SPECIAL CHILD

(AUTISM)

A Research Presented to

Mr. Moises Reconalla

Education I and Psychology I Teacher

NORTH DAVAO COLLEGES

PANABO CITY

In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements of Bachelor in Elementary Education in

Education I and Psychology I

Submitted by:

JESSYL L. VISILLAS

Student

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 DEDICATION

I humbly dedicated it

first

Jesus our savior, second

To my mother who always their to

Support my research and last

Is to my instructor in

Psychology and Education I subjects

Sir Moises Reconall.

Thank You!

Jessyl Laureta – Visillas

BEED II

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title ……………………………………………………… 1

Dedication ……………………………………………………… 2

Table of Contents ……………………………………………………… 3

Introduction ……………………………………………………… 4–7

Problem ……………………………………………………… 7

Chapter I

Problem I ……………………………………………………… 8 – 11

Chapter II

Problem II ……………………………………………………… 12 –

14

Chapter III

Problem III ……………………………………………………… 15 - 16

Bibliography ……………………………………………………… 17

References ……………………………………………………… 18

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 INTRODUCTION

The reason of this research is to have a clear vision about autism. Autism is a

brain development disorder or development disability that impairs social interaction and

communication. Autism usually showing up in children before age three (3). It may be

the result of a disruption in the development of the brain before a baby is born. It affects

early brain development, and its effects usually continue throughout a person’s life.

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.

Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood and some become

successful.

Autism, according to the experts, there is nothing wrong with the brain matter,

only in the aspect of organization or mental processing. It is like a child has a world of his

own and cannot connect with the outside world. An autistic child is like someone inside a

prison cell and would like to communicate, but the brain process has no ability to do so.

They perform things repetitively like rocking their bodies or banging their heads.

How ever, children who have this problem do not have the same level of autism.

Some are trainable and can perform simple jobs, but their activities need to be regular and

permanent. A sudden change in their routine can disrupt their abilities and may cause

them to regress back to autistic attitudes.

In a few research, no medical test can diagnose autism. The diagnosis is made by

observing the way a child communicates and behaves. The characteristics that indicate

autism can range from mild to severe and occur in any combination. Language may be

slow to develop, or the child may used gesture instead of words or attach unusual

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meanings to words. Other characteristics that may indicate autism includes little interest

in making friends, preferring to spend time along rather than with others and not

responding to smiles.

A child or adult with autism often has other medical conditions. Some of these

include sleep disorders, allergies, seizures and digestive problems.

Like Auditory and vestibular pathways in the brainstem were implicated in some

studies (Ornitz, 1985; Ornitz & Ritvo, 1968) but these findings could not be replicated in

subsequent research using a variety of anatomic, imaging, and neurophysiological

methods. Although several neurophysiological abnormalities have been identified in

autistic subjects, these have not been specific for autism and have also been found in non-

autistic matched controls (Minshew, 1991).

Kemper and Bauman (1993) reported small, densely packed cells in the

hippocampus and amygdale and suggested that this reflected an immature pattern of

neuronal development in these structures. They observed neurons which appeared

immature in the diagonal band of Broca, which projects cholinergic afferents to the

hippocampus and amygdale (Ciaranello & Ciaranello, 1995).

THE PROBLEM

What is Autism?

Can autism be inherited?

What is the cause of Autism?

Chapter I

PROBLEM I

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What is Autism?

Autism is a disorder or condition (called a spectrum disorder). It includes a very

mild disorder all the way to a severe disorder, and everything in between. That's why it is

called a spectrum disorder, because it covers a wide range or spectrum of the severity of

the disorder. It is also called a disability, or learning disability. It is something that you are

born with, and so far, doctors and specialists do not know what causes it. The way it is

diagnosed is there are a list of specific behaviors, and if a child has or exhibits a large

number of those behaviors, they are considered to have autism. The specific behaviors

include: not making direct eye contact with another person, they prefer to play alone

rather than in a group, they generally don't like physical contact like being hugged or

touched in other ways. Also, kids with autism either never speak, or learn to speak early

on, then stop speaking all of a sudden. Some people with autism do speak, many in an

echolalic manner (meaning they repeat what is said to them, and usually do not start a

conversation.) Children (and adults) with autism usually like things done in a certain

order, and do not like change or disruption of their routine. Some may look at their hands

while flapping them close to their face, or may take an object like a piece of paper or

fabric, and flip it back and forth while staring at it. Often, a child with autism has a more

severe learning disability and have some degree of mental retardation (but not always.)

