Autism: Are These People Trapped Inside or Are We Just Trapped Outside of These People?

Autism:

Are These People Trapped Inside

or are we just Trapped Outside of these People?

Franklin, Monica F.

(CHS-252054-01-11SP1)

Disabled in America

Totino, Jamin

April, 2011

Autism:

Are They Trapped Inside

Or are we just Trapped Outside

Abstract:

A few questions that can definitely make you say hmm: Are people with autism trapped in their own world? Or are the rest of us just trapped in ours or are we just trapped outside from their world? For some people autism means being trapped inside of oneself or being trapped inside of one's scrambled up and incorrectly wired mind with no way out, for others it is a complex disorder that limits a person's ability to communicate and socialize; one could argue that it can be dreadful just to say hello. This paper will discuss what autism is and what autism is not, the possible causes and treatment if any.

Autism: What it is not.........

There are a number of developmental disabilities that can be categorized as nervous system disabilities, metabolic disorders and degenerative disorders such as Bipolar Disorder, Down syndrome and Williams syndrome. Although autism is in the same category as dyslexia they are not one and the same. Autism is not like dyslexia or attention deficit disorder, neither does it mean lack of intelligence and it should not be confused with mental retardation.

"Developmental disabilities are a diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments." (cdc.gov) At some point in history mental retardation and autism were compared and thought of as being equal or the same. Autism should not be confused with MR or any other developmental disability.

Autism: What it is..................

"Autism was first described in literature by Leo Kanner in 1943 which he termed early infantile autism."(Berkell,1999) Autism is a generalized terminology or umbrella term that is used to describe various pervasive developmental disorders (PDD); having mostly to do with the electrical and chemical activities in the brain. There are various other disorders that fall under the umbrella like asperger's syndrome, rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder and all know as Autism Spectrum Disorders. According to Public Autism Awareness, "autism is often referred to as a "spectrum disorder," meaning that the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a variety of combinations, ranging from extremely mild to quite severe."(paains.org)

Autism is a distinct illness characterized by abnormal social relationships, communication skills, restricted interests, ritualistic, repetitive, compulsive and other unusual behaviors. For example an autistic child may like to go to a certain store, but if you try to take that child to a different store for the same thing he/she may become frustrated or even fearful because he/she is not familiar with the new store, surroundings or routine. "Autism is the most well known of several pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) diagnoses which begin in early childhood and continue throughout life, affecting most every aspect of life along the way."(mentalhelp)

What Causes Autism?

This is a question that haunts parents and they are placed in a position of overwhelming responsibility; they don't know if it is something they did or if it is something they didn't do making it extremely stressful. There are not many definitive answers at this point and scientists are not certain about the causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but researchers have been able to identify genes that may be connected. There has been speculation about the fact that the disorder may have to do with toxic exposures within the environment as well as childhood vaccinations specifically MMR (measles mumps and rubella).

There is an ongoing debate about autism and vaccinations; there have been claims of connection to autism and child hood vaccinations. It has been theorized that the MMR (Mumps-Measles-Rubella) vaccine may cause intestinal problems leading to the development of autism and mercury based preservative called thimerosal, used in some vaccines, and could be connected to autism. (about.com)

What Does Not Cause Autism..............

1. The Refrigerator Mother (Double Click for Video)- a term coined by Leo Kanner that describes a mother whose style is cold, unkind, and uncaring toward their children which caused children to resort to autism.

2. Cell Phones- It has been theorized that electromagnetic radiation created by cell phones and wi-fi networks are behind a rise in autism but no absolute evidence has been provided or credible connection has been made to autism.

3. Television- While limiting a child's TV time is good it does not mean that unlimited TV caused autism

Prevalence of the Autism Spectrum Disorders