A Brief History of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism was first presented in 1943 by Leo Kanner when he was conducting a several children study; he later described the children as having withdrawn behaviour. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the suitable treatments used in behavioural therapy were focused on medications such as LSD and electrical shock as a form of pain and punishment (WebMD Medical Reference, 2014).
Tens of millions of people have been diagnosed with Autism worldwide, effecting both genders, all races, ethnicities and people from all socioeconomic classes. In 2010 a Surveillance Summary was conducted in the United States, where it identified that one in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). It has been recognised within this study that Autism has a higher likelihood to be identified in males, where one in 42 are diagnosed, than females, where one in 189 are diagnosed.
A study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, presents completing evidence which proposes that in order for females to develop neurodevelopment disorders, and more extreme genetic mutation in the genome would have to occur, whilst males do not need such an extreme mutation to occur to develop neurodevelopment disorders. The process which occurs is known as the Female Protective Model. The study identified that females diagnosed have an excess of deleterious autosomal copy-number variants or CNVs, and private deleterious single-nucleotide variants, or SNVs, then males also diagnosed (Jacquemont et al, 2014). Supporting, that female brains require a more extreme genetic mutation, then males, for Autism to occur, which takes the focus from X chromosome for genetic basis, instead it is a difference in the genome (Autism Speaks, 2014)...

... middle of paper ...

...ty of forms of treatments available for autistic patients, for example, applied behaviour analysis, Discrete Trial Training (DTT), Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI), Pivotal Response Training (PRT), and Verbal Behaviour Intervention (VBI). Other therapy treatment programs available are Occupational Therapy, Sensory Integration Therapy and Speech Therapy.
Although some dietary treatments have been developed by therapists, many are not supported scientifically due to this treatment possibly affecting a child positively but then having no effect on another. Dietary treatments are used to take certain ingredients out or input them into a child’s diet in order to make a difference to their child’s autistic behaviour.
Though there is still a lot to learn about ASD, research has increased in order to gain a better understanding into all aspects of Autism.