Autism is a behavioral, medical condition that has effects on the mind of a person relating to a specific set of social, communication as well as unusual activity patterns. Autism makes it difficult for the victims to communicate and interact with other children. It is mainly diagnosed based on the trend of social impairments and communication of infants. Assumptions are that autism disorders are related to genetic, cognitive and neurological problems. Parents are alleged to be the first to suspect if their children have autism, but psychiatrists mainly distinguish the diagnosis.[1] Though there has been no specific known cause of autism, theories exist about how a child becomes affected. People believe that early intervention and therapies on victims reduce the negative outcomes related to autism.
Review of evidence relating to autism
Autism disorders are specially identified in children at their early stages. If the children are not observed for autism by their parents, the complications may be defined in schools. Parents and teachers are considered a vital component in identification and intervention of autism.[2]
However, people have not paid attention to socially proving the effectiveness of autism intervention. Therefore, it has been hard to identify and make use of evidence-based on social settings. To identify autism disorders, it is essential to involve parents, teachers, and administrators in schools. Information for social interventions can mainly be acquired by clarifying to parents and teachers the importance of diagnosing autism.
There have been no scientific facts relating to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) therefore prediction and diagnosis of autism is dependent on the behavior of children.[3] Increased information in ways to diagnose of ASD has been through; autism screening, parent and teachers reports, retrospective analysis and currently studies of children being at high risks of being affected by their siblings.[4] Despite seeing behaviors in the first year of an infant, the current prediction of ASDs is three years and above. Therefore showing that children are not being diagnosed with ASD at early enough stages for monitoring and surveillance of their behaviors.
Researches on autism
Many researches are being done on children affected by autism disorders at different stages of their early life. The researches have been to understand how autism can be best intervened. Observations are that, many children are suspected to have autism disorders, especially during their early school life due to the unique behavior and communication characteristics.[5]
Most researchers claim that parents and teachers are essential for prediction of autism disorders among children.
Diagnosis of autism
In Sweden and other western countries, people believe that pediatricians and child neurologists are the ones who are likely to make a diagnosis if infants are suffering from autism disorders. The change in autism symptoms is believed to influence the person who first suspects a child have autism. Some researchers believe that autism can be diagnosed at infancy. Diagnosis of a variety of autism characteristic happen at different stages of life. For instance, Kanner autism can be diagnosed at an age between three and seven years while Asperger syndrome found at early school years.
However, it is essential for parents to be first to suspect autism disorders by observing the characters of their children. Parents should identify the symptoms at early ages to ensure thorough monitoring of the individuals. A research done on how parents are concerned to observe cases of autism disorders in their children show variety of parents’ concern issues. The study done on two hundred and forty-three infants, who were at both high and low risk of being affected proved the concern of parents to be different. Several characteristic investigated on the infants included; speech/language/communication, social behaviors, stereotyped behavior, motor, medical/regulatory, behavior, unspecified autism and their general development.[6] From the study, the following data was collected by the researchers.
The table represents the percentage of children that had specific characteristics related to autism. From the research, it was observed that parents who have had cases of autism before showed more concern on their children compared to parents who have not experienced such instances in other siblings.
Prediction of autism is not only influenced by parents having observed the problem in other siblings. The illiteracy levels also influence it. Educated parents are expected to predict autism at earlier stages compared to illiterate parents. Uneducated parents are seen to be more reluctant in the diagnosis of the psychological problem.[7] These parents may have had other grown children with the same problem but did not screen their children at early stages hence cannot be able to create disparities between the affected children and those that are not affected.
Limitations of social validation of autism
Depending on parents to be the first people to identify autism disorders in their children has not been the best solution. Some parents are seen to have no concern observing the unusual behaviors of their children. Illiterate parents are seen to be the most unconcerned since they do not know of distinct characteristics of their children. Parents may also be the cause of the autism disorders in children depending on how they behave and communicate.
If diagnosis of children with autism is not done before attending school, they become more affected. In case a child attends school before being diagnosed with autism, the child may be bullied. A study has shown that children with autism usually get bullied.[8] This results to the escalation of their mental problems as they cannot fit in those environments. Schools are therefore not the best places to have a child identified for autism.
Theories on the causes of autism
There has been no known cause of autism. However, several theories exist on the possible origin of autism. Autism can result from multiple causes with various manifestations in different people that share common symptoms. It occurred due to genetic defects and damage development of the brain. Assumptions are that autism disorders are related to genetic, cognitive and neurological problems.
Biological Theory of Autism
A variety of natural, genetic, factor is believed to be the ultimate cause of autism. Studies provide evidence that autism may be acquired genetically. Chromosomal abnormalities such as; Down syndrome is alleged to cause autism. Studies have shown that abnormalities of chromosomes have resulted in individuals having autism disorders.[9] To appreciate this theory, it is important to understand genetic transfer and also understand that identical twins share all their DNA. Researchers have also shown that for identical twins if one twin has autism, the other twin is likely to also have autism compared to fraternal twins where both twins may not influence the behavior of one another.[10] However, specific gene abnormalities that may cause autism have resulted in scientists being unclear with the theory.
