Scientists have several theories on the causes of autism. It is possible to single out three major perspectives: genetics, prenatal development, and postnatal causes. Thus, scientists believe that genetics pays a predominant role in the development of autism though it is still unclear which genes are responsible for the development of this disorder and whether it is inheritable (Mash and Wolfe, 2013).
The next cause which significantly affects the development of the disease is the prenatal environment. Thus, the mother can get ill (especially infectious disease) or be exposed to substances. This can contribute to abnormal development of the fetus and lead to the development of autism. The third cause is rather irrelevant, and it involves infectious disorders of children which cause autism.
Learning disorders are associated with genetic influences, brain connections, and ear infections. Some children with learning disabilities inherit these disorders though scientists are unsure of the way genes are inherited. Distorted brain connections also contribute to the development of learning disabilities.
Hence, dyslexia is strongly correlated with abnormal brain connections (Norton, 2013). Ear infections prevent children from properly hearing and decoding verbal signals and they start lagging behind, become inattentive and so on.
The biopsychosocial model can be used to evaluate a child’s development as all major factors affecting his/her functioning can be taken into account. I believe all these factors are closely connected. For instance, when a child is ill and has to stay home because of a simple cold, his/her mood can worsen.
A child with a disability can develop depression as he/she feels a stranger and a person who is not wanted or even disliked. Admittedly, in less well-to-do families, children can have even greater psychological load due to inability to access high-quality medication or treatment.
Stalking
Stalking should be seen as a serious crime as it often leads to homicide. Notably, common victims of stalkers are their intimate partners (Gosselin, 2014). This peculiarity leads to numerous complications. Thus, victims often try to solve the issue without addressing police, which only worsens the situation.
The cases Crawford v. Washington and Giles v. California had a certain effect on the court’s response to intimate partner violence (Crawford v. Washington, 2011; Giles v. California, 2011). Offenders were judged in a more strict way as out-of-court testimonials were seen as permissible.
Therefore, prosecutors could gather more substantial evidence to convict offenders of their crimes. This will positively affect the situation as stalkers will have to think twice before they start their illegal actions.
It is necessary to note that stalkers are predominantly males (mostly heterosexual) and almost half of them are Caucasian and single. These characteristic features of a stalker can provide insights into the nature of stalking. First of all, it seems that stalking can be related to the concept of masculinity and possessiveness. Men cannot let their partners go and believe they have the right to force the partners to remain with them.
It is quite surprising that only half of stalkers are single. I have always thought that a stalker is a single often unemployed male with certain psychological disorders. The fact that married or non-single men are stalkers suggests that the problem rooted much deeper.
It is necessary to study the issue to understand what exactly makes stalkers pursue their victims. It is also necessary to implement research to identify possible genetic, psychological, socioeconomic causes of the problem. It can be also interesting to identify the particular reason why females rarely resort to stalking.
Memory, Information, Sleep
It is possible to single out three major types of memory: short-term, long-term memory and sensory memory (Types of memory, 2010). Sensory memory enables people to remember information for a second and it cannot be prolonged even with the help of rehearsal. Short-term memory lasts for a minute but can be prolonged though rehearsal. Long-term memory stores information for an indefinite time, for whole life, for example.
Long-term memory can be explicit or implicit. The former is unconscious and the latter s conscious. Explicit memory is all about events and facts. People can easily retrieve it consciously. Implicit memory is often related to body movements and skills, for example, playing the guitar, riding a bike and so on.
Information is transferred from one hemisphere to the other with the help of small commissures (Kalat, 2013). Anterior, posterior and hippocampal commissure are involved in this transfer. Information transfer from one hemisphere to the other is essential for proper functioning of a human body as one skill or action may require impulses from both hemispheres.
Sleep is closely connected with depression. Lack of sleep can cause depression and, vice versa; depression often leads to insomnia (Kalat, 2013). It has been acknowledged that lack of sleep leads to the development of numerous psychological disorders as the brain is not fully restored. Depression is often associated with anxiety and insomnia which worsen the patient’s condition.
There are two major types of depression treatment: the use pharmaceuticals and cognitive behavioral therapy. Drugs provide certain elements to the brain to block depressive mood. As far as I am concerned, it is better to identify reasons for depression and try to help the patient cope with his/her issues. Dependence on drugs will not help people live full lives and solve numerous issues our life has to offer.
Reference List
Crawford v. Washington. (2011).
Giles v. California. (2011).
Gosselin, D.K. (2014). Heavy hands: An introduction to the crimes of family violence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Kalat, J.W. (2013). Biological psychology. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Mash, E.J., & Wolfe, D.A. (2013). Abnormal child psychology. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Norton, A. (2013). Slower brain connections may be at root of dyslexia.
Types of memory. (2010). Web.