Autism is widely characterized by being a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the effected individual has impaired social interaction, repetitive behavior, and in some cases no communication ability. Autism being on a spectrum perspective, a vast array of symptoms can categorize an individual as being “autistic”. ASD includes Asperger’s Disorder, Kanner’s Syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, and PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder). While all disorders are challenging, severity of behaviors depend entirely on the individual. The most prominent signs of autism are repetitive behaviors, lack of empathy/isolation, and limited or non-existing communication skills (Lord, 2010). Autism can be caught very early on in a child’s life, even as young as a
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Some scientists think a few forms of autism are manifested in the childhood years alone, but others agree that the disorder displays itself differently across life stages. According to the National Autistic Society, 1 out of every 88 children in the human population have a form of ASD. As far as treatment is concerned, a few things can be done consistently by the family of the autistic individual (depending on the severity). To start off, antipsychotic, antidepressant, and stimulus drugs can be prescribed along with therapeutic and enriching programs. A great deal of patience is needed for the evaluation and treatment of an autistic person because there is no known …show more content…
Researchers and scientists are constantly trying to narrow down the possible predispositions both genetically and environmentally. After the Human Genome Project conducted in 2009, geneticists found an odd pattern of either repeating or entirely missing segments of DNA in the tested population. Although this pattern of DNA only accounted for 1% of autistic individuals, it was a start for scientists who firmly believed autism is a genetically-transferred (Gaidos, 2010). When all was said and done, researchers concluded that autism has hundreds of collective genetic risk-factors. Within the past five years, a controversy involving vaccines and Autism has taken place. Many Americans believe that the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccination contains trace amounts of mercury, leading to the country’s
Some scientists think a few forms of autism are manifested in the childhood years alone, but others agree that the disorder displays itself differently across life stages. According to the National Autistic Society, 1 out of every 88 children in the human population have a form of ASD. As far as treatment is concerned, a few things can be done consistently by the family of the autistic individual (depending on the severity). To start off, antipsychotic, antidepressant, and stimulus drugs can be prescribed along with therapeutic and enriching programs. A great deal of patience is needed for the evaluation and treatment of an autistic person because there is no known …show more content…
Researchers and scientists are constantly trying to narrow down the possible predispositions both genetically and environmentally. After the Human Genome Project conducted in 2009, geneticists found an odd pattern of either repeating or entirely missing segments of DNA in the tested population. Although this pattern of DNA only accounted for 1% of autistic individuals, it was a start for scientists who firmly believed autism is a genetically-transferred (Gaidos, 2010). When all was said and done, researchers concluded that autism has hundreds of collective genetic risk-factors. Within the past five years, a controversy involving vaccines and Autism has taken place. Many Americans believe that the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccination contains trace amounts of mercury, leading to the country’s