Autism

By Cyrus Adamiyatt

Overview
Autism is a developmental disorder that is often apparent within the first 3 years of life and impairs the brains customary development of social and communication skills

Topics to be Covered
History Symptoms Causes Treatments How the disease is identified Bioethical Considerations

History
Throughout history, examples of autistic symptoms have been described, even long before autism was named Autistic symptoms were written about as early as the 16th century by Martin Luther Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler coined the term autism when describing symptoms of schizophrenia

History Continued
Leo Kanner was the first to autism in its modern sense when he described 11 children with striking behavioral abnormalities in a 1943 report

Symptoms of Autism
Autism is characterized not by one symptom, but rather by a set These symptoms usually begin after the age of 6 months and continue throughout adulthood (although often they appear in a less distinguishable form)

Symptoms Continued
Impairments in social interaction occurs, as those who suffer from autism often lack the seemingly natural social intuition that many possess. Additionally,they often have a hard time using simple movements to express themselves and hold less eye contact. Impairment in communication is another symptom. Almost 1/2 of people with autism cannot develop natural speech to meet daily needs. Many have issues with babbling and diminished responsiveness to their name and other communicative stimuli. Repetitive behavior is also exhibited. Those with the disease often have compulsive, ritualistic, or restricted behavior. A small percentage of those affected may develop other symptoms. Some have unusual abilities in memorization of trivia or musical talent and are often called autistic savants.

Causes
Autism is linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain; however, as of now, exact causes remain unknown Genetic factors seems to play a role but evidence has not been conclusive Chromosomal abnormalities are more common in families with autism Other causes such as Mercury poisoning, diet, and an inability to properly use vitamins and minerals have been suggested, but are not yet proven

Treatments
Applied Behavioral Analysis- a treatment program that uses a oneon-one teaching approach to help with various skills in order to bring the child closer to normal development Medicine can be used to treat the emotional or behavioral problems that are associated with the disease (I.e. aggression, anxiety, attention problems etc.) Occupational therapy and speechlanguage therapy are other options Early reports seem to show that some children with autism respond better to a gluten-free diet, although not all studies have shown positive results

Identification
Developmental exams done by a pediatrician can be used to identify symptoms in young children Children who are suspected to be affected by the disease may undergo a complete physical and nervous system evaluation In addition, such children may have genetic testing done in an effort to find chromosomal abnormalities Because of the broad spectrum of symptoms, a single evaluation cannot fully predict the condition, and multiple evaluations must be undertaken

Bibliography
Board, A.D.A.M. Editorial. "Autism." U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Jan. 0001. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhe alth/PMH0002494/>. Fredericks, Carrie. Autism. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2008. Print.