9 On Your Side / Autism

Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old. This set of signs distinguishes autism from milder autism spectrum disorders (ASD) such as Asperger syndrome.

Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by multigene interactions or by rare mutations. In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. Other proposed causes, such as childhood vaccines, are controversial and the vaccine hypotheses lack convincing scientific evidence. Most recent reviews estimate a prevalence of one to two cases per 1,000 people for autism, and about six per 1,000 for ASD, with ASD averaging a 4.3:1 male-to-female ratio. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, at least partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved.

Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is poorly understood. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. There is no cure. Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, but some become successful, and an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing that autism is a condition rather than a disorder.

Information by Wikipedia

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People & Blogs

Tags:

• Autism
• Spectrum
• Disorder
• Brain
• Behavior
• Asperger
• Syndrome

[littlemunchkinpetra]

May I ask what is sad? I have autism and I don't find it sad. Sad is, when people do not accept us and have prejudice towards us. I am happy being autistic, whatever difficulties arise from it. I would not like to change into a neurotypical individual because I want to stay myself. I wish people to understand our difference better and like us for who we are.

[Giblar]

Did they just say they "cured" a case of autism? At 2:50ish. You can't cure autism. Autistic people, including aspies, can merely learn to "pretend to be normal" which is very tiring for the person in question.

[LucyShy]

btw 3klilsphilip - I have seen severe autistics type and work all kinds of machines very well. The internet is a very popular medium for communication for people who dislike face-to-face contact. The written message is usually very clear and literal, as opposed to the spoken message, which has many social/emotional complexities.

[LucyShy]

I found this video very patronizing. All this "pretending to care" crap salved over tumorous ignorance. It gives me heartburn. I gotta wonder, why is 8 hrs a day "too much work" for a parent to do, but fine for a stranger? Didn't they say this therapy builds trust and promotes the child to open up? I'd think Mom would want to be FIRST in line for that. Since "bonding" is supposed to mean so much - well here it is on a platter , and she's passing it on to anyone who'll answer the ad...

[3kliksphilip]

@littlemunchkinpetra Are you sure it's autism and not something like... aspergers? Or megalomania? Trust me, if you had severe autism you wouldn't even be typing here.

[ABAisSCIENCE]

Sad is that in the 70s autism is a disability where over 50% do not learn functional language. Sad is that autism is a spectrum disorder where over 90% of them can't succeed in two of three categories: meaningful work, independence living conditions, and meaningful social relationships or close friends.

I am glad how you can point out that you have no disability while carrying a label. Please avoid saying you can carry a label without meaning as many do not do what you do. They are disabled.

[MrMoterKid]

You can't cure autism, I know I have it, you can only make it better for the person with it, it will never completely go away, I just learnt how to manage mine.

[Falconhawk123]

THANK YOU!

[Falconhawk123]

They didn't cure him! That is impossible. What is possible is to teach them their skills. THAT is possible, but you'll always have autism just as a person with down syndrome is incurable. It annoys me when they want to cure us, when most ASD kids seem to not want to be cured! INCLUDING ME!

[amcswee5]

I appreciate the fact that this television station is trying to raise awareness for children with Autism, but this story paints a picture that does not even begin to cover the scope of wha Autism is. Their portrayal is very limited, as shown by some of the comment below. It's a very complex disorder, and there are many very different views on it. It seems to me that they shouldl have consulted with someone or done more research before airing this story...