Introduction
Autism refers to a neurodevelopmental disorder, which results in impaired communication and challenges in social interaction. The symptoms of autism are noticeable in the early years of childhood. Lauritsen (2013) avers, “The signs develop gradually, though some children with autism reach their developmental milestones at a normal pace and then regress” (p. 38). The diagnostic procedures demand that the signs become manifest in childhood. A mishmash of environmental and genetic factors is associated with autism. Infections arising during pregnancy may also result in a child developing autism. The condition affects brains, making it difficult for the victim to process information. This article will discuss autism, its characteristics, prevalence, etiologies, and interventions.
Characteristics
Characteristics of autism may be classified as behavioral, communicational, and social. Individuals suffering from this condition do not necessarily exhibit all the symptoms. Autistic persons may display strange behaviors due to their inability to respond to their surroundings. The actions arise from an effort to express themselves and share their feelings. Moreover, individuals may display unusual behaviors to adapt to prevailing conditions.
According to Lauritsen (2013), autistic persons are sensitive to sounds, and this may contribute to them exhibiting strange characters. They result in “rigidly sticking to routines and spending their time in repetitive behaviors as a way to reduce uncertainty and maintain the predictability of their environment” (Lauritsen, 2013, p. 40). Some behaviors attributed to autism include bizarrely deep or attentive interest, repetitive use of objects like often arranging toys, and stereotyped and rhythmic body movements. An autistic child may also have problems abandoning some routines.
Persons with autism have difficulties establishing and preserving relationships. They have challenges in noticing and reacting to most non-verbal modes of communication such as facial expression. The difficulties in communication make it difficult for them to make friends. Individuals have problems recognizing and communicating their needs. Moreover, they can hardly identify with the requirements of others, thus making it hard for them to socialize. Persons with autism have difficulties sharing activities and interests with others. As a result, they prefer to isolate themselves.
People with autism encounter challenges in communication. Nevertheless, there are some who communicate without problems. They prefer to discuss issues that are of value to them. Thus, it becomes hard to establish an interactive discussion with people who do not suffer from the condition. The persons can barely deduce non-verbal cues like hand signs, facial expressions, and another body language. Among the symptoms that characterize impaired communication include delayed speech development and challenges in starting and maintaining discussions.
Assessment and Classification
Individuals assumed to be suffering from autism are sent to a speech and language pathologist (SLP) for a broad evaluation. Zwaigenbaum et al. (2015) aver, “The assessment of social communication skills should be culturally sensitive, functional, and conscious of a wide range of acceptable social norms that exist within and across communities” (p. 792). Moreover, the pathologist requires involving individuals who are close to the patient such as caregivers, family members, and teachers. The SLP examines receptive and expressive language based on a person’s abilities and age. They include word and sound production as well as the occurrence and role of verbal and nonverbal communication. The pathologist also assesses social interaction, which entails the ability of an individual to initiate dialogues, use of stare, and reciprocated attention among others (Zwaigenbaum et al., 2015). Other areas that the assessment covers include conversation skills and speech prosody. Conversation skills entail evaluating the person’s ability to start, maintain, and end relevant mutual discussions. It also assesses one’s capability to offer relevant information during discussions.
Two systems are used to classify autism. They are the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) by the World Health Organization and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM system classifies autism among the pervasive development disorders (PDD). Jamal et al. (2014) allege, “Autism is one of the five PDD, which are characterized by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication, severely restricted interests and highly repetitive behavior” (p. 37). The condition exhibits numerous symptoms that are used to categorize Autism Spectrum disorder. The ICD system uses criterion akin to that of the DSM to classify autism. The system considers factors like social interaction, expressive and receptive language, and symbolic and functional play.
Prevalence
Research shows that the incidence of autism amid children continues to rise. In 2007, at least one out of 110 kids had autism (Christensen et al., 2016). Recent data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reveals that at least one out of 88 children suffers from the condition. Autism affects over 1.5 million kids in the United States. According to Christensen et al. (2016), a kid is diagnosed with autism every 20 minutes. The alarming rate of increase in the number of autistic kids in the United States calls for immediate interventions. There is a need for coming up with ways of detecting and addressing the condition at an early stage. Autism is prevalent among boys. Christensen et al. (2016) hold that the proportion of boys to girls who have autism is four is to one.
