Understanding Autism: Thoughts on Grandin's Thoughts on Autism - Research Paper Example

?Running Header: Understanding Autism Understanding Autism: Thoughts on Grandin’s Thoughts on Autism The general condition known as Autism Spectrum Disorder is a poorly understood phenomena. The disorder encompasses a wide variety of behavioral and neurological symptoms and scientific inquiry has yet to pin down a root cause. Individuals who develop the condition have it for life with profound consequences for their physical, language and social skills. The video entiled Thoughts on Autism demonstrates how autism is largely characterized by impairment in social communication and interaction. In Carol Turkingston’s (2006) treatise on autism we find a more detailed definition, “Autism is a sever disorder of brain function marked by problems with social contact, intelligence and language, together with ritualistic or compulsive behavior and bizarre responses to the environment” (p.342). Over the last few years, research into etiology and potential therapies has increased dramatically. In the video, Temple Grandin’s mother goes to a physiatrist in the late 60’s and is told her daughter is severely retarded and should be hospitalized. This paradigm has been abandoned for a more interactive and coping-based approach. This can be seen in Mrs. Grandin’s life where she succeeded in school and received a doctorate degree and a respected member of the autism community (Ferguson & Jackson, 2010). Reflection After watching the inside film, it is clear that autism is a condition which can impact any child or family around the world. Furthermore, the cause is unknown and there is no proven treatment. What is known is that there is some basis for autism in one’s genetics. Identical twins are much more likely to be affected than fraternal twins yet often autism develops in non-autistic family Fredericks, 2008). The condition stems from a disorder in the way that the brain utilizes and transmits information. This observable feature can be traced back to documented abnormalities in several parts of the brain which incurred during fetal development (Fredericks, 2008, p. 15). The incidence of autism is also remarkable being found in about 3.4 out of every 1,000 children ages 3-10. Also, it has a much higher rate in boys being four times more common, usually the first born, than in females (NIHM, 2010, ppg. 1). Often, the disorder is mild and is diagnosed when the child is sent to the structured environment of school. “Autism can come in many forms, from high-functioning autistics, as in those with Asperger’s Syndrome, to low-functioning individuals who have minimal communication or social skills” according to Fredericks (2008, p. 7). The video reinforces this by highlighting several prominent features of autism including language acquisition difficulty, low IQ levels and how many individuals with the disorder form an unusual interest in something or a skill. Individuals with more severe, low-functioning autism tend to little to no social or communication skills which can be difficult for both the child and the family (2008, p. 7). Although there are different degrees of autism, the majority of people living with the disorder have significant issues with social interaction. The video demonstrates how difficult it is for autistics to interpret social cues or what others are thinking. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that, “without the ability to interpret gestures and facial expressions, the social world may seem bewildering” (2010, para. 16). Another intriguing feature of autism highlighted in the video about Dr. Grandin is how autistics have different levels of empathy, defined as the “intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another” (Dictionary.com, 2008). While some children with autism avoid social interaction, others have copious amounts beyond the baseline norm (NIMH, para. 15). In the movie about Temple Grandin, her interest was in livestock and how to improve and humanize their handling (Ferguson & Jackson, 2010) A final point that was intriguing about the video was how it discussed autistics often repetitive behaviors, such as movements like rocking and twirling, or self-abusive behaviors, such as biting or head banging. The commentary makes it clear that though autistic children tend to appear normal these repetitive actions compound their social interaction problems further isolating them from their peers (NIMH, 2010, para. 24). The National Institute of Mental Health (2010) writes that, “some children and older individuals spend a lot of time repeatedly flapping their arms or walking on their toes. Some suddenly freeze in position” (para. 25). In general, the video was highly moving, informative and inspiring in the case of Dr. Grandin. Further work is clearly needed to improve the quality of life for these ASD individuals and their families. One intriguing research question raised by the video would be to explore how autistics think and how they tend to have a particular obsessive interest. Temple Grandin describes that there are three types of autistic modes of though which are: visual thinking in pictures, music and math thinking, and verbal logic thinking (2008, p. 16). According to Grandin, visual thinkers tend to love art are easily immersed in projects. She calls it “thinking in pictures” (2008, p. 18). Music and math minds tend to think in patterns and exhibit strong associative skills which allow them to develop music abilities. Verbal logic minds tend to prefer order and numbers and often will memorize timetables and historical occurrences (2008, p.17). For my research, I propose to research how autistics think by conducting a careful survey of both adults with the disorder and their families. This survey will be valuable for the scientific literature as by learning more about the frequency of certain autistic thought modalities, society might be better