What is Autism? Essay Sample

Autism spectrum disorder is a name given to a group of development problems that falls into a wide spectrum with different levels of disability, skills and symptoms exhibited by the patients suffering from the disorders. The most common features of people who have autism include persistent social problems and repetitive behaviours which significantly limit an individual ability to communicate and also to interact with other members of the community. People are differently affected by autism with some only showing mild impairment while others are completely disabled. Seeking treatment can help improve the lives and functions of people affected by autism spectrum disorder. Autism disorder can be diagnosed very early in child life, and the ability of a child to function well in future depends on early diagnosis and intervention which significantly improves the affected functional outcomes (Czermainski et al., 2015).

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurobehavioral condition present from childhood, characterized by abnormalities in communication, social interaction and development language. It is a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) in which individuals exhibit restricted interests and repetitive behavior, but they are affected differently and to varying degrees. Goin-Kochel & Myers (2005) and Czermainski et al., 2015) acknowledged that genetic and environmental factors cause autism. Goin-Kochel &Myers (2005) focused on analyzing the condition by the type of autism onset. On the other hand, Czermainski et al. (2015) examined the associations and disassociations in the performance of children with ASD but without mental retardation. They also used various formal and functional assessment tools that compare the childrens performance in tasks with executive function.

Goin-Kochel &Myers (2005) indicated that ASD could be categorized into two types (congenital and regressive) based on the timing of the onset of autistic symptoms. Congenital refers to the emergence of autistic symptoms at birth or shortly after that. The children at this stage present abnormal behaviour and development delays. Regressive, on the other hand, refers to the emergence of autistic symptoms after typical development. The children usually develop up to a certain age and begin to experience development difficulties due to loss of previously acquired skills. In their study, Goin-Kochel &Myers (2005) examined parents perceptions of autistic development in their children and determined the comparison between the congenital and regressive onset of ASD along with beliefs about causes of ASD. They found out that parents who reported a congenital onset of ASD attributed it to genetic causes while those who reported a regressive onset attributed it to external factors. Additionally, they noted that type of onset influences the parents beliefs and eventually affect the choices such as therapy and education to cope with ASD.

Czermainski et al. (2015) found inconsistencies in their assessment of the childrens performance in tasks. The performance variability is supported by the presence of associations and disassociations due to impaired and preserved performances. The cases showed varied strengths and weaknesses of executive functioning in the tasks. The use of multiple measures in the neuropsychological assessment of ASD provided comprehensive data regarding executive dysfunction in ASD. Czermainski et al. (2015) emphasized on the importance of using both executive function tests and functional measures to identify and understand the variations in the degree of intensity of cognitive and behavioural impairments of individuals with ASD.

References

Czermainski, F. R., Bosa, C. A., Mina, C. S., Meimes, M. A., Miranda, M. C., Carim, D., & de Salles, J. F. (2015). Performance of Children/Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Executive Function: Study of Case Series. Psychology & Neuroscience, 8(3), 305.

Goin-Kochel, R. P., & Myers, B. J. (2005). Congenital Versus Regressive Onset of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Parents' Beliefs About Causes. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 20(3), 169-179.