...Disorder is only one of four recognized disorders in the autism spectrum. The others included in the spectrum are Asperger Syndrome(AS), Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), which is diagnosed when the full set of criteria for Autistic Disorder or Asperger Syndrome are not met. In an article from the American Academy of Pediatrics (2011), over the last twelve years, prevalence of developmental disabilities has increased 17.1% which equals about 1.8 million more children in 2006 through 2008 as compared to a decade earlier. Additionally, prevalence of Autism increased 289.5% while the prevalence of ADHD increased 33.0%. With this increase, more research and studies are being done to learn more about a disorder that is relatively recent. Specifically, the focus of this paper is on Asperger Syndrome, which is defined as a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and motor coordination, and unusual or restricted patterns of interest or behavior. Clinically, the distinction between Autistic Disorder and Asperger Syndrome is often made in terms of severity and in the qualitative expression of the criteria. Both syndromes are characterized by social interaction deficits, impaired communication skills, and unusual or bizarre behaviors. However, in Asperger Syndrome, motor deficits are more pronounced, onset...
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...Asperger syndrome is a developmental disorder in which an individual “maintains adequate cognitive and language development but becomes severely impaired in social interaction”. Individuals with Asperger syndrome also develop “restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities” (Halgin & Whitbourne, 2010, p. 347). The most common misconception that many people seem to have about Asperger Syndrome is that all individuals with Asperger syndrome are exceptionally talented. One reason might be that Asperger Syndrome is not yet widely recognized by the people. Meanwhile, popular media, such as TV, movies, and magazines often portray characters that are diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome as wacky geniuses. Also, there have been a lot of speculations about many historical figures having Asperger syndrome; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Albert Einstein, and Vincent Van Gogh are some of the most well-known historical figures who may have had Asperger Syndrome. Despite all these, it is important for people to understand that not all people with Asperger Syndrome are gifted and not all people who are extremely talented have Asperger syndrome. Asperger syndrome is categorized into a disorder called Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Other diagnostic categories include autistic disorder, Rett’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2010, p. 86). Individuals with...
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...Asperger’s Syndrome is a specific type of Autism that was founded and distinguished from other similar mental health disorders in the 1940’s. Its name origins came from the man who originally discovered it- Hans Asperger. He was a Viennese pediatrician who worked closely with children, specifically males, throughout his practice. He focused on boys who had normal language development and average intelligence, but still had signs of autism. The boys met with other professionals in addition to meeting with Hans, these other professionals categorized them as having a high-functioning form of autism. With testing and written observations, Hans eventually identified these boys as having a type of specified autism called “Asperger Syndrome”. In 1994 it officially became an independent disorder. In 2013, both autism and Asperger’s were placed under the broader category of “Autism Spectrum Disorder”. Autism and Asperger’s are so commonly lumped together because they have many similarities. Children with autism are sometimes perceived as uninterested in others whereas those with Asperger’s have the desire to fit in and interact with peers, they simply don't have the skills. They may be socially awkward, not understand social rules, or show a lack of empathy. They are often unengaged in conversation and don’t make eye contact. Another difference between these two disorders lies in their speech patterns. Children with autism usually have delayed speech or misuse their language while...
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...hand and they are both the same in every way, but you would be very much mistaken to believe that. Even though Asperger’s is one autism spectrum disorder it are disorders that share similarities, they are characteristically different in terms of their symptoms, causes, diagnoses, and treatment/coping techniques. Asperger’s and Autism are two disorders who shares similarities and differences in terms of their symptoms. “Autism is a spectrum of complex brain disorders. The disorders result in social, behavioral, and communication problems”. Both disorders aren’t well known and sometimes misdiagnosed as more common disorders, due to the fact that the symptoms from both can often mimic other regressive behavioral and developmental disorders. “Asperger syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorders resulting in social and behavioral problem” (Wood, 2013). The similarities within the symptoms of Asperger’s and Autism are social and behavioral problems. These symptoms usually appears in both disorders between the ages of 2-6 years old, which are most commonly noticeable by a parent or a caregiver. Examples of the social and behavioral problems are avoiding eye contact,...
