Autism Spectrum Disorder

Just One Face of Autism Spectrum Disorder

What is Autism? It is a condition that comes in a wide verity of ways. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder can be super high functioning and able to do so much for them selves hold jobs get degrees and even have a family of their own. While others may live with family or in a group home for their entire life due to the severity of the disorder. These people fall into the low functioning part of the spectrum. They are either non verbal meaning not talking or they can be somewhere near that. Some while they are able to talk even in the lower end of the spectrum they may have other delays in learning. Autism is not always a stand alone disorder it may go hand in hand with disorders. This spectrum disorder is a condition of brain development and an it impacts  how people perceive socialization and others. People with this disorder also partake in repetitive routines and behaviors. Asperger's syndrome is one condition of this spectrum as is childhood disintegrative disorder . While there is no cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder early  intervention and intensive treatment can effect and make a big difference for children with this disorder. Some symptoms of this disorder are difficulty learning ,low intelligence, trouble putting into effect what they have learned, trouble communicating and adjusting to social situations. People with Autism Disorder are also know to not make direct eye contact when speaking as well as being spoken to. Repeats words or phrases verbatim, but doesn't understand how to use them .Doesn't appear to understand simple questions or directions. Doesn't express emotions or feelings and appears unaware of others' feelings. Doesn't point at or bring objects to share interest. Inappropriately approaches a social interaction by being passive, aggressive or disruptive. Has difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, such as interpreting other people's facial expressions, body postures or tone of voice. These are just to name a few. More Symptoms can be found on the Mayo Clinic web page. These are some of the causes of the disorder. Autism spectrum disorder has no single known cause. Given the complexity of the disorder, and the fact that symptoms and severity vary, there are probably many causes. Both genetics and environment may play a role.

• Genetics. Several different genes appear to be involved in autism spectrum disorder. For some children, autism spectrum disorder can be associated with a genetic disorder, such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome. For other children, genetic changes (mutations) may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder. Still other genes may affect brain development or the way that brain cells communicate, or they may determine the severity of symptoms. Some genetic mutations seem to be inherited, while others occur spontaneously.
• Environmental factors. Researchers are currently exploring whether factors such as viral infections, medications or complications during pregnancy, or air pollutants play a role in triggering autism spectrum disorder.

The Puzzle Piece has become the logo for Autism Awareness.

The best way to describe Autism it is like missing a piece of a puzzle.