Autism 3 Essay, Research Paper

Many years ago, I watched a young boy rock back and forth as he worked a crossword puzzle. I tried to distract him from working the puzzle to ride bikes with me. I continuously asked him to play with me, but he kept staring at the puzzle while I attempted to look in his eyes. He took the puzzle apart and flipped the pieces in the air, one at a time. He did not speak, but he made crying noises. The more I asked questions or talked to him, the louder his cries became. As his frustration grew, he balled his fists up, punched his eyes, and kicked his feet. I was curious about his activity. I was later told the boy {my brother} was autistic, says Tamara Robinson in an interview.

Autism is a syndrome of childhood characterized by a lack of social relationship, a lack of communication abilities, persistent compulsive, rituals, and resistance to change (Paluszny 1). For centuries, medical professionals have tried to understand autism and its origin. The above example shows only a few examples of autistic behavior.

The history of autism extends, as far back as the late sixteenth century; however, during that time it was not identified as this illness. Here is a statement from before the discovery of the illness:

In 1799, a boy about eleven years of age was found naked in the woods of

Averyron, France. He was dirty, covered with sores, mute, and behaved like

A wild animal. Jean Itard, the physician of the new institution for deaf-mutes,

Was given charge of the abandoned child. From Itard s description, Victor

Showed many features of autism he did not look at people and never

Played with the toys, but showed remarkable memory in recalling the position

Of objects in his room and resisted any change of these objects. (Paluszny 2)

In attempt to educate Victor, Itard used a glass of water as a form of encouragement, but he continued to remain silent and never spoke any words.

It was not until 1943 that the label autism was used by a child psychiatrist, named Leo Kanner to describe the symptoms. The term autism derives from auto, the Greek word for self, (Hamblin 137). Kanner used this term when he studied eleven children who had a unique form of schizophrenia (Hamblin 136). Although, it was later determined that even though some of the characteristics of schizophrenia and autism are not the same, Kanner did open new doors for an intensive study of a confusing syndrome.

The causes of autism are unknown. In most cases, the pregnancies of mothers of autistic children were normal. Occasionally, there were cases of maternal bleeding, prematurity, or maternal rubella, but these situations do not appear consistently. One possibility that scientists have researched is genetics. Chromosomal studies have been attempted to detect if autism is a result of too many chromosomes, because autism is more dominant in males than females, (Ritvo 169). The frequency in males is approximately 3/5,000 (Ritvo 169). Since females have two X-chromosomes and males have an X and Y chromosome, than the Y chromosome can be considered in current research activities.

Another possibility is the malfunctioning of the brain. According to Adler, neurobiological researchers have localized several regions of the brain that are responsible for social interaction skills (248). Frith says, a biological defect causes autism, the symptoms which include a lack of communication, socialization and imagination. Scientists are continually searching for answers.

During the stages of infancy, the autistic baby seems normal. Then, a period of time before the age of three, the child experiences regression. In some cases, the first signs are at the age of three. There is no exact determination of when the signs appear. When autistic parents were told to think back in time before the third year, some parents said that they could not pinpoint exactly what the difference was, but they described a vague feeling that something was wrong from infancy (Paluszny 4).

In normal development of children, Paluszny says that one of the first milestones is the social smile (4). Babies smile and respond to the faces and voices of adults. The autistic infant does not bring about a social smile ; rather the child will only respond to sounds and sights that are not from the adult. Also, a normal baby will explore the mother s face by touch or poking fingers in parts of her face, but an autistic child will rarely look at the mother and shows no interest in exploring her features.

The next stage of development would be sounds from the baby. Paluszny says that the second important milestone in the development of the baby is vocational (5). Around the third month, a baby will make sounds, and by the seventh or eighth month, a baby will say ma-ma or da-da . An autistic baby does not develop socially. From early childhood on, the autistic child s lack of social skills becomes more obvious. The child is unaware of the people around him. Autistic children are happier when left alone. They tend to play with the same toys and find enjoyment in spinning objects or their own bodies. Also during this stage, the autistic child has many temper tantrums and screams and cries excessively. However, when the child does cry, it is usually without tears. Communication is still a real problem because of the child s situation.

