Informative Speech : Autism Spectrum Disorder Essay

Autism is a brain disorder that can affect a child’s development in the sense that they would have trouble with verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behavior, or social interaction in general. Autism can be detected in children ages two to three years old and 1 in every 88 children in America are diagnosed with autism yearly.

“Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me…Be my advocate, be my friend, and we’ll see just how far we can go” –Ellen Botbohm, author of Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew.

Autism, a developmental disorder is becoming widely diagnosed here in the U.S. and throughout the world affecting children in all different types of backgrounds. From children living in rural or urban, rich or poor. Currently there are many speculations and superstitions as to the causes for developing autism but science has no clear evidence as to why autism affects certain people and not others, autism can greatly affect the families and its patients for their entire lives. Most of you do not know that I have twin younger brothers with Autism. Before this speech, I had no clue what autism really was. Through my research I am now able to relay this information to you. Today I want to talk about Autism. The three things I will be speaking about is what is Autism? How does autism affect the family and how does autism affect people who have it?

Autism is a disorder in brain progress that comes to be obvious in earliest youth.

Many of us have heard about Autism, also knows as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Some have a family member, a friend, or know someone who has ASD. Increasingly it is becoming a more common disability. “Autism is one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the U.S” (Autism Speaks). Autism has no respect for gender, race, social class and or ethnicity. “Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that involves abnormal development and function of the brain.” (Autism Center of Excellence) People who have autism have a lot of difficulties with social skills, communication and also will develop behavior issues. These behavior problems of an individual with autism can vary at times and can go from mild to severe. According to the Autism Science Foundation it says,” Many people with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention, and reacting to different sensations. The thinking and learning abilities of people with ASD can vary—from gifted to severely challenged.” The causes and symptoms, as well as the diagnosis, and the treatments of autism vary.

To understand the etiology of Autism one must understand that Autism belongs to a group of developmental disabilities that have been identified as Autism Spectrum Disorders. The name "spectrum” indicates that the disorder is broad and it affects each individual differently. Autism Spectrum Disorder commonly referred to as (ASD) encompass delays in the development of many basic skills. These delays in development include but are not limited to: limited or inability to properly socialize or establish relationships with others, effective communication skills, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Individuals with Autism may also have (ID) intellectual disabilities,

Before delving into the problems that arise, one should understand how to classify autism. According to O’Callaghan, “autism is not a single disease but a name...given to a behavioral phenotype that may have many aetiologies” (O’Callaghan). While the terminology O’Callaghan used may appear daunting because it leans towards scientific discussion, his definition explains that one should not assume autism is just a disease in itself, but is more than that. It serves another role of representing how an autistic individual acts and that the way they behave is a physical characteristic one can identify when regarding them. He additionally mentioned that autism may not have one cause, but may be composed of several causes attributed towards it.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined as a group of complex disorders of the brain. The autism spectrum contains many other disorders within itself, and each of them have different symptoms. These disorders include autistic disorder, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, and Asperger syndrome (Frequently Asked Questions, 2015). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that around 1 in 68 American children are on the spectrum, with the statistics in other countries being even higher. This number has increased in the last 40 years and could partly be because of the improved diagnosis and awareness, all because

Autism is defined as, “A complex neurobehavioral disorder that includes impairments in social interaction and developmental language and communication skills and rigid, repetitive behaviors. The disorder covers a large spectrum of symptoms, skills, and levels of impairment. It ranges in severity from a handicap that limits an otherwise normal life to a devastating disability that may require institutional care.” (Melillo, 1)

“This mysterious disability, first described and named approximately 60 years ago, is characterized by a peculiar emotional and cognitive isolation and detachment” (The Harvard, 2001). Autism is such a broad spectrum disorder and just as we all have our unique finger prints, children diagnosed under the Autism umbrella have their own set of unique individualities. There are characteristics that are all encompassing but more times than not manifest differently among each individual. Many of the common characteristics are as follows: limited verbal and non-verbal communication; difficulty developing “normal” social skills and relationships; demonstration of unique behaviors and interests and many have difficulties processing sensory input.

Autism is a disorder characterized by significant problems in communication and social functioning. Autism is actually called Autism Spectrum Disorder and encompasses a broad range disabilities such as Asperger syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, and Pervavasive Development Disorder (Dunlap & Fox, n.d.). There are also varying degrees of the disorder from low-functioning (no communication and no social interaction) to

Autism Awareness is growing, and the debate on the best way to help the children is still underway. However, this new study is a step in the right direction to understanding the disease and possibly having the ability to diagnose it better, and treat it

Autism is described as a developmental disorder caused by . abnormality in the brain that mostly affect early childhood, ages 3 to 6.This disorder affect social interactions, language

Autism can be a mysterious topic, with a black box of information scientists have been trying to open for years. But today, people know a lot more about the inner workings of ASD. Some interesting facts and statistics are that the most obvious signs of autism occur at a very young age, usually 2-3 years old, and 1 in every 68 children have been diagnosed with it (What is autism?). The cause of this disorder is found in the brain, where their mind map is scrambled. This means that there are abnormalities in the cerebellum, brain stem, limbic system, and frontal cortex (Albano). In addition, the word autism comes from the greek word ‘autos’, which means ‘self.’ This is due to the fact that autistic people seem “self absorbed” (Autism Spectrum

Autism are a general term that is used for a combination of complicated disorders of brain development. These disorders cause, in varying level, difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication and interaction with the society (1). Autism leads to intellectual disability, troubles in attention, movement and general physical health problems. However, some autistic patients may surpass the healthy individuals in visual skills, art, and math (2). Autistic patients see, hear and feel the world differently from other people. They believe that the world is overwhelming and this could make them