Causes of autism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Causes of autism - Essay Example Early diagnosis of autism is very important to adjust the methods of child rearing and to facilitate their social adaptation. It is believed that autism is not a mental illness, but a developmental disorder. It is thought that it cannot be cured completely, but therapy at an early stage will help the child overcome some limitations. Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man has little to do with the lives of people with autism. They usually attract attention to their unusual behavior. Our brain reacts to the stimuli and processes information through the biological process of connecting, pairing and organizing the neurons. These neurons have thread extensions through which electrical discharge travels. Neurons thus conduct these electrical impulses. Autism changes how these nerve cells function, though it is not quite known how this occurs. Since their brain cannot function properly, people affected with autism have problems in their daily life tasks including problems in interacting soc ially, communicating non-verbally and other activities that involve give-and-take, humor and adroitness. The clinical picture of autism: a number of psychomotor, speech and behavioral disorders, with different combinations of symptoms and signs of developmental delay. Early childhood autism can be detected at as early an age as three years. Such children are weak and have poor facial expressions. They are not capable of non-verbal interactions with their mother or other people – they do not look in your eyes, do not respond to their own name, do not take toys when someone gives them. You may have to line up their pencils before they can pay attention, or say the same phrase over and over to calm down. They may flap their arms to indicate they are happy, or hurting to show that they are not. Some people with autism never learn to speak. Most of the autistic children carry out repetitive movements for instance they rock and twirl, or they abuse their own selves by biting and he ad banging. Such children start talking after the normal ones and rather than calling themselves by I or me they take their name. Autistic children are not able to play with others like normal ones and some even talk in sing-song voice. They do not care for what the other person thinks or is interested in and they themselves have few favorite topics. Autistic children appear to be having an increased risk of having particular comorbid conditions, which includes fragile X syndrome (that leads to mental retardation), tuberous sclerosis (wherein tumors develop in the brain), epileptic seizures, Tourette syndrome, learning disorders and deficit disorder attention. Almost 20-30% of autistic children also develop epilepsy by the time they become adults. Although there are certain schizophrenic people who might also exhibit behavior of autism, their symptoms normally are not visible till almost adulthood is reached. A lot of schizophrenic people may also be having hallucinations and delusi ons that is not a sign of autism. As the child grows, the symptoms of autism increase. He falls into the strong disorder due to the change in the familiar environment, loud noises, bright lights or strong odors. Worst of all, the child feels alone and avoids any physical contact with parents and peers. Emotional reciprocity and