Understanding Autism - Term Paper Example

?Understanding Autism Contents Introduction 3 Autism in Context: Central Coherence Theory and Theory of Mind 3Diagnosis 5 Treatment 6 Conclusion 9 References 10 Understanding Autism Introduction A normal child is understood to be one who acquires all aspects of life from the word go. It has to be further understood that, much as behavior and language acquisition are expected to be normal to every child, there are a number of them who otherwise have problems in their acquisition (Bogdashina, 2005). Autism is a condition that is associated with language acquisition difficulties. To study a typical autistic child, there are two cognitive theories that ought to be understood (Bogdashina, 2005). The theories are: central coherence theory and theory of mind. Autism in Context: Central Coherence Theory and Theory of Mind Since rising to popularity in the past years, cognitive model has helped in the considerable understanding of autism. The autism condition is not only characterized by deficits in social behavior but also deficit in the cognitive control. Most of the autistic children are impaired in at least one cognitive function. Social symptoms and Cognitive symptoms may sometimes overlap or have a relation (Mitchell, 1992). Some researches have suggested that the autism condition is a combination of several cognitive disorders (Richardson, 2012). The central coherence theory of autism asserts that the symptoms observed in the autism condition are as a result of a cognition style called “weak central coherence.” This is a limited ability to grasp or understand contexts within which events happen. As a result autistic individuals view or take things literally, like not being understanding with regard to sarcasm or metaphors (Smith-Michaels, 2008). Computational models use the weak central coherence principles to account for poor context processing and poor generalization observed in the autism condition. Central coherence appears to be a separate entity in autistic cognition. In contrast, it is probably not related to the autism behavioral symptoms. The central coherence theory may not be related to severity of symptoms or social competence. Thus, it could be an autism consequence rather than being a cause (Richardson, 2012). According to Bogdashina (2005) the Theory of mind is about the inference of what the other people are thinking, such that one can predict other people’s behavior. It was initially proposed that individuals with autism condition do not possess this social cognition trait. It is not possible for them to tell what the other people are thinking, that is the reason they fail to respond to voice tones or facial expressions. The absence of the theory of mind accounts for the main component of autism condition. This explains a few social observable deficiencies in autism which include low social eye contact levels. Such absence of a theory of mind is consistently found in autism and it is said to be vital in causing the disorder (Smith-Michaels, 2008). In contrast, other people argue that Theory of mind does not contribute to the observed deficits. In autism, the theory of mind is useful in the explanation of the communication and social deficits. However, it does not account for the other symptoms which include restriction of interests and repetitive behaviors. Furthermore, there is proof that the absence of a theory of mind does not explain the entire deficit in social behavior. Research has shown that theory of mind can be improved by training but social skills do not. Thus, theory of mind may be an important factor in autism cognitive aspects, but it is not likely to be responsible for the various symptoms which are associated with autism disorder (Richardson, 2012). Diagnosis Smith-Michaels (2008) believes that Autism is a condition that can easily be diagnosed. It should be noted that there is no medical test that can diagnose autism. Diagnosis involves the specially trained physicians and psychologists, who normally administer behavioral evaluation tests that are very specific. The best people who can notice the disorder are those close to the patients. For instance, a parent will be the first one to spot unusual behaviors in his or her child. The behaviors could be: the child avoiding the eye contact, the child not responding while the name is being called out or repetitive behaviors (Smith-Michaels, 2008). Once such behaviors have been noticed, checklists of autism are modified and hence developed for the autism in toddlers (Mitchell, 1992). The checklist has informative questions about your child. The answers provided will hence determine if an individual’s child will need further specialized attention or not (Dworkin-McDaniel, 2012). When you spot unusual behaviors in your child and opt to consult the doctors, it could be a discouragement to you. This is because; in most cases doctors will dismiss you. On the other hand, there are organizations that are being formed to create awareness to the public about the disorder so that whenever it is noticed, best procedures should be followed (Smith-Michaels, 2008). The diagnosis of autism results into different types of autism. It is the type of autism which will dictate the kind of attention your child ought to take. Lisa, Jo Rudy, in the article ‘what are the different names for autism spectrum disorders,’ puts it that autism occurs in three forms: mild, severe and high functioning (Lisa, 2009). She further adds that there are no types of autism, and instead, there are only terms which have been developed to help you gauge the status of autism of your child (Lisa, 2009). However, Dworkin-McDaniel (2002) divides autism into 6 categories; autistic disorder which is a developmental disorder that is characterized by repetitive behaviors. Regressive autistic spectrum ids the second type characterized by a child growing normally between 18 to 24 months after which the child’s growth starts regressing. The other type is pervasive