Abstract
Autism is not a physical disability. It is a neural development disorder that falls under the umbrella of developmental disorders. There are several other types of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, including Asperger’s syndrome, Rett syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder, among others. Children with autism display various attributes that affect the developmental aspect of an individual such as the behavioral, communication, and social interaction. This becomes apparent during childhood and continues on to adulthood. Properly diagnosing whether a newborn baby is autistic is difficult during the infancy period because the behavioral symptoms associated with it have not yet fully been developed at this stage. Autism can be difficult to diagnose and affects not only the individuals suffering from it, but also their families in terms of communication, forming relationships, mental development, and personality problems.
According to studies, autism is more pervasive in boys than in girls. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) reported that prevalence of autism is 1 for every 42 boys as compared with 1 in 189 girls in the United States (“What is Autism?”). Research attributed this to differences in boys and girls in terms of genetics, hormones, and brain wiring. A UCLA study revealed that a specific gene called CACNA1G found in chromosome 17 increased the incidence of autism in individuals. CACNA1G was said to be “responsible for regulating the flow of calcium into and out of cells. Nerve cells in the brain rely on calcium to become activated, and research suggests that imbalances in the mineral can result in the overstimulation of neural connections and create developmental problems” (Park, 2009). Based on the study, this gene was commonly found in boys than in girls, depicting fathers as the main carrier of the disorder. Studies also showed that hormones play a major role in the metabolic and developmental processes of the body, which included brain development of the fetus. It was found out that estrogen protects females from developing autism. Additionally, a pair of hormones called oxytocin and vasopressin was found to affect social behavior of individuals. During brain development, it was found out that boys were more sensitive to the hormone vasopressin than girls were, thus, leading to the conclusion that levels of vasopressin must be higher in boys than in girls. The brain configuration was also determined to play a role in the higher incidence of autism in boys than in girls. Boys and girls are said to have differences in mental cognition, risk appetite, social sensitivity, and empathy, among others. The Extreme Male Brain theory suggested that girls are more empathic (the ability to understand emotions or mental state of another individual) than boys are and boys are more systematic (the ability to understand systems such as maps, car configuration, and machines) than girls are. Autism is predisposed to extreme forms of systemization and impaired ability to empathize, thus explaining why it is more common in boys than in girls (Baron-Cohen, 2010, p. 171).
Symptoms
Typically, children and adults with autism show three major symptoms such as impaired social interaction, impaired communication, and repetitive behavior.
Impaired Social Interaction
During the initial 3 years, parents easily notice when the child displays delayed developmental reactions as compared with children in the same age range (WebMd). At times, a child may start talking at the same time as his peers do, but suddenly lose the ability or interest in language skills and development. Autistic individuals display less attention to stimuli even if the parents call their names or when in a group environment. They typically do not like being held, show no interest in group play activities, and seems to have a world of their own, which parents are more likely to interpret as hearing problem (WebMd).
Children with autism have problems when it comes to nonverbal communication skills, including their facial expressions. They have difficulty maintaining eye contact, have awkward gestures, and body language. As a result, they fail in establishing or forming friendships with children of their own age. They do not like cuddles and turn stiff when picked up even by their parents. Autistic children also lack empathy and as a result, they are more often passive towards other people, do not share interest in shared activities, and have difficulty understanding the feelings of another person. At times, they display extreme behavior, too. They may act excessively aggressive that they throw tantrums or extremely passive and oblivious of his or her surroundings (Zander, 2005, p. 1).
Impaired Communication
Some children develop difficulties expressing themselves, even natural speech that is simple enough for their daily communication needs. These are noticeable in children who do not even learn to babble at age 1 year old or do not learn to communicate by the age of two, which is when kids their age begin to talk. Apart from delayed ability to communicate, autistic children are not cable of establishing eye contact, have poor understanding of what other people’s facial expression means, and may not be able to recognize the meaning behind another’s tone of voice. Because they have poor communication skills, they do not easily understand statements by other people. They also have trouble expressing themselves, which causes them to feel frustrated (Ruble & Gallagher, n.d., p.2).
Repetitive Behavior
Autistic children thrive in routines. They usually feel disturbed and frantic when there is a variation in their usual schedule. For instance, they prefer playing the same games over and over again or talk about the same topics. Because they have low attention span, they change topics simply and easily get distracted. They can also become fixated on a toy or activity they are doing and would often move purposely, such as rocking the body, banging their heads, or flapping the hands (Zander, 2005, p. 2).
