorders, various medical tests may be ordered to rule out or identify other possible causes of the symptoms exhibited. Ideally, a child would be evaluated by a team of professional’s to include a neurologist, psychologist, pedia... Free Essays on Autism Ignorance of sex education has left our society suffering from a variety of venereal diseases, abortions, neglected children, and most chilling death. This issue is a serious problem, not only for our children today, but also for our children of future generations. Sources of education are available almost anywhere, but they are not useful if the go unnoticed. Sex education should begin at home with the parents. Many parents are uncomfotable speaking about subjects like sex with there children, and many times it’s avoided. This is why there needs to be a outside source to help fill this void. Children need to know the bascics such as how to prevent diseases, pregnancy, and the responsibility that comes with sex. Therefore sex education should be a part of the curriculum for children beginign junior high school. Many children in junior high may have heard about sexually tranmitted diseases, but have know real knowledge and do not realize how life threating it could be. Many youths believe that it can never happen to them. Our children should beware of diseases like for example, syphillis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, and most chilling aids. Informing our children may not always stop them from engaging in sex activites, but it will definity help decrease the chacne of being harmed sexually. Diseases are not all our youths have to worry about. Pregnancy is another major concern. Many teenage woman are getting pregnant everyday and at such young ages. These young woman should very much be informed about brth control. We are not nessecarily giving them permission to go out and have sex, but acctually giving then the option to be safe. If we do not inform them, then we are increasing the risk of our youths getting prgnant. It is the resposnbility of the parents to school our young teens on the responbility of pregnancy and parenting. It is very risky having a baby a a oyung age. Man... Free Essays on Autism Autism Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism and its associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 500 individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1997). Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls (Autism: Basic Information) and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. Although autism manifests itself at an early age, it doesn’t worsen as a child ages (webofcare.com). Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults 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. Persons with autism may exhibit repeated body movements (hand flapping, rocking), unusual responses to people or attachments to objects and resistance to changes in routines. Individuals may also experience sensitivities in the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. However, autism isn’t a condition a child will grow out of. â€Å"Autism doesn’t occur because of inadequate parenting. The causes of autism are unknown, therefore prevention isn’t possible† (Autism: Basic Information third edition). Over one half million people in the U.S. today (Autism: Perspective) have autism or some form of pervasive developmental disorder. Its prevalence rate makes autism one of the most common developmental disabilities. 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...