Understanding What Autism Is

Autism is becoming an epidemic in the United States and around the world. FightingAutism.org stated that in1995 the Autism rate increased by 87% but in 2008 the Autism rate increased by 1779%. This large increase in Autism means that more families are being affected by Autism. Increases in the Autism rate require that more people understand exactly what Autism is.

Autism can effect each person differently. Autism's affects and magnitude of these affects can be very different, from one person to another. Fabiola stated, "Autism is a term that refers to a wide-area of disorders with many signs and symptoms." Jones explained Autism can be characterized by, "impairments in socialization, communication, and a restricted repertoire of behaviors (Mohr)." One child may experience delays in communication while another child may have impaired social skills.

Autism was first discovered in 1943. Leo Kanner was the first person to discover Autism. Autism-Resources.org stated, " Leo Kanner published his first paper identifying autistic children in 1943, asserting he had noticed such children since 1938." Kanner worked with children that had been labeled as either emotionally disturbed or mentally retarded. Kanner observed that these children were slow learners; however, these children did not fit other patterns for "emotionally disturbed" children. These observations gave rise to the diagnosis of Autism.

Kanner was not the only person researching Autism. Hans Asperger, a researcher from Austria, was making some of the same observations as Kanner. Since these observations were being made around the same time, Kanner ans Asperger may not yet have known about each other. Autism-Resources.org stated, " published 'Autistic psychopathology in childhood' in 1944, one year after Kenner's paper (though it was submitted before Kanner was published). Because of the war, he was probably completely unaware of Kanner's work. It appears that Asperger's patients were somewhat less impaired in communicating than Kanner's. Unlike Kanner, he believed in a biological, rather than a psychological, cause. His paper appears in Frith's 'Autism and Asperger Syndrome'."

Since its first discovery, Autism has been misunderstood. Early on, psychologists believed that Autism was the result of poor parenting. Autism-Resources.org stated that early psychologists saw, "parents were observed to treat their autistic children without the warmth and affection which is normally observed between parent and child. Freudian psychology had a ready-made theory waiting for this syndrome and this observation: that if certain basic psychological bonds between parent and child fail to form that the child will fail to progress." These observations and explanation did not take into account, the child's symptoms could cause the parents to be standoffish.

Autism does not necessarily mean the person has mental retardation. Autism is best known to cause delays in development. While Autism can occur along with mental retardation, Autism does not automatically guarantee the person has mental retardation. AutismUK.com states, "Most people with mental retardation show relatively even skill development, while individuals with autism typically show uneven skill development with deficits in certain areas - most frequently in their ability to communicate and relate to others - and distinct skills in other areas."

Autism can cause severe frustration. Often, people with Autism get frustrated and act out. This behavior stems from the potential for Autism to have trouble communicating. Imaging trying to speak with your mother. You know what you want to say. You can hear the words in your head; however, you cannot say the words. The connections between your brain and your mouth just will not say the words. People with Autism can live with this situation everyday.

People with Autism can react very differently than other people. If you or I experience a change in our routine, we may get annoyed or slightly frustrated. After all, we had a plan and may not be able to get everything done. For people with Autism, changes in routine can be devastating. If you or I are hot then we will change the thermometer or put a tank top on. Often, people with Autism do not know how to communicate their needs. A person with Autism may react to being hot by removing all his clothes. He is achieving the same goal as adjusting the thermostat, he is cooler. The person with Autism is having trouble understanding the appropriate communication of his situation.

Autism rates are on the rise. Increased Autism rates makes it more likely that you will either interact with or have someone with Autism in your family. Early on, Autism was linked with mental retardation. Since, we have learned that Autism and mental retardation do not necessarily happen at the same time. This guide does not offer an extensive look at every potential Autism symptom. This guide does offer an overview of Autism, allowing you to further your basic Autism understanding.

Legal Disclaimer
This information is being provided to further the understanding of Autism. The author is not a doctor, clinician, etc. The author does work with Autistic individuals. This article was written using the author's personal observations and backed up by thorough research. This information is being offered for informational purposes only. Answers to specific medical questions and/or diagnosis should be answered by a doctor or other medical professional.

References
20 Most Asked Questions. n.d. Autism Independent UK. Retrieved on December 4, 2009 from http://www.autismuk.com/index10.htm#WHAT%20IS5
Autism FAQ - Well-known Researchers and Practitioners. n.d. Autism-Resources.org. Retrieved on December 4, 2009 from http://www.autism-resources.com/autismfaq-rese.html
Autism FAQ - History. n.d. Autism-Resources.org. Retrieved on December 4, 2009 from http://www.autism-resources.com/autismfaq-hist.html
Jones, Erica. Autism: A Brief Overview. n.d. Westfield Massachusetts School District. Retrieved on December4, 2009 from http://www.k12.westfield.ma.us/happy_kids/articles/article_autism.html
Fabiola, Groshan. An Autism Symptoms Checklist. n.d. E-zine Articles. Retrieved on December 4, 2009 from http://ezinearticles.com/?An-Autism-Symptoms-Checklist&id=297022