What is Autism?

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What is Autism?
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Lauri Brazier
Keyla Rivera
Carly Peercy
Ashley Crook
October 29, 2013
Professor Lemons
Psychology 1100
SLCC

What is Autism?
Autism refers to a range of neuro-psychological conditions a group of complex
disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized in varying degrees, by
difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors
(What is Autism? 2013).
The word autism had been used for about 100 years. Autism originates from the Greek
word autos which means self. This describes a person who is removed from social
interaction, in other words, an isolated self (History of Autism, 2013).
In 1908 psychiatrist, Eugen Bleuler, was the first to term autism for schizophrenic
patients who had withdrawn from the word around them isolated themselves (Mandal, 2013).
In the 1940s two men by the name of Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner were working
separately in the research of autism. Their views differed in that Asperger described very able

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children while Kanner described children who were severely affected. For the next three decades
their views remained useful for physicians. Researchers in the United States began to use the
term autism in the 1940s. The term autism was used to describe children with social or
emotional problems. In the 1940s Researchers such as Bruno Bettelheim and Leo Kanner
believed that autism was due to frigid mothers. They believed these children needed to be
separated from their mothers (History of Autism, 2013).
Until the 1960s schizophrenia and autism were linked together. In the 1960s, medical
professionals began to have a separate understanding of autism in children (History of Autism,
2013).
From the 1960s through the 1970s treatments for autism was focused on medications.
The treatments for autism included LSD, electric shock, and behavioral change techniques. The
latter relied on pain and punishment. Autism became better known in the 1970s (History of
Autism, 2013).
The 1980s is when autism research gained momentum. It was increasingly believed that
parenting did not cause autism. There were in fact neurological disturbances and other genetic
factors such as chromosomal abnormalities, PKU or tuberous sclerosis. In the beginning of the
80s, the Erica Foundation started education and therapy for psychotic children. Many parents
were still confusing autism with mental retardation and psychosis (Mandal, 2013).
The 1980s and 1990s is when the role of behavioral therapy and the use of highly
controlled learning environments became the primary treatments for many different forms of
autism and related conditions (History of Autism, 2013).
Today, the most common forms of autism therapy are language therapy and behavioral
therapy. There are other treatments that are added as necessary. Today, through research, we
know that autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. Between the ages of
two and three is when the most obvious signs of autism and symptoms of autism tend to emerge.

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The research continues in finding effective methods of earlier diagnosis of autism. As we now
know, early interventions with proven behavioral therapies can improve outcomes.
Today we know that autism can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in
motor coordination and attention and physical health issues. Some of these issues include, sleep
and gastrointestinal disturbances. We also know that some individuals with autism excel in
music, math, visual skills and art.
Our research on autism has come a long way since first being termed autism in 1908.
(History of Autism, 2013) We now know that autism can be caused by genetics or
environment. Research has shown that autism, even when genetic, may be spontaneous and not
inherited in the sense that one or both parents carry some reduced form of the syndrome.
Hopefully this insight will reduce the blame the parents. This blame has gone on far too long
in the absence of scientific evidence (What is Autism?, 2013).
Autism prevalence figures are growing. The government autism statistics suggest that
prevalence rates increased 10-17% annually in recent years. Autism is the fastest growing
serious developmental disability in the United States from 1992 2001. The United States has
had a 900% increase in the case of autism. Careful research shows that this increase is only
partly explained by improved diagnosis and awareness. Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on
average. Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood
disease (What is Autism, 2013).
Autism affects all races, ethnic groups and socioeconomic levels. Boys are nearly five
times more likely to have autism then girls. Autism affects one in eighty-eight children and one
in fifty-four boys. There is an estimated 1.5 million people in the United States with autism,
535,000 people in the United Kingdom with autism and 190,000 people in Canada with this
disorder (approximately 1 in 200 children). A new case is diagnosed nearly every 20 min in the
United States. (What is Autism, 2013).

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Autism is the only dramatically rising disorder while mental retardation, Down
syndrome and cystic fibrosis remain relatively the same (Williams, 2007).
Autism has no single, known cause. Given the complexity of the disease, and the fact that
symptoms and severity vary, there are probably many causes. Both genetics and environment
may play a role. Genetic problems. Several genes appear to be involved in autism. Some may
make a child more susceptible to the disorder. Others affect brain development or the way that
brain cells communicate. Still others may determine the severity of symptoms. Each problem in
genes may account for a small number of cases, but taken together, the influence of genes is
likely substantial. Some genetic problems seem to be inherited, while others happen
spontaneously. Environmental factors. Researchers are currently exploring whether such factors
as viral infections, complications during pregnancy and air pollutants play a role in triggering
autism. No link between vaccines and autism. One of the greatest controversies in autism is
centered on whether a link exists between autism and certain childhood vaccines, particularly the
measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Despite extensive research, no reliable study has shown
a link between autism and the MMR vaccine. Avoiding childhood vaccinations can place your
child in danger of catching and spreading serious diseases, including whooping cough
(pertussis), measles or mumps. (Mayo Clinic 2012)
The severity of symptoms varies greatly, but all people with autism have some
core symptoms in the areas of social interactions and relationships. Symptoms may include
significant problems developing nonverbal communication skills, such as eye-to-eye gazing,
facial expressions, and body posture, lack of interest in sharing enjoyment. Also People with
autism may have difficulty understanding another person's feelings, such as pain or sorrow, they
have no empathy. Verbal and nonverbal communication is another core symptom of Autism.
Symptoms may include delay, or lack of, learning to talk, as many as 40% of people with autism

