AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Introduction

This paper is based on 'Autism Spectrum Disorder', (ASD). I have chosen this topic because of the interest I have developed as a result of thorough research and the hardships that are being experienced by the patients suffering from ASD.

Problem Statement

Prevalence of autistic spectrum disorders has grown in the past two decades. These higher rates are mostly attributed to the changes in how professionals define and diagnose autism and to an increased awareness of its expression in both severely cognitively impaired and more cognitively capable individuals (Zager, 2005).

However, the exact number of autistic spectrum disorder cases is not known, because of changes in what is considered an autistic spectrum disorder, how autistic spectrum disorders are diagnosed, and how autism cases are reported.

Definition

The words 'autism' and 'autistic' come from the root Greek word autos meaning 'self.' Major recognition for identifying modern-day notions of ASD is credited to Leo Kanner. The children manifested similar abnormalities from infancy or early childhood, including (a) an inability to relate normally to other people and situations; (b) delayed speech and language development, failure to use developed language for communication purposes, and/or other speech and language irregularities such as echolalia, pronoun reversal and misusage, and extreme literalness; (c) normal physical growth and development; (d) an obsessive insistence on environmental sameness; (e) an extreme fascination and preoccupation with objects; and (f) stereotypic, repetitive, and other self-stimulatory responses (Bryson, 2007).

Research Question

The following research question is included in this paper.

RQ1: Why do children identified as having ASD present highly individualized characteristics that set them apart from their typically with other types of disabilities?

RQ2: How it is possible that some individuals with ASD have above-average cognitive and language abilities with evidence of their disability manifested in the form of subtle social peculiarities?

Methodology

Qualitative research is much ...