Argumentative Essay On Autism

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Many people argue that being autistic is a real disability. Signs of autism aren’t physically visible, that is why some people disagree with it. Since there are no physical signs of autism, it is a disorder and not a disease. Autism is difficult to treat because it affects every individual’s brain differently. Currently, autism is the fastest growing disorder in America. Because the autistic population has increased so much in the last decade, it is crucial that people know how to help and treat those with the fast growing disorder.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines autism as,”A brain disorder that typically affects a person’s ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and respond appropriately to the environment,” …show more content…

From 1990 to 1999 autism had a 1,354 percent increase. That is going from about every 2 out of 500 children to every 3 out of 500 children (Fredericks 64). Because of this dramatic increase in the disorder, many new parents are unaware of how to treat their autistic child. Which is very understandable. When the child's’ parents start noticing the symptoms, they usually take their child to the doctor. Doctors depend on the child’s behavior to diagnose autism (Edwards 12). Most children are diagnosed when they reach the age of three or four.(Edwards 13). Scientists believe they are near discovering how and why autism happens. Right now, medical experts say the best thing is early detection. If doctors are capable of finding autism soon enough, they can help the child and hopefully the child can become a high-functioning autistic (Edwards …show more content…

They have developed many different theories as to what causes it, but do not have one answer (Edwards 27). A study through John Hopkins University found that because of some factors there may be a higher risk of the child having autism. Some of these factors may include: family history of schizophrenia, low birth weight, and different birth difficulties like premature or breech delivery (Fredericks 10). When scientists first started researching autism the first thing they observed was genetics. Their research found that most children with autism had someone else in their family with the disorder or a disorder relating to autism like aspergers or schizophrenia (Edwards 30). In 2005, a study at the University of California was conducted. The researchers hoped to discover genetic patterns on how autism happens. They discovered certain proteins and immune system units are different from ordinary people (Fredericks 10). Another study, at the University of Washington, proved the possibility that boys and girls differ when it comes to autism genes(Fredericks 9). Which could explain why autism occurs four times more often in boys than girls (Fredericks 7). In 2006, a study, in Israel, was done on whether older fathers have a greater risk of having autistic children. The results proved fathers under thirty have a 1 in 1667 chance, while fathers over fifty have a 1 in 192

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