Introduction The life of a child with autism is believed to be quite different than the life of those not diagnosed with the disorder. Throughout the many different levels of Autism there are certain challenges that the child and his or her family must go through. Luckily, there has been great growth and support for helping children affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in recent years. The have been many organizations that have made it their purpose to improve the lives of those who are on the spectrum and their families. Autism is used as a “blanket” term for multiple problems that affect the development of the brain. These can result from low-functioning individuals, to highly functioning persons lacking the proper social skills
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There has been a growing belief that genetics have much to do with children being born with the disorder. Scientists are also looking into hormonal imbalances which could hinder the development of the brain (Autism Fact Sheet 2014). Another factor that seems to be a risk factor for having children with Autism is the health of the mothers. One study found a link between unhealthy weights of mothers in conjunction with an increased risk for the development of Autism. These mothers could either be significantly over or under weight (Moss & Chugani, 2014). Another study has linked an increased risk for Autism when the mother is over the age of 40. The study was inconclusive if the age of the father has any effect on the risk factor (King, Fountain, Dakhlallah & Bearman, 2009). One other item that has been a trending topic if the use of vaccines on infants can cause an increased risk of Autism, but studies that have shown this have been discredited by research and studies complete (Gorski …show more content…
Once enrolled in a school it is almost certain that the Autistic student will receive an individualized education program (IEP). The process of developing an IEP starts with a qualified professional determining the specific needs for the child. It then must document that the present educational level of the student. The team that is developing the IEP will then make up a plan which will help the student develop educationally whilst still monitoring his or her behavior. Lastly the IEP must have a system set in place to monitor the success the student is having (Yell, Katsiyannis, Drasgow, & Herbst,
There has been a growing belief that genetics have much to do with children being born with the disorder. Scientists are also looking into hormonal imbalances which could hinder the development of the brain (Autism Fact Sheet 2014). Another factor that seems to be a risk factor for having children with Autism is the health of the mothers. One study found a link between unhealthy weights of mothers in conjunction with an increased risk for the development of Autism. These mothers could either be significantly over or under weight (Moss & Chugani, 2014). Another study has linked an increased risk for Autism when the mother is over the age of 40. The study was inconclusive if the age of the father has any effect on the risk factor (King, Fountain, Dakhlallah & Bearman, 2009). One other item that has been a trending topic if the use of vaccines on infants can cause an increased risk of Autism, but studies that have shown this have been discredited by research and studies complete (Gorski …show more content…
Once enrolled in a school it is almost certain that the Autistic student will receive an individualized education program (IEP). The process of developing an IEP starts with a qualified professional determining the specific needs for the child. It then must document that the present educational level of the student. The team that is developing the IEP will then make up a plan which will help the student develop educationally whilst still monitoring his or her behavior. Lastly the IEP must have a system set in place to monitor the success the student is having (Yell, Katsiyannis, Drasgow, & Herbst,