able to channel these individuals into areas and fields where they can make positive contributions to society. Research Naturalist Observation – This study will show for the first time how adults living with the disorder are coping by surveying 1000 autistic individuals and their families across major North American metropolitan areas. The study will prompt responders to answer questions on the autistic individual’s ability to work, type of work, relationships and family interactions with the goal of painting a picture of the average autistic person’s life. Additional questions will ask about gender, age, type of housing and medical services. More directed questions will seek to answer how these individuals tend to think: visual, math or verbal. It can be hypothesized that among working autistics there will be a correlation with their thought modality and their work. Longitudinal Observation – Currently, there is no cure or treatment for autism at this time. Therefore regular submitting these questionnaires might help yield interesting data regarding the lives of autistics and how they change over time and what coping modalities/therapies they employ as they mature. Since each case of autism is different, it is impossible to narrow down a single approach that works for everyone across their entire life. A spectrum of interventions include training in music, listening, vision, speech and language currently exist (Fredericks, 2008, p. 20). The two most-often studied types of treatment are educational or behavioral treatment and medication (2008, p. 21). However, behavioral techniques focus on children and encompasses training to provide skill-orientated instruction designed to boost social and language abilities. The earlier the invention means the better the outcome will be since brain development occurs early on in a child. Most experts believe that modern treatment is most effective when is taken place at one’s home since autistic children do not like unfamiliarity but it can be done in a psychiatric hospital, specialized school, or day care program (2008, p. 20). Also, “a variety of drugs can control self-injurious, aggressive, and other of the more difficult behaviors such as stimulants (Ritalin), antidepressants (Luvox), opiate blockers (ReVia), antipsychotics, and tranquilizers (2008, p. 21). This longitudinal approach to understanding how real autistic individuals manage their disorder will yield valuable information and help clinicians and therapists see what is working across the community for different age groups. In the video, Temple Grandin states that for autistic individuals “too much emphasis is place on what they ‘can’t do’. While impairments and challenges do exist, research can be made to help teach these individuals to work on building their strengths which align with their basic pattern of thinking. Correlative Observation – In conducting the type of study I envision there will be a great deal of items worth correlating. However, the main issues will be seeking a correlation between thought modality as described by Grandin and the type of work the autistic individual engages in. In addition, correlations can be made between thought modality and all sorts of other critical aspects which contribute to quality of life. For example, it is important that the family of the autistic person must be understanding and supportive of them in order for that person to succeed. Do individuals with certain thought modalities integrate better with their families and can any correlations be seen in how poor family situations are coped with for autistic individuals. It is a waste of time to keep trying to “normalize” someone with autism because it just simply will not happen. One resource is “Autism Speaks” which is an organization that helps brings people from all over that nation to come together and talk about each and everyone’s struggle with autism. The intriguing data which might emerge from analyzing the correlations in this large survey study will help therapists see what works and how autistic individuals are living their lives. Experimental Study – The independent variable will be the autism diagnosis and the dependent variable will be age, gender, occupation, family situation, relationship status, health situation. Conclusion Autism is an ubiquitous condition in modern society that presents with a spectrum of symptoms and can be present from mild to severe. Autism encompasses a variety of different forms and each type has a criteria which classifies someone as high or low functioning. Autistic individuals suffer from a lack of social and communicative skills that a normal child should have but they strive on particular subjects of interest. The research proposed will help examine how people with different thought modalities manage their ASD and provide a large data set on coping technique. It is extremely important for one’s parent of an autistic person to immerse them with the educational and behavioral practices that works best for them at an early age. This research will help channel ASD people into occupations which make use of their skill and result in the best quality of life for them. There is no cure of autism but research is developing more information about this rare disorder and hopefully in the future we can use the research to make the most out of one’s autism since they tend to show a higher mental capacity for specific things. References Fredericks, C. (2008). Perspectives on Diseases & Disorders: Autism. Farmington Hills: Thomson Gale. Grandin, T. (2008). The Way I See It. Arlington: Future Horizons Inc. National Institute of Mental Health. (2010). Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders). Retrieved September 23, 2010, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/autism/complete-index.shtml. Turkington, C.A. (2006). The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, Third Ed. Farmington Hills: Thomson Gale. Read More