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never speak. They also use stereotyped and repetitive use of language. People with autism often
repeat over and over a phrase they have heard previously.
Symptoms of Autism in children are usually noticed first by parents and other caregivers
sometime during the child's first 3 years. Although autism is present at birth, signs of the disorder
can be difficult to identify or diagnose during infancy. Parents often become concerned when
their baby does not like to be held; does not seem interested in playing certain games, such as
peekaboo; and does not begin to talk. Sometimes, a child will start to talk at the same time as
other children the same age, then lose his or her language skills. They also may be confused
about their child's hearing abilities. It often seems that a child with autism does not hear, yet at
other times, he or she may appear to hear a distant background noise, such as the whistle of a
train.
While autism is usually a life-long condition, all children and adults benefit from
interventions, or therapies, which will reduce symptoms and increase skills and abilities. There is
no known cure for autism, but there are treatment and education approaches that may reduce
some of the challenges associated with the condition. Its best to begin intervention as soon as
possible, the benefits of therapy can continue throughout life. Early diagnosis and treatment
helps young children with autism develop to their full potential. The main goal of treatment is to
improve the overall ability of the child to function. A generation ago, many people with autism
were placed in institutions. Professionals were less educated about autism than they are today.
Today the picture is much clearer, with appropriate services and supports, training and
information, children on the autism spectrum will grow, learn and flourish, even if at a different
developmental rate than others.

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The most effective treatments available today are applied behavioral analysis (ABA),
occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and pharmacological therapy. Treatment
works to minimize the impact of the core features and associated deficits of ASD. Early Intensive
Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) is a type of ABA for very young children with ASD, usually
younger than five, often younger than three. Pivotal Response Training works to increase a
childs motivation to learn, monitor his own behavior, and initiate communication with others by
focusing on behaviors that are seen as key to learning other skills. There is also speech therapy,
occupational therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), and some medication. Researchers found that
Risperidone is the first FDA-approved medication for the treatment of symptoms associated with
of ASD in children and adolescents, including aggressive behavior, deliberate self-injury, and
temper tantrums.
Population affected is about 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Monitoring (ADDM) Network. ASDs are reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and
socioeconomic groups. ASDs are almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 54) than
among girls (1 in 252). Studies in Asia, Europe, and North America have identified individuals
with an ASD with an average prevalence of about 1%. A recent study in South Korea reported a
prevalence of 2.6%. About 1 in 6 children in the U.S. had a developmental disability in 20062008, ranging from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments to serious
developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism. (CDC,
2012)
The History of Autism is the word "autism," which has been in use for about 100 years,
comes from the Greek word "autos," meaning "self." The term describes conditions in which a
person is removed from social interaction hence, an isolated self. Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss

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psychiatrist, was the first person to use the term. He started using it around 1911 to refer to one
group of symptoms of schizophrenia. In the 1940s, researchers in the United States began to use
the term "autism" to describe children with emotional or social problems. Leo Kanner, a doctor
from Johns Hopkins University, used it to describe the withdrawn behavior of several children he
studied. At about the same time, Hans Asperger, a scientist in Germany, identified a similar
condition thats now called Aspergers syndrome. Autism and schizophrenia remained linked in
many researchers minds until the 1960s. It was only then that medical professionals began to
have a separate understanding of autism in children. From the 1960s through the 1970s, research
into treatments for autism focused on medications such as LSD, electric shock, and behavioral
change techniques. The latter relied on pain and punishment. During the 1980s and 1990s, the
role of behavioral therapy and the use of highly controlled learning environments emerged as the
primary treatments for many forms of autism and related conditions. Currently, the cornerstones
of autism therapy are behavioral therapy and language therapy. Other treatments are added as
needed. (Web MD, 2010)

References
Anonymous, (2013). What is autism? Retrieved from www.autismspeaks.org
Anonymous, (2013). History of autism. Retrieved from www.webmd.com
Mandal, A. (2013). Chronological history of autism. Retrieved from
www.news-medical.net
Williams, S.M. (2007). Who is affected by autism? Retrieved from
www.yourguidetoautism.com
Clinic staff, M. (2013, Oct 6). Autism. Retrieved from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348/DSECTION=causes
what is autism? what is autism spectrum disorder?. (2012, June 20). Retrieved from
http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/resource-guide?gclid=CK-P67LIuLoCFc41QgodFR0AGQ

Goehner, A. L. (n.d.). A generation of autism, coming of age. 2012. Retrieved from

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http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/autism/
Anonymous. Definition and history of autism. Reviewed by Alan G Weintraub, MD on
May 12, 2013. http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/history-of-autism
Causes by Mayo Clinic staff, Mayo Clinic support
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348/DSECTION=causes
Give today to find cures for tomorrow Autism Society of America http://www.autismsociety.org/
Autism Watch http://www.autism-watch.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Autism spectrum disorders
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/links.html

Content 35/35 You did a good job of describing the effects of autism and

its treatment and history.

Organization 15/15

Well done. The conclusion was somewhat redundant.

When you are summarizing you dont need to include every bit of detail just a
summary statement discussing what you already told the reader.
Mechanics 23/25
There were a couple of typos in the paper but other
than that super job.