Autism is one of the most common yet misunderstood disorders of the modern age. Most Americans do not have a clear understanding of possible causes, what Autism actually is nor possible cures or treatments of this disorder. As autism effects 1 out of every 68 children born in the US annually, there is a large group of individuals whose lives have been touched by this ailment. Despite the large numbers of children and family’s crossing paths with this disorder, it is still not very clearly understood by the average person. An incredibly important step towards the better understanding of this disorder is having the basic facts available for the common man, presented in a way that is easy to understand and able to be parceled out in small components.
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(Lichstein & Schribman, 1976) Aversive Punishment therapy entailed giving mild electric shocks to a child when they performed undesired actions, such as self-damage or when they ignored commands doctors and caregivers gave. This treatment, while controversial by today’s standards, was very well accepted at the time and was considered a good option for many children with Autism to lessen the most distasteful behaviors, such as self-harm (Lichstein & Schribman, 1976). Despite the fact that there were many positive results with this therapy, it is no longer widely used with modern doctors due to ethical considerations and a movement away from the idea of Autism being a behavioral …show more content…
Several scientific studies have shown that episodes of Autism do appear in family’s and therefor appear to have genetic links. (source 6) These newfound links mean that instead of simply attempting to cure or treat a sufferer of Autism, it may be possible to reverse or prevent the disorder entirely. While promising these findings are very new and not accepted across the medical community as a whole, these discoveries mean a different avenue of research has opened up, which, if correct, could create a genetic testing for parents that could provide information about the possibility of a genetic pre-disposition to Autism (source 6), which could help in family planning decisions. Another possibility is gene therapies being utilized to help subdue or potentially reversing the symptoms that current suffers
(Lichstein & Schribman, 1976) Aversive Punishment therapy entailed giving mild electric shocks to a child when they performed undesired actions, such as self-damage or when they ignored commands doctors and caregivers gave. This treatment, while controversial by today’s standards, was very well accepted at the time and was considered a good option for many children with Autism to lessen the most distasteful behaviors, such as self-harm (Lichstein & Schribman, 1976). Despite the fact that there were many positive results with this therapy, it is no longer widely used with modern doctors due to ethical considerations and a movement away from the idea of Autism being a behavioral …show more content…
Several scientific studies have shown that episodes of Autism do appear in family’s and therefor appear to have genetic links. (source 6) These newfound links mean that instead of simply attempting to cure or treat a sufferer of Autism, it may be possible to reverse or prevent the disorder entirely. While promising these findings are very new and not accepted across the medical community as a whole, these discoveries mean a different avenue of research has opened up, which, if correct, could create a genetic testing for parents that could provide information about the possibility of a genetic pre-disposition to Autism (source 6), which could help in family planning decisions. Another possibility is gene therapies being utilized to help subdue or potentially reversing the symptoms that current suffers