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...develop from infancy to adulthood. Autism is one of a serious group of developmental problems called Autism Spectrum Disorders. There are different types of Autism; these are the three primary kinds: Autistic Disorder “classic autism” is what most people think of when they hear the word autism. People with this autistic disorder usually have social and communication challenges, usual behaviors and interests and significant language delays. Most people with this disorder also have intellectual disabilities. Asperger Syndrome, people with this type of autism have milder symptoms. They have social challenges and usual behaviors and interest but don’t typically have problems with language and are not intellectual challenged. Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is also known as atypical autism. People with this type of autism meet some but not all of the symptoms to be diagnosed with Autistic Disorder or Asperger Syndrome. These people have some or fewer but definitely milder symptoms. Children with autism generally have problems in three crucial areas; social interaction, language and behavior. Because autism symptoms and severity vary greatly there are no two cases that are the same even if the children have the same diagnosis. Some children show signs of autism in early infancy while other children develop normally for the first few months or years and then suddenly start withdrawing and lose some of their skills, some...
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...Asperger’s disorder (AD) is a developmental neurological disorder that affects the human nervous system. It is described as a type of autistic spectrum disorder. The name itself is termed by professor Hans Asperger, an Austrian psychiatrist who described the condition and its symptoms among four young patients in 1944. He defined his young patients as having a difficulty in social interactions, nonverbal communications like gestures and facial expressions, narrow range of interests, and a lack of empathy. He also identified that this syndrome is distinctive as it is not a learning disability because people who live with it are as smart or smarter than normal people. For instance, one Asperger’s patient solved an error in Newton’s laws of motion...
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...This comment showcases his extreme interest in a singular topic. Persons with Asperger's Syndrome also might have difficulty understanding facial expressions and many experience difficulty with both fine and gross motor skills. People diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome are not necessarily handicapped in any way. In many instances, Asperger's Syndrome persons function normally and without any form of assistance. On the contrary, sometimes an individual with Aspergers’ Syndrome can be quite extraordinary in certain fields. Some may possess an eidetic memory and be able to paint a picture from memory, while others may excel at mathematics or other topics people find confusing. (Grandin) Persons that exhibit these qualities are typically referred to as savants. Savants are rare amongst the people diagnosed with Aspergers, as rare as ten percent (Edelson) . However, since Asperger's Syndrome is a form of autism and recognized in the Diagnostic Manual IV, which is the officially recognized list of mental disorders, there are programs and Adduce 8 assistance available to persons maturing and seeking vocations. Due to the unique traits and idiosyncrasies these persons possess, it has been suggested that some vocations might fit...
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...system issues and I will discuss appropriate interventions. My future business plan involves different aspects of the learning process. My best friend Rachael has a master degree in early childhood education as well as specific training in developmental disabilities in children. I have almost ten years of experience working with adults with developmental disabilities and almost finished with my degree in Business Administration and a minor in Human resources. Our business plan is to create a learning environment for children from age 2 to 5 with developmental disabilities. This is just the beginning because eventually we would like to expand and create a school specifically for all children with developmental disabilities. A brief history into how this idea came about occurred approximately five years ago when Rachael was a teacher in Mobile Alabama. She was teaching first graders and all of her students had ADD, ADHD, and Autistic disorder just to list a few. The school board had books, and lessons her students were to be taught during the school term much like all students in school system. However the current...
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...believe there were signs of trouble before the shooting but I believe the administration and people around them just didn’t pay attention to the boys. Probably saying ‘boys will be boys”. It turned out to be the worst school shooting in history. The article said “A Kentucky mother stepped outside of her home just for a few minutes, but it was long enough for her 5-year-old son to accidentally shoot and kill his 2-year-old sister with the .22-caliber rifle he got for his birthday.” (5-year-old Kentucky boy fatally shoots 2-year-old sister) There is no good reason a young child should own a gun but the worst part is this is not the first and probably won’t be the last. There are others like this like two other incidents involving young children shooting others. In early April, 2013 a 4-year-old boy in Tennessee shot and killed a 48-year-old woman, and just days later, 6-year-old Brandon Holt was killed in New Jersey after being shot in the head by his 4-year-old playmate. “On April 20, 1999, two teens went on a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, killing 13 people and wounding more than 20 others before turning their guns on themselves and committing suicide. The crime was the worst high school shooting in U.S. history and prompted a national debate on gun control and school safety, as well as a major investigation to determine what motivated the gunmen, Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17. There was speculation that the two committed the killings...