Etiology
Autism is a neurobiological developmental condition. The condition arises due to impairments in the central nervous system or brain. According to Schaefer and Mendelsohn (2013), autism appears due to early brain defects, which impact many neural networks. Research shows that the brains of kids with autism do not develop at an average rate. Schaefer and Mendelsohn (2013) posit, “Most descriptions of autism cite increased head circumference in kids with the condition as one of the symptoms of the disorder” (p. 401). An autopsy has shown abnormalities in the cerebellum, temporal lobes, amygdala, and brain stem of persons with autism. Doctors do not agree on the nature of autism. They do not consent on whether the condition should be classified among the PDD. Moreover, there are numerous controversial discussions regarding the etiology or causes of autism. Currently, there is no precise information about the etiology of autism. Nevertheless, empirically-backed studies that focus on the genetic influences and causes of autism are being pursued. Since the first case of autism, doctors and researchers have tried to come up with numerous explanations of the origins of the condition. However, none of the answers are backed with sufficient evidence. Autism researchers agree that genetic factors have a significant influence on the disorder. Nonetheless, they do not have information regarding the precise genetic links.
Educational and Non-Educational Interventions
Numerous educational interventions are used to assist kids with autism. One of them is the picture exchange communication system (PECS). The intervention entails helping kids with autism to use pictures to communicate. Knight, McKissick, and Saunders (2013) allege, “An adult helps the child to build vocabulary and articulate desires, observations or feelings by using pictures consistently” (p. 2631). The intervention begins by training the child on how to swap a picture for an item. With time, the child learns how to differentiate images from signs and use them to make sentences. Occupational therapy is one of the non-educational interventions used to assist kids with autism. A therapist uses sensory integration to help a kid to develop the requisite physical skills that would enable them to participate in activities.
Current Topics
The increase in the rate of autism has aroused numerous discussions. One of the current topics of study is the correlation between autism and chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity (Pellicano, Dinsmore, & Charman, 2014). Researchers argue that antipsychotic drugs used to treat autism leave autistic persons vulnerable to chronic health conditions. Another topic of discussion is the contribution of family features in autism. Researchers argue that autism is hereditary. Younger siblings of individuals with the disorder are likely to exhibit signs associated with autism. Research is underway to identify how autism qualities amass in families.
Conclusion
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact. Individuals with the disorder exhibit strange behaviors as they are unable to react to their environment. The inability to decipher verbal and nonverbal communication results in autistic persons preferring to lead a lonely life. Autism is classified as a pervasive development disorder. Picture exchange communication systems and occupational therapy are the educational and non-educational interventions that are used to assist individuals with autism respectively. Research shows that at least one out of 88 kids has autism. Doctors are yet to understand the etiology of the condition. Current researchers are investigating the correlation between autism and family features and chronic health conditions.
References
Christensen, D., Bilder, D., Zahorodny, W., Pettygrove, S., Durkin, M., Fitzgerald, R., … Yeargin-Allsopp, M. (2016). Prevalence and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder among 4-year-old children in the autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 37(1), 1-8.
Jamal, W., Das, S., Oprescu, I., Maharatna, K., Apicella, F., & Sicca, F. (2014). Classification of autism spectrum disorder using supervised learning of brain connectivity measures extracted from synchrostates. Journal of Neural Engineering, 11(4), 30-45.
Knight, V., McKissick, B., & Saunders, A. (2013). A review of technology-based intervention to teach academic skills to students with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(11), 2628-2648.
Lauritsen, M. (2013). Autism spectrum disorders. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 22(1), 37-42.
Pellicano, E., Dinsmore, A., & Charman, T. (2014). What should autism research focus upon? Community views and priorities from the United Kingdom. Autism, 18(7), 756-770.
Schaefer, B., & Mendelsohn, N. (2013). Clinical genetics evaluation in identifying the etiology of autism spectrum disorders: 2013 guideline revisions. Genetics in Medicine, 15(1), 399-407.
Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Brian, J., Smith, I., Roberts, W., Szatmari, P., … Vaillancourt, T. (2015). Stability of diagnostic assessment for autism spectrum disorder between 18 and 36 months in a high-risk cohort. Autism Research, 9(7), 790-800.