Autism, also called ASD, is classified as a spectrum disorder in which an individual experiences challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and speech/ non-verbal communication. According to the CDC, one in 54 children is diagnosed with autism. Autism is found 3-4 times more common with boys.
Those diagnosed have both challenges and strengths. Some common advantages are learning to read at an early age, memorizing and learning subjects quickly, and logical thinking. However, they also face many social challenges. About 40% of those diagnosed with autism are social anxiety. Triggers of this may include big crowds or a group of people all talking at once. This also may cause self harm, such as hitting their heads or scratching their skin.
Most of the stress and anxiety is caused by sensory inputs of the environment. sounds may appear to be blended as well, some very loud and some faint. This causes a very repetitive auditory sound, as well as some abrupt loudness, which causes stress and anxiety for the individual. Some may even experience many light changes while looking around. One moment things may look overwhelmingly bright, whereas one moment the grass looks almost looks like pixel and rust. Here is a video uploaded by someone diagnosed with autism, spreading to the world how he views the world at points:
People are usually diagnosed with signs of autism at young ages, commonly around 2-3 years old. Some signs may include babbling, avoidance of eye contact, repetiton of words, no response to expressions such as happiness, and has difficulty making or keeping friends.
The question of whether autism is a hereditary or genetic disease is unknown, but researchers have been speculating since the first birth of twins who were diagnosed with autism in 1977. From there, teams have compared autism rates in twins and found that there is an 80% chance for the twin to be diagnosed with autism with the other. So far, there is still controversy, but most articles write that autism is genetic..
There is also no cause for autism, but researchers infer that autism’s cause is from the brain structure. Brain scans show differences between the difference between shapes and sizes of a child with autism.
Currently, there is no cure for autism, but a child diagnosed with it may learn how to improve on their social skills and learn how to speak. (About 40% of those diagnosed with autism are nonverbal.) “No cure exists for autism spectrum disorder, and there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. The goal of treatment is to maximize your child’s ability to function by reducing autism spectrum disorder symptoms and supporting development and learning.,” according to https://www.mayoclinic.org/.
When mentioning someone diagnosed with autism, people may refer to them as an autistic person. This is offensive to one. People would rather be someone more than this, for referring to someone as an autistic person labels them as someone autistic, rather than themselves. There never will be a way to describe autism on a way that everyone agrees with. However, professionals use the phrase “person with autism” as an label, whereas many people find the phrase “autism” and “on the autism spectrum.”
When someone diagnosed with autism is dealing with aggression, parents may want to lean toward Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to help the individual communicate with the other. Those diagnosed with autism may bite and kick in order to communicate. However, therapy classes like ABA can help the individual learn how to communicate without aggression in behavior.
Learning about autism allows you to understand a bit of what an individual struggles with, and can help you build a friendship with one diagnosed. As aforementioned, they struggle with building friendships and conversations with people, so learning about autism can help you understand what one means.
Research Sources:
https://theconversation.com/watch-your-language-when-talking-about-autism-44531
https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/health-wellbeing/mental-health/anxiety-asd
https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/autism-genetics-explained/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybPgmjTRvMo
I have watched that video before, and I love the way how Rober uses his platform as a way to spread awareness of autism! It is also good to see the community being supportive of something that Marc was afraid to share. I also like the way that he says that kids diagnosed with autism may or may not have these abilities that others may think they have. It pushes away stereotypes, which is also a very positive thing. 😀
これは医学コースですね。
自閉症といっても、一人ひとり違います。
知能が非常に高い人もいます。
特殊な才能を持つ人もいます。
こういう分野に関心があることに驚いています。
人間の脳の仕組みは、未知の部分が多いです。
シャノンがドクターになってしまったわ。😊