An Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder Essay -- Diseases/Disorder

Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism spectrum disorder has become the most common neurological and developmental disorder diagnosed in children today. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) estimate that 1 out of every 88 American children have been properly diagnosed. There is no known cure for autism, and the inconsistencies of the symptoms of autism in each case make it difficult to target a particular set of effective treatments. However some behavior management therapies, specifically physical therapy, may help to significantly control the unwanted symptoms in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Symptoms. Children begin showing symptoms of autism as early as twelve months of life, making two to three years old the typical age of diagnosis. The symptoms of autism are truly of a spectrum, hence the name, meaning no child is affected by the disorder in quite the same way. However, symptoms of autism are generally categorized into three basic areas of impairment, the first of these being sociability. Most children with autism have trouble comprehending basic social situations. A child with autism likely makes little eye contact, fails respond to other people in their environment, and reacts inappropriately when others show extreme emotion. It is common for children with autism to misread emotional cues because they focus on a person’s mouth while speaking instead of their eyes as would an unaffected person. Likewise, people may have difficulties understanding the emotions of an autistic child. Many times their body language or tone of voice will not match the emoti on that they are trying to express. The second area of impairment is communication. Children with autism ... ...#pub12 Nicholson, H., Kehle, TJ., Bray, MA., & Heest, J. (2011). The Effects of Antecedent Physical Activity on the Academic Engagement of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 48(2), 198-213. Ospina, MB., Krebs, SJ., Clark, B., Karkhaneh, M., Hartling, L., et al. (2008). Behavioural and Developmental Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Clinical Systematic Review. PLoS ONE, 3(11). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19015734 Petrus, C., Adamson, SR., Block, L., Einarson, SJ., Sharifnejad, M., & Harris, SR. (2008) Effects of Exercise Interventions on Stereotypic Behaviours in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Physiotherapy Canada, 60(2), 134-145. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2012) Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html