Some may be very smart, even learning numbers and letters by memory, or recognize

pictures or people, after only seeing them one time. People that are verbal, will often

show a great deal of intelligence in certain areas like remembering peoples names, dates,

geography, numbers and many other things. Also, if their routine is changed, they may

become very upset for no apparent reason other than change in routine. Some people with

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autism can read, write and do math, while others may never do those things. It is a very

complicated disorder, and everyone with autism has a set of behaviors that is different

from others. They do not always show every behavior mentioned above.

Autism is a disability that occurs when there has been a disorder to the central

nervous system of the body. Often, persons may confuse autism with a mental disorder,

which is incorrect. Autism impacts the ability of the individual to communicate and

interact with other people, but is not a sign of mental deficiency.when it comes to what

actually causes autism, there are many different opinions. Some favor genetic origins of

autism, what others believe autism is more rooted in environmental factors. There is one

school of thought that believes autism may be triggered by combinations of antibiotics

and vaccines. The fact is there is not currently any agreement of what factors can lead to

autism, and which autism causes are more common than others.

There are number of symptoms or behavior patterns that indicate the presence of

autism. As an example, a child with autism may not respond when his or her name is

called. A person with autism will be unable to articulate that he or she wants a glass of

water. Words come slowly to the person with autism. Autism may be present if the

individual finds it hard to work or play with others. A person with autism may fear being

touched by another human being. A person with autism may be slavish in following a

certain way to do things, such as always putting on a shirt before putting on pants.

When it comes to treatment of autism, the types of therapies used to deal with

autism will vary, often depending on the symptoms that are displayed. There is no

miracle drug that reverses the effects of autism, nor is there one single form of ongoing

therapy that would be considered a core therapy that would be modified in order to meet

the demands of different cases of autism. Even so, there are many of the therapies

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employed to help a person with autism that depend a great deal on repetition and positive

reinforcement as ways to reach beyond the autism.

Chapter II

PROBLEM II

Can Autism Be Inherited?

The answer is yes, there is a possibility to inherit autism, since autism has many

causes. Some individuals may have a genetic form of autism. If possible, the underlying

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cause for the autistic-like behavior must be identified. Several inherited disorders are

associated with autistic-like behavior. Some of these disorders include Fragile X

Syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), and Phenylketonuria (PKU). When a

diagnosis of autistic disorder is made by a health care provider, it is important to

determine whether the behavior is the result of one of these well known genetic disorders.

If specific testing indicates one of these disorders is responsible for the behavior, the

recurrence risk and perhaps the medical treatment will be altered.

Autism is a developmental disorder and its behavioral manifestations vary with

age and ability. Its defining features, impairments in socialization, communication, and

imagination, (Frith, 1991) are present in different forms at all stages of development. One

of the earliest signs thought to be specific to autism is a lack of pointing and looking to

share interest and attention with another person. However, in children with global

developmental delays, this behavior would also be expected to emerge later, and hence

would lack specificity to autism. Losche (1990) reviewed early home movies of autistic

and nonautistic subjects and concluded that the timing and sequence of developmental

gains differs between normal and autistic children only from the second year of life. It

may therefore be difficult to make the diagnosis of autism with confidence prior to ages

two or three years (Frith, 1991).

Among children diagnosed with autism, the grade school years bring divergent

paths of development which may represent different subtypes of the disorder (Cohen,

Paul, & Volkmar, 1987). With some exceptions, language and general intellectual ability

go hand in hand (Frith, 1991). In AS, fluent speech is usually achieved by the age of five

even though it may be noticeably odd in terms of pragmatics.

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 In adolescence, the AS individuals may vaguely realize that they are different

from others and that they are excluded from many interpersonal relationships (Kanner,

1971). Although they amass many facts about the world, their knowledge remains

fragmented and they continue to have difficulty in the meaningful, integrated execution

of their knowledge (Frith, 1991). AS individuals, despite average measured intelligence

and adequate academic abilities are often described as lacking in common sense.

In adulthood, the AS individual may become superficially well adapted but

typically remain egocentric and isolated (Volkmar, 1987). Use of language and gestures

remains stilted, and they seldom enter the natural flow of conversation. Difficulties often

arise in living and working with other people and psychiatric intervention may be helpful

(Frith, 1991).

Chapter III

PROBLEM II

What is the cause of Autism?

Genetic Causes

Evidence of a genetic etiology for autism has been provided by numerous

epidemiological studies. Estimates for sibling frequency have ranged from 2-6 %, 50-150

times the frequency in the general population (Rutter & Bartak, 1971). Ritvo (1989) in a

study of a relatively large autistic sample estimated the overall risk of recurrence to be

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8.6%. In Ritvo's sample, if the first autistic child was male, the recurrence risk was 7%; if

the first autistic child was female, the recurrence rate was 14.5%. In an overview of these

studies, Ciaranello & Ciaranello (1995) concluded that all of the studies may

underestimate the recurrence rate due to a tendency to stop having children after the birth

of an autistic child. However, the extent to which these stoppage rules apply among

parents of autistic children is unknown.