The inability of autistic individuals to function socially or interact with others is an area of the syndrome that strikes great interest. The autistic social dysfunction is a specific type of social impairment that is not observed even in young, normal children, and not accounted for by mental retardation, as such, (Cohen 28). Normal children demonstrate social skills through vocational and expression. The normal child enjoys the presence of people and expressing themselves to other people. However, the autistic one has more interest in objects than people do. For example, a young autistic girl would be more interested in the arm and leg movements of a doll, whereas, a normal child would be fascinated with combing the doll s hair, dressing the doll, and talking to the doll. The young girl would perhaps imagine the doll as if it were a real human being. The autistic one has no concept of imagination.

Investigators have stressed the lack of normal socialization as the key in defining this syndrome because autistic children exhibit a fundamental failure in socialization, as exhibited by their lack of social interaction (Cohen 28). If language is present, it is usually not used as a means to interact. For example, an older autistic individual may begin a discussion without providing the listener with adequate background information and may fail to take social norms or the listener s feelings into account (like telling someone they were fat), (Volkmar 41). A mute autism may not use proper facial expressions or any expressions at all when interacting. If an autist does eventually establish a social relationship, he or she would lack the richness and differentiation seen even in young normally developing children, (Volkmar 42). Therefore, eliminating the social problem in autism challenges researchers every day.

Although the social problems of autism have not been eliminated, there are new breakthroughs in treatment to break some of the social barriers. Researchers are using a technique called facilitated communication. A person guides the hand of the individual over a computer keyboard, while allowing the person to type his or her feelings.

Residential homes have become more important. A residential home is a place where an autistic individual lives and receives education. The setting is similar to a school for deaf or blind. Many parents feel more comfortable with a residential home rather than an institution. The problem with these homes is that they are extremely costly.

Group homes are somewhat different than residential homes. A group home is where an autistic person would live with other autistic individuals in a house in a neighborhood. The group home consists of a housemother or father who lives with the autistic persons and oversees them. There may be only five to eight people in total living in the house. The individuals work in the community to help buy food and pay for some small expenses. This type of living is for older autistic individuals only.

Another form of treatment is integrating autistic in society. In an interview with Ernestine Johnson, a board member for Lake County Association for the Retarded, she stated that they have adapted a social integration program. The social integration program (S.I.P.) is a program established across the United States that allows autistic people to work in the community and participate in community activities. This program has been found to be very effective for autistics, she said, especially my son (Edwin, a 32-year-old mute autistic). For the first time in my life, I have learned some of his thoughts. The diagram below is a weekly activity schedule for a SIP participant, Edwin Ross. The following is Edwin s schedule for the week: Monday-library and volunteer job, Tuesday-YMCA, Wednesday-Volunteer job, Thursday-craft store and YMCA, and Friday-Woodland Park: exercise walk and basketball. This schedule shows work and leisure activities. Edwin has showed significant improvements as a result of SIP. He tries to interact with his family and enjoys participating in community activities. Also, he appears to be less tense and nervous.

Autism is a syndrome with many complexities. The social problems are a challenging characteristic of autism. Researchers and professionals have a better understanding of these problems, and different forms of treatment are now available. Ernestine Johnson says, Ten years ago, I had little interaction with my son. Now, there is hope.

Works Cited

Adler, Tina. Comprehending Those Who Can t Relate. Science News 16

April. 1994: 248-249

Cohen, Donald. Issues in the Classification of Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Associated Conditions. Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Eds. Donald Cohen and Anne Donnellan. Silver Spring, Maryland: V.H. Winston & Sons, 1987. 20-60

Frith, Uta. Autism. Scientific American June 1993: 108-114.

Hamblin, Robert. The Humanization Processes. New York: Wiley Interscience, 1971.

Johnson, Ernestine. Personal Interview. 22 April, 1998.

Paluszny, Maria J., M.D. Autism. New York: Syracuse University, 1979.

Robinson, Tamara. Personal Interview. 22 April, 1998.

Volkmar, Fred. Social Development. Handbook of autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Eds. Donald Cohen and Anne Donnellan. Silver Spring, Maryland: V.H. Winston & Sons, 1987. 41-60.