Reasons behind the incomplete clarity of the argument are; the fact that the genetic regions involved are likely to be complex and the probability of genetic mutations are unlikely and complicated. Scientists have had to change the techniques. Prospects show that a lot of cases of autism are related to common genetic variation. When more than two genetic risk factors are in one person, the combination of the genes causes adverse effects in the development of the brain. Parents, especially males who grow up without having been intervened for their autism conditions, their sperms may contain de novo genetic mutations making their children to be at higher risk of being affected.[11]
Cognitive theory of Autism
Advancement of technology and people widening their knowledge through research has led to assumptions that environment has its contribution to autism. Despite doing research, scientists have not been able to come up with specific cognitive factors that cause autism. Particularly, epidemiology is used as a technique in this study. There are environmental factors during pre-natal and post-natal that influence the behavior and way of communication of an individual. During pregnancy infections caused by both bacteria and viruses have been seen to increase the vulnerability of infants being autism victims.[12]
Germs are passed to the fetus through the placenta causing damage in development of the fetus’ brain. Apart from the prenatal environmental factors, several studies have also shown that the condition of the other siblings influences increase in number of children having autism.[13]
The younger ones may copy the behaviors of the older children. Also, the action of the children and way of communicating is influenced by how their parents behave and interact.
Conclusion
Autism-related characteristics changes and determines the way a child talks, behaves and interacts with other people. Though there is no treatment for autism, diagnosis of children with autism disorders is necessary to take required measures to prevent consequences related to autism. It is fundamental for all parents to observe autism-related problems in the character of their children to ensure that they get therapies at early stages. While there is no specified causes of autism, genetic and environmental factors may have subtle influences on the way a child communicates, behaves and interacts with others.
Bibliography
Bailey, Anthony. "Autism Treatment Research." Autism Research 7, no. 1 (2014): 1-3. doi:10.1002/aur.1358.
Bernier, Raphael, Jennifer Gerdts, Jeff Munson, Geraldine Dawson, and Annette Estes. "Evidence for Broader Autism Phenotype Characteristics in Parents from Multiple-incidence Autism Families." Autism Research 5, no. 1 (2011): 13-20. doi:10.1002/aur.226.
Cartwright, Charles, and Rachael Power. "Alternative Biological Treatments for Autism." Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2003, 347-67. doi:10.3109/9780203911723-17.
Dud, Iulia, Louise Brennan, and Dene Robertson. "Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Cognitive Enhancement." Oxford Medicine Online, 2017, 744-845. doi:10.1093/med/9780190214401.003.0012.
Joseph, Lisa, Sarah Spence, and Audrey Thurm. "Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Clinical Overview." Oxford Medicine Online, 2013. doi:10.1093/med/9780199744312.003.0002.
Russell, Ginny. "Contextualising Autism Diagnosis." Autism-Open Access
04, no. 01 (2014): 144-65. doi:10.4172/2165-7890.1000128.
Segall, Matthew J., and Jonathan M. Campbell. "Factors Relating to Education Professionals’ Classroom Practices for the Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders." Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 6, no. 3 (2012): 1156-167. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2012.02.007.
[1]
Anthony Bailey, "Autism Treatment Research," Autism Research 7, no. 1 (2014): , doi:10.1002/aur.1358.
[2] Raphael Bernier et al., "Evidence for Broader Autism Phenotype Characteristics in Parents from Multiple-incidence Autism Families," Autism Research 5, no. 1 (2011): , doi:10.1002/aur.226.
[3]
Matthew J. Segall and Jonathan M. Campbell, "Factors Relating to Education Professionals’ Classroom Practices for the Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders," Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 6, no. 3 (2012): , doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2012.02.007.
[4] Ibid., 1158
[5]
Matthew J. Segall and Jonathan M. Campbell, "Factors Relating to Education Professionals’ Classroom Practices for the Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders," Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 6, no. 3 (2012): , doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2012.02.007.
[6]
Matthew J. Segall and Jonathan M. Campbell, "Factors Relating to Education Professionals’ Classroom Practices for the Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders," Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 6, no. 3 (2012): , doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2012.02.007.
[7]
Ginny Russell, "Contextualising Autism Diagnosis," Autism-Open Access 04, no. 01 (2014): , doi:10.4172/2165-7890.1000128.
[8]
Ginny Russell, "Contextualising Autism Diagnosis," Autism-Open Access 04, no. 01 (2014): , doi:10.4172/2165-7890.1000128.
[9] Charles Cartwright and Rachael Power, "Alternative Biological Treatments for Autism," Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2003, , doi:10.3109/9780203911723-17.
[10] Ginny Russell, "Contextualising Autism Diagnosis," Autism-Open Access 04, no. 01 (2014): , doi:10.4172/2165-7890.1000128.
[11] Ibid., 351
[12]
Iulia Dud, Louise Brennan, and Dene Robertson, "Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Cognitive Enhancement," Oxford Medicine Online, 2017, , doi:10.1093/med/9780190214401.003.0012.
[13]
Ibidi., 759