Effects on the Individual
Considering that autistic individuals have difficulty when it comes to communication, not understanding what is happening around them or even expressing themselves can be scary for the person suffering from autism. This promotes feelings of insecurity and fear everyday which they typically express through behaviors that cause them more stress and agitation. As a result, they exhibit actions such as punching, biting, tantrums, and kicking, among others.
They normally fail their subjects in school and do not have successful social or work experiences (WebMd). As a result, they become insecure, develop low self-esteem, depressed, and experience mental health issues. Considering their health situation, they are also open to abuse and bullying while in school. They can be too rowdy and naughty in public and because most people are not educated about autism, autistic persons are often criticized and ridiculed because of their peculiar behavior. As a result, they become restless in public and the more they act that way, the more parents hesitate in bringing them in public places. Because they are being isolated from others, autistic persons do not develop their social skills and emotional being NHS).
In adults, the results are not much different. As an adult with autism, they are still often misunderstood and most of the time, they tend to have run-ins with the law and commit crimes. For instance, their fixation on a certain individual to the point of following the person everywhere is called stalking. However, because of their limited knowledge about the law, life skills, and social graces, they are not aware of the consequences of their actions. Therefore, it is important that they are educated about basic laws, rules, and socialization to survive in this world. Otherwise, they will end up alone, dreaded, and mocked at by society.
How Autism Affects the Family
A family is made up of different relationships, which should be nurtured if members want peace, love, and harmony to reign. However, all these changes when a family has to raise an autistic child or take care of an autistic adult. Parents often feel they are being judged by society for having an autistic child. They also feel the pressure of having to provide for all the needs of the person with autism – from emotional, educational, financial, and others. This can put a strain on family relationships especially since parents have to make adjustments in order to take care of the child. For instance, a household that used to have two sources of income could end up with only the husband providing the financial support for the family so the wife could take care of the autistic child. Physically, caring for an autistic child is exhausting especially when the child throws a tantrum. As the child is unable to express himself or herself, the more agitation the child feels. On the other hand, the parent begins to feel depressed, isolated, and fatigued, while some could reach breaking point for not getting any help (Sicile-Kira, 2010).
In some instances, the mother begins to question herself as to what she did wrong during her pregnancy period that could have contributed to the condition of the child. Feelings of guilt abound adding stress to an already stressful situation. In some families, this even results in divorces as parents are not able to cope with the rigors of caring for an autistic child. As parents slowly realize that their child is not responsive according to what he or she is supposed to be doing at a particular stage, some parents begin to feel rejected when their child does not show love and care towards them. Parents want kids and having an autistic child that does not match their expectations, the more the parents feel the loss of having a child, but one that cannot give back the love they give the child (Sicile-Kira, 2010).
Aside from the parents, siblings also experience the stressful environment as they sometimes have to take care of their autistic sibling. As a result, they are not able to enjoy activities and social experiences that they used to do. According to studies, this responsibility of caring for a sick sibling also presents a psychological burden to siblings who act as care givers.
Despite the many stresses associated with raising children with autism, there are also small successes that provide happiness to families, including small advances in communication, a child overcoming tantrum episodes, completing required activities, and becoming self-sufficient. At other times, these situations even bring the family closer as they bond and help one another overcome the situation.
References
Baron-Cohen, Simon. (2010). Empathizing, systemizing, and the extreme male brain theory of autism. Progress in Brain Research vol 186. Retrieved from http://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CFgQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fpublication%2F49626102_Empathizing_systemizing_and_the_extreme_male_brain_theory_of_autism%2Flinks%2F02bfe50ca38cb123a4000000&ei=qK4lVJX9GZCQoQSDhIAg&usg=AFQjCNHuK53LOIY4H09OdQfjd6u8kyeLKQ&bvm=bv.76247554,d.cGU
NHS. (n.d.). A few facts about autism. NHS Choices. Retrieved from http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Autism/Pages/Autismoverview.aspx
Park, Alice. (2009). A genetic clue to why autism affects boys more. Time. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1899756,00.html
Ruble, Lisa, & Gallagher, Trish. (n.d.). Autism Spectrum Disorder: Primer for parents and educators. Napsonline. Retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/handouts/autism204_blue.pdf
Sicile-Kira, Chantal. (2010). Autism – It’s a family thing. Psychology Today. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-autism-advocate/201003/autism-its-family-thing
WebMd. (n.d.). Autism – Topic overview. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/autism-topic-overview
“What is autism.” (n.d.). Autism Speaks. Retrieved from http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism
Zander, Eric. (2005). An introduction to autism. Autism Forum. Retrieved from http://www.autismforum.se/gn/export/download/af_oversattningar/Introduktion_om_autism_engelska.pdf
