Symptoms can arise at any moment in a child's early life. For infants, symptoms would be not responding to their name by the time they are one. For children over one, symptoms included not show interest in things, unusual behavior, does not play pretend, wants to be alone, avoids physical and eye contact, trouble understanding, and has a hard time learning to interact with other people. Children might be late on learning language skills, reverse pronunciation, and uses little to none gestures. Some children show the signs and symptoms of autism but tend to grow out of the signs and symptoms. People with autism have abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters. Serotonin acts as a neurotransmitter that helps a person brain relay signals. Someone who is autistic will contain a poor level of serotonin. Serotonin controls behaviors, memory, sleep, and learning. According to Peter Reuell (2015), a research team from Harvard was the first to link a neurotransmitter with autistic behavior, as well as show the differences in the breakdown in the signaling pathway used by GABA. (Reuell, 2015) GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter that sends messages throughout the brain and plays a major role in behavior. Researchers believe somewhere throughout the neural pathways there are intermittent and is the cause of unusual behavior. The neurotransmitter findings are what made the "refrigerator parenting" a myth in causing autism. Over the years, diagnosing autism has not really changed. One of the main ways to diagnose autism is by evaluating the behavior of the child. In the past, a psychiatrist would evaluate the child's behavior and development to make diagnoses. In today's time, behavior and development evaluation are still being used and are usually completed by a child's pediatrician. A comprehensive evaluation is the second step in diagnosing autism. Audiologists, physical therapists, pediatric neurologists, and child clinical psychologists are the professionals involved in the comprehensive evaluation. There is no medical test to show if a child has autism. Diagnosing autism is based on the evaluation of the child's behavior, development, and mental state. Many times a child will have a team of doctors and specialists to help with the proper diagnose. Unlike diagnosing autism, treatment as has transformed over the last 100 years. In the early years, many autistic children were put in mental hospital and left to be. Bettelheim would remove the children from their "refrigerator" parents in the 1950s to help treat the children. In the 1970s electric shock was used, children would be shocked when they misbehaved. Some believed using auditory therapy helped treat the neurosensory. Children would listen to music that was modified to certain frequencies. Holding therapy was used to force the child to make eye contact. Biochemical diet started in the 1920s and is still used. The theory is taking out gluten and casein from the diet can help the children improve. One of the most use treatment is applied behavior analysis that started back om the 1960s. According to Brooke Durbin and Kyra Mandas (n.d.), Applied behavior analysis, as known as ABA, has the most research and effectiveness behind it. (Durbin & Mandas, n.d.) A therapist will come to the child's home and begin the intense therapy to help the child learn. The parents are too taught the therapy to continue the therapy once the therapist is gone. Throughout the years, different treatments have been completed but never had the empirical evidence behind it. ABA, speech, occupational, and physical therapy are the main treatment use for autism, as it backed with evidence and is effective. Medicine is sometimes given for treating depression, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and anxiety.

Reference Page
Durbin, B., & K. M. (n.d.). Evolution of the Treatments of Autism | The Causes of Autism. Retrieved from http://bdkmsw.umwblogs.org/what-is-autism/aba-therapy/
Mandal, A. (2014, January 14). Autism History. Retrieved from http://www.news-medical.net/health/Autism-History.aspx
Neurotransmitters and Autism. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://autismcoach.com/neurotransmitters-and-autism/
Radunovich, H. L., & Kochert, J. L. (2015). Creating a Successful Early Learning Environment for Children Who Have Autism Spectrum Disorders1. Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1056
Signs and Symptoms. (2015, February 26). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/signs.html
Sole-Smith, V. (2016). The History of Autism. Retrieved from http://www.parents.com/health/autism/history-of-autism/
What Is Autism? (2016). Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism
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