Autism is a disease that is being diagnosed more and more often. People who have it can be found in almost any school in the US. It can appear in many different forms. It affects nearly 300,000 children in the US alone. Add into that number the number of adults who have Autism, you have more than a million diagnosed cases. The most recent research shows that if you took a group of 150 children, you are more likely to find someone diagnosed with Autism, than you are to find someone diagnosed with pediatric cancer, diabetes, or AIDs. There are no known cures or proven treatments or preventions for Autism. It has been recognized in only the past 60 years.
First, the history of Autism. The first person to identify it was Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1943. Around the same time, a German scientist named Dr. Hans Asperger, described a milder form of the disease that has become known as Asperger's Syndrome. Kanner used his disease to diagnose children who couldn't function socially, were obsessed with routine, had difficulty with speech, but displayed great intellectual abilities, thus ruling out mental retardation. Asperger's term was used to diagnose children who were unskilled socially, had a tendency to develop bizarre obsessions, yet were highly verbal and quite smart. Asperger saw a tendency for the disorder to run in families, sometimes passing directly from father to son. Kanner's research also showed that genes might be central to Autism.
Soon after these advances were made, research took a large step backwards. Asperger's research was forgotten in the post war era of Europe, while Kanner's research was overshadowed by that of Freud's work. Experts were saying that children weren't born Autistic, but developed it because of their parents, especially mothers, being unnurturing and cold. This trend was reversed by Dr. Lorna Wing in 1981 who published a paper about Asperger's work. She observed that Asperger's Syndrome was a close variant of Kanner's Autism, because the commonalities seemed as important as the differences. This gives reason for researches to believe that Asperger and Kanner were describing two versions of an extremely complicated mental disorder.
Next, how Autism works and what it does to the human mind. Autism is a neurobiological disorder that affects a person's abilities to function in society and mental abilities. It can affect a person's sensory abilities such as feeling cold or hot. This could lead to frostbite because a person with Autism can't tell that their bodies are in pain from the temperature. Recent neuroimaging studies of Autistic brains have revealed evidence that people with Autism cannot react well to facial cues the way people without the disorder do. A recent study has shown that when the face of a stranger is replaced by that of a loved one, the normal brain becomes intensely active, almost like fireworks are going off inside the head. This does not occur in Autistic individuals.
Third, the symptoms of Autism will be identified. These symptoms cover a broad range but tend to form a pattern. It is not true however, that every child with Autism has every symptom of the disorder. Usually, Autism cannot be identified until a child is at least twelve to fifteen months old, right around the time when speech and social skills begin to develop. A child could start to develop normally, but lose the few skills they have gained. Having difficulty with toilet training and feeding, having trouble with recognition of their parents' faces, and putting up resistance to direct contact with other people are all signs of Autism in early childhood.
As a child with Autism progresses into the years of toddlerhood, they seem to withdraw into a world they have created for themselves. They act differently around other children and toys, and become loners. Communication skills do not develop as they are meant to. They cannot understand facial expression or body language, and they have trouble with speech in general. Their speaking abilities range from being mute to repeating what others have said, or saying things that seem unnatural for someone of their age. When they do speak, the language they use is specific, unimaginative, and immature. People with Autism have an extreme dislike of change. They can melt down if even the smallest detail of their daily routine is altered. Some things that occur with this symptom are developing habits for play and maintaining behavior patterns within a set environment. They may have a few other behavior problems that would not be common in a normal child. These are not responding when spoken to, staring, flapping of arms, walking on tiptoes for long periods of time, rocking, tantrums, strange postures, unpredictable behavior, and hyperactivity. They also may have poor judgement skills which could lead to running into a busy street with no signs of fear.
