Autism has become a more frequently diagnosed disorder than ever before. There are three behavioral domains that psychologists use to diagnose autism: repetitive behavior, deficits in social interaction and communication (Lewis, Tanimura, Lee, & Bodfish, 2006). Repetitive behavior is operationally defined as the broad class of behaviors related by repetition, rigidity and invariance (Lewis et al., 2006). When it comes to repetitive behaviors in autism and brain function, there is not much research done. Importance is obvious for this topic because if researchers find what in the brain causes the repetitive behavior, they could treat it. Some of the repetitive behavior in children with autism is debilitating and they would benefit from treatment for the specific symptoms.
Caudate volume has been associated with repetitive behavior in different research (Hollander et al., 2005 and Rojas et al., 2006). In a study done by Hollander et al. (2005), they took magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the brain of seventeen subjects with autism. They discovered that the right caudate nucleus was higher in volume in autistic subjects than in the control subjects. In another study, they too, did MRI’s of the autistic subjects’ brains and control subjects without autism. The researchers found significant correlations between volumes of the caudate nucleus and a measure of repetitive behaviors (Rojas et al., 2006). In this study, they used the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R) test and compared them to the brain images. This comparison showed that the caudate nucleus volume and the Repetitive and Stereotyped Behavior Domain had a positive correlation. The caudate nucleus is part of the cortical-basal ganglia and in a study by Lewis et al. (2006)...
... middle of paper ...
...y, 58, 226-232. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.03.040
Lewis, M.H. (2004). Environmental complexity and central nervous system development and function. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 10, 91-95. doi: 10.1002/mrdd.20017
Lewis, M.H., Tanimura, Y., Lee, L.W., & Bodfish, J.W. (2006). Animal models of restricted repetitive behavior in autism. Behavioural Brain Research, 176, 66-74. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.08.023
O’Hearn, K., Asato, M., Ordaz, S., & Luna, B. (2008). Neurodevelopment and executive function in autism. Development and Psychopathology, 20, 1103-1132. doi: 10.1017/S0954579408000527
Rojas, D.C., Peterson, E., Winterrowd, E., Reite, M.L., Rogers, S.J., & Tregellas, J.R. (2006). Regional gray matter volumetric changes in autism associated with social and repetitive behavior problems. BMC Psychiatry, 6 (56), PAGE N. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-6-56
Development of social skills is very important for children that are diagnosed with autism because of ...
Structure and function can not be separated from one another and changes in one indicate alterations in the other. Because an autistic person has brain defects, a reasonable assumption is made that changes in structure will alter the behavior. An autistic person is characterized by having impaired social interaction, difficulty with communication both verbal and nonverbal, trouble with imagination, and limited activities and interests. By analyzing the abnormal behaviors of the autistic person, the roles that the cerebellum, the corpus callosum, the amygdala, and the hippocampus play in the disease can be inferred.
4)Overview of Autism by Stephen Edelson, Ph. D., at the Center for the Study of Autism
“Treatment of Autism in Young Children: Behavioral Intervention and Applied Behavior Analysis:Infants & Young Children, by Jensen, VK, and Sinclair LV, published in 2002, summarized Oct 19, 2006
One of the most characteristic features of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is its prominent higher prevalence among the male gender in comparison with the female gender. Although rates of ASD are consistent across cultures, these rates vary significantly by gender. It is the male gender that seems to be more affected by ASD with an average male-to-female ratio of 4.2:1, affecting 1 in 70 males and only 1 in 315 females (Fombonne, 2009). Although a well-known fact, the causes for such a great difference among sex ratios still remains unexplained, there are several hypotheses and studies trying to explain the reason for this inequality. In this paper I will outline some of the different attempts to explain the differences between the sex ratios. Among these attempts we can find diverse hypotheses that vary from the role of the sex hormones and genetic vulnerability to the biases of medical professionals during the diagnostic process (Goldman, 2013).