developmental disorder, which portrays few autistic traits though it does not meet the full criterion that enables the full diagnosis of autism (Dworkin-McDaniel, 2012). Dworkin-McDaniel (2012) also notes that, the fourth type of autism is Asperger’s syndrome. The syndrome is the milder form of autism that is normally diagnosed in children of the age between 2 and 6 years. Childhood disintegrative disorder if the fifth type characterized by the developing children losing the motor, language, social and potty skills while of age of around 2 to 4 years (Lisa, 2009). The last form of autism is a rare one; rett syndrome. It is rare because it only appears in girls and is similar to the childhood disintegrative disorder (Dworkin-McDaniel, 2012). Treatment How is autism treated is a question that most of the parents who might have spotted signs of the disorder in their children could be asking themselves. Autism has no cure. Instead, there are normally remedies which are developed to act as remedies for the disorder. The remedy hence entails therapies and behavioral interventions that are normally carried out by specialists. According to Mitchell (1992) there are different forms of autism and these procedures are majorly meant for providing a solution to these forms and their symptoms. The symptoms spotted will help better choosing of the treatment to be taken to curb this condition of autism (Mitchell, 1992). The treatment of autism can be further divided into two categories. The first category is educational or behavioral intervention which involves the training offered to the children by the therapists. The training is meant to help children develop social language skills. The second category is medication. Medication entails doctors prescribing antidepressant medication to a child with autism to help in the handling of symptoms such as anxiety, depression and obsession (Mitchell, 1992). The symptoms of autism are diverse. The kid might be upset with much noise or much sound. Adjusting your speakers to a full blast will hence be an irritation to an autism child. This is a symptom that indicates mild form of autism and, therefore, it is easy to manage. Mild autism is a condition that should not worry most parents. The other symptom is difficulties in the child to make simple connections like smiling, being happy and also being friendly. You might try your best to get the child to smile, but it will be a waste of time as the child will not smile back. The child might also grow unfriendly and might be spotted with a frown face most of the time. Mild autism also has symptoms like a child wanting some little help every now and then. The kid might fail to carry out some activities on his or her own and hence will need a person to help. The kid might also be spotted to move the arms and the body in a certain way that is unusual. Trouble in learning the meaning of words is also a sign of autism. The child might know the words, but fail to tell what the words really stand for. The child might also suffer from repeating of the same thing for longer periods of time (Lisa, 2009). Children suffering from autism get fond of one thing, and whenever it is removed, they have trouble in adapting to the other. An analogy is when a child is used to certain foods or a teacher and when the diet is changed, the child is affected. The kid might grow unfriendly to the teacher and whenever served with the different food might burst out crying and complaining on how terrible the food was. This can be a symptom of autism. If a child also avoids the eye contact between the two of you, it might be a sign of autism as well (Mitchell, 1992). With all the above in mind, one can hence comfortable decide on which kind of treatment a kid with autism ought to get. Choosing the best treatment might be challenging, but for kids of the age between 5 and 6 years, early intervention services can work best for them. The programs are normally offered free of charge and could be conducted from home or as a pre-school based program. The service offers treatment in behaviors, social interaction and also skill building. Above all, the treatment that one should choose for an autism child should be legitimate, reliable, of use and also appropriate for the condition at hand (Lisa, 2009). Conclusion In conclusion, it should be noted that much as human beings are the same, there are others who normally fall prey of certain disorders. It is never their wish, it is inevitable. Having a disability hence does not mean the end of everything. If an individual’s child is diagnosed with autism, there are only two basic principles to be followed: accepting the situation and understanding it. With all this in mind, your child will be treated and hence will remain happy just like you have ever wished for your child to be. Other kids might grow cruel to such a person, but, as long as there is a group of people who understands such a person, life is worth living. Even if the disorder might not be cured, at least the remedies provided can reduce their intensive effects. References Bogdashina, O. (2005). Theory of Mind and the Triad Perspectives on Autism and Asperger Syndrome: A View from the Brisge. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley. Dworkin-McDaniel, N. (2012). What type of autism is it? Identifying 6 main types. Retrieved 29 Nov. 2012 from http://www.parents.com/health/autism/facts/types-of-autism/. Lisa, J. (2009). Choose a treatment for autism. Retrieved 01 Dec, 2012 from http://autism.about.com/od/treatmentoptions/a/treatmentshub.html. Mitchell, P. (1992). Psychology of Childhood (Contemporary Psychology Series). London: Taylor & Francis. Smith-Michaels, A. (2008). Understanding the Theory of Mind. Retrieved 30 Nov. 2012 from http://www.ecntestsite.com/PDFs/m_resources_theory-of-mind.pdf. Richardson, T. (2012). Cognitive and Psychoanalytic Conceptualisations of Autism: A Comparative Literature Review. Retrieved 17 Dec. 2012 from http://www.kon.org/urc/v7/richardson.html. Read More