Autism Spectrum Disorder And Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder that affects behavioral development. Symptoms of autism arise in early childhood, around the time that children start getting vaccinated. For many years people strongly believed that vaccinations caused autism because around that time children began showing the common signs of the disorder; however this belief is false (Rodier, 1998, p. 122). The early childhood vaccinations that children receive do not cause autism. A direct cause for autism has not yet been determined. Most studies have found that there is a combination of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the development of autism, but no one factor causes it on its own. There are genetic factors and environmental factors that contribute to autism as well as a combination of both, in which case, an environmental factor may trigger a genetic factor of autism.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by delays in developmental learning, impaired social skills, and lingual setbacks. Children who develop autism often have mental deficits that cause them to act many years younger than their age. They are usually placed in school at the kindergarten level and then placed in special needs classes where an individualized educational plan is designed to help them learn at a level and pace that is conducive to their mental state. In these classrooms social skills are also more directly taught than in a regular classroom. The reason there is focus directed at social development is due to the impaired social kills of autistic children. These children also experience language delays that cause them to speak at a toddler level as grade school children and often as an adolescent in adulthood. They have trouble with pronu...

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...overies made about autism have helped to shed light on some genetic beliefs as well as, the dangers of some environmental factors, such as, pesticides, metals, and pollutants. Although the study of autism is still very broad there are organizations such as CHARGE and other researchers that are trying to pinpoint more direct causes. Due to the large variety of contributing factors this goal will prove extremely difficult. Adults looking to conceive cannot control the genetic factors, however being aware of the environmental contributors can help to prevent exposure to them. As for the prenatal factors that affect both genetic and environmental factors all mothers can do is take care of their health and hope all goes well. There are many genetic and environmental factors that contribute to autism and determining a direct cause at this point in research is impossible.