First off, autism is not a form of mental retardation despite what the general public may have you believe. In actuality, autism, which was first described by Kanner (1943) in his study of 11 children with “autistic disturbances of affective contact” (US: American Psychological Ass...
Children with autism have multiple characteristic impairments in their social interaction skills. This results from the lack of “Theory of Mind” in autistic individuals. Autistic children have difficulty interpreting what another person may be thinking or feeling. Social impairments may cause the child to act inappropriately in social interactions and prevent the children from truly taking part in interactions. The children have difficulty recognizing social cues and responding to cues. Autistic children have a hard time forming relationships as a result of these impairments. Social stories, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Pivotal Response Training are three therapy techniques that help children with autism learn appropriate social behavior. Social stories allow the children to practice the situation in a lower stress environment. Applied Behavior Analysis utilizes positive reinforce to teach desired skills. Pivotal Response Training allows the child to learn social skills while in a natural play environment. Learning social skills through these techniques enable the children to have more meaningful relationships and engage more in their community.
Murray, S. 2010. Autism Functions/ The function of Autism, in Disability Studies Quarterly, Vol 30, No 1, 2010. The Society for Disability Studies.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most common developmental disabilities in our society today. Most commonly delineated with impairments in social and cognitive processes, specifically social interaction (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2006). Today, this disability is more prevalent than in year’s prior, and continues to complicate the lives of many individuals. Although ASD is a social disorder, some research also provides evidence of a deficit in an individual’s perception of movement, which too stems from both social and cognitive processes (Kasier & Shiffrar, 2009).
The statement above suggests that developmental deficiency in what children suffer from when exposed to a human less environment. When a child grows with no human contact, their ...
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has been a significant topic of research over the last few decades. While there is no conclusive findings as to what causes Autism, there are many reasonable theories that help to explain how this particular disorder develops. The purpose of this review is to explore and discuss various theories presented in biopsychology as to what causes Autism. Through the examination of several articles and studies, several theories will be presented. Such theories will include the Executive Function Theory, the effect of thimersol and vaccines, the effect of SHANK3, environmental factors, and genetics, all of which will be discussed in further detail.
Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Rogers, T., Roberts, W., Brian, J., & Szatmari, P. (2005). Behavioral manifestations of autism in the first year of life. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 23(2), 143-152.
Two to six children out of every thousand will end up with Autism. Autism is one of the fastest growing disorders with a great amount of studies being put behind it. With its vast amount of different signs and symptoms, different forms, how its treated, and arguments about how exactly the disorder came to be , Austin can very well be one of the most confusing, and researched disorders, for its a disorder that stirs up tons of questions but yet gets hardly any answers. Autism is usually developed between ages of one and three, it effects communication and how the child interacts with others. It is defined by behaviors of the child and “ spectrum disorders” that re different with each person. (About Autism, 2008, para 1). Symptoms of autism can very in many different ways, and even different categories. Take the category of social interaction and relationships symptoms include : non verbal communication development problems such as , eye - to - eye gazing, body language, and facial expressions, failure to make friends with people their own age, lack of interest, and lack of empathy. The category for verbal and non verbal symptoms include : Delay or lack when learning to talk, about forty person of people with autism never speak, problems with starting, and keeping conversations, repetitive use of language, and difficulty understanding what someone is saying. Finally the category of interests and play include : unusual focus on pieces, preoccupation on certain topics, a need for the same routine, and stereotyped behaviors like hand flapping and body rocking.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder that affects children and individuals all over the world in large quantities. There is no known cause or cure for Autism. Autism awareness is extremely important for individuals that are affected by autism every day. Individuals and their families are struggling throughout the years, financially and emotionally. Insurance coverage for individuals on the autism spectrum is important for the duration of the individual’s life and all those involved. Autism Awareness is an important priority for the wellbeing of humanity. Autism is an epidemic.
Office of Communications and Public Liaison. (2013, November 6). NIH. Retrieved from National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#243513082