Attempts to specify a mode of inheritance for autism has been complicated by

factors including: sex-influenced inheritance; reduced penetrance; variable expression of

the disorder; diagnostic ambiguities; and stoppage rules. Smalley et al (1988, 1991) have

proposed that autism is the result of multifactorial inheritance and genetic heterogeneity.

Twin studies further support a genetic basis for autism. Studies completed by a number of

researchers (e.g. Ritvo Freeman, Mason-Brothers, & Ritvo, 1985; Steffenburg, Gillberg,

Hellgren, & Anderson, 1989) concur that there is a much greater degree of concordance

in monozygotic than in dizygotic twins. Family studies provide further evidence of a

genetic basis for autism.

Why the increase? No one knows for sure. Some epidemiologists point to a

broader definition of autism and an increasing awareness among medical professionals as

key contributing factors. Others consider the potential impact of environmental factors

(e.g., toxins) as a contributing cause. As more and more research is funded and completed

this question may soon be answered.

In most cases, there is no specific cause for autism in an individual. In these

instances, the autism is said to be idiopathic, meaning that the behavior is secondary to an

unknown cause. These non-specific answers can be frustrating for parents or family

members who would like some explanation.

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 CONCLUSION

In this research study, the researcher includes individuals and families with

idiopathic autism because these are the individuals most likely to carry the gene or genes

that cause autism.

For families that have one child with idiopathic autism, there is an increased risk

of having another child with autism. This recurrence risk is estimated to be about four

percent which is greater than that found in families that do not have a child with autism.

Many studies have attempted to find neurochemical deficits in autism following

the hypothesis that autism may be a metabolic disease which arises from a defect in some

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biochemical pathway. With the exception of the occasional association of autism with a

known metabolic disorder, there have been no consistent findings implicating a

biochemical basis for autism.

Although there is no consistent neuroanatomic defect in autism, there is evidence

that implicates neuronal maturation defects, particularly in the cerebellum and limbic

structures. These deficits do not appear to be reflected in the size or metabolic activity of

these structures. Thus, the weight of neuroanatomic and neuropsychological evidence

implicates the cerebellum and the limbic forebrain, at the cellular level, suggesting

possible deficits in neuronal migration, maturation, or synaptic connectivity.

In a study which compared PET results of young men with AS and normal

controls, both groups showed increased regional blood flow in the left frontal lobe in

connection with metalizing tasks. However the specific area of activity differed between

the two groups. These researchers suggested that difficulty in metalizing activity may be

associated with dysfunctional activity in the medial portion of the left frontal lobe

(Happe, Ehlers, & Frackowiak, 1996).

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ornitz, E.M. (1985). Neurophysiology of infantile autism. Journal of the American

Academy of Child Psychiatry, 24, 251-62.

Ornitz, E.M. & Ritvo, E.R. (1968). Perceptual inconstancy in early infantile autism.
Archives of General Psychiatry, 18, 76-98.

Ritvo, E.R., Freeman, B.J., Mason-Brothers, A., Mo, A., & Ritvo, A.M. (1985).
Concordance for the syndrome of autism in 46 pairs of afflicted twins. American Journal
of Psychiatry, 142, 74-7.

Rutter, M. & Bartak, L. (1971). Causes of infantile autism: Some considerations in

recent research. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1, 20-32.

Volkmar, F.R. (1987). Social development. In D.J. Cohen, A.M. Donnellan & R. Paul
(eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders. New York: Wiley.

Wing, L. (1991). The relationship between Asperger's syndrome and Kanner's autism. In
U. Frith(Ed.) Autism and Asperger Syndrome (pp. 93-121). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University Press.

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Kanner, L. (1971). Follow-up study of eleven autistic children originally reported in
1943. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1, 119-45.

Health Guide 2004 p. 270 (Special Concerns for Babies)

REFERENCES

Cohen, D., Paul, R. & Volkmar, F. (1987). Issues in the classification of pervasive
developmental disorders and associated conditions. In D. Cohen, A. Donnellan, & R. Paul
(Eds.), Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. New York: Wiley
& Sons.

Ciaranello, A.L. & Ciaranello, R.D. (1995). The neurobiology of infantile autism.
Annual Review of Neuroscience, 18, 101-28.

Bettelheim, B. (1967). The Empty Fortress. New York: Free Press.

Frith, U. (Ed.) (1991). Autism and Asperger syndrome. Cambridge UK: University Press.

Ozonoff, S., Rogers, S.J., & Pennington, B.F. (1991). Asperger's syndrome: Evidence of
an empirical distinction from high-functioning autism. Journal of Child Psychology and
Psychiatry, 32, 1107-22.

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