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...and interests ("What is autism," 2011). As of today there is no official cure for autism but through education and training of parents most can have some sort of productive life. The word “autism” has been used for about 100 years comes from the Greek word “autos” meaning “self” (Nickolson, 2008). The term describes conditions in which a person is removed from social interaction or other words an “isolated self”. In 1911, Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, was the first person to use the term autism. Austic children at one time thought or classified as schizophrenic as it was thought to be a behavioral issue. There are many key dates in the history of autism since 1911 and some more important than others. Here is a list of some of the important dates in the history of autism: * 1944 - Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger publishes his work on autistic symptoms, Autistic Psychopathy in Childhood. * 1964 - American psychologist Bernard Rimland writes in Infantile Autism: The Syndrom and Its Implications For a Neural Theory of Behavior that autism is a biological disorder. * 1967 - Bernard Rimland founds the Autism Research Institute ARI in San Diego. Bruno Bettelheim correlates autistic children and their parents to prisoners and guards in World War II nazi concentration camps in The Empty Fortress: Infantile Autism and The Birth of The Self. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems ICD of the World Health Organization...
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...The history of autism has been report as far back as year 1908, a term that was used to describe patients with a subset of schizophrenia; this causes the patient to displays signs of being withdrawn and self-absorbed. Several decades later a child psychiatrist by the name of Leo Kanner later researched and wrote about children with these signs and symptoms. In his research he finds that these individuals are extremely intelligent in more ways than one, however finds that they display “a powerful desire for aloneness and an obsessive on persistent sameness”. He named this condition “early infantile autism”. Autism is known as a broad range of behaviors such as nonverbal communication, repetitive motions such as pacing or hand flapping....
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...Juan Assessment June 11, 2015 Patient Juan and his parents met with Dr. Williams. Dr. Williams failed to approach and gain Juan’s confidence and ignored the child only to deal with the parents. Juan’s parents encouraged Dr. Williams to contact Juan’s primary doctors so that he could understand Juan’s medical needs. Juan is dealing with Cystic Fibrosis and other birth defects that were not mentioned. Juan is expressing social problems which are causing concern to his parents. Dr. Williams felt that he could “alter Juan’s angry behaviors with a Standard Behavioral Intervention” (case study video) Dr. Williams felt that a standard behavioral intervention was the next step for Juan without even explaining what that was to Juan’s parents. Juan’s parents were a no-show for the next appointment and Dr. Williams was not bothered by this. Dr. Williams failed to implement the Five General Principals: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence , Fidelity and Responsibility, Integrity, Justice, Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity. Treatment Plan: Evaluation/ Symptoms/Treatment/Diagnosis/Application of Therapy Clinical Interview with Parents of Juan: Juan male age 15 from the Dominic Republic. Parents are expressing concern of social problems and disabilities with their son. Juan has Cystic Fibrosis and other birth defects. Evaluation will need to take place with Juan and his parents as well as alone...
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...Living with Asperger's Syndrome Albert Einstein, Bela Bartok, Alan Turing, Bill Gates, Thomas Jefferson and I. Is this a list of Geniuses? People who have changed history? Or are these people who display the symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome? Dr. Tony Attwood, the world-renowned Australian psychologist who is an expert on Asperger's Syndrome, cited them as examples of people with Asperger's during a Conference held at the Palisades Center in Rockland, New York, in October of 1999. Dr. Attwood is a practicing clinical psychologist at MacGregor Specialist Center in Australia, with twenty-five years of experience in the field of Asperger's Syndrome. I had the opportunity to join over 200 other participants at the day-long Asperger's Conference. Participants came from as far away as Africa to assist with organizational tasks and to listen to Dr. Attwood's presentation, as well as his answers to questions from the audience. Dr. Attwood, who has worked with Asperger's patients and lectured around the world, commented, "I have always been impressed by their patience and ingenuity in achieving abilities others acquire without a second thought." Where does the name Asperger's Syndrome come from? Over fifty years ago, a Viennese pediatrician, Hans Asperger, published the first study of youngsters, mostly boys, with a common pattern of abilities and behaviors: lack of empathy, little ability to form friendships, one-sided conversations, intense absorption in a...
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...disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. ( 1.PubMed Health, 2010)” Autism is also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder ( ASD). “ Health care providers think of autism as a “spectrum” disorder, since it is a group of disorders with similar features. (National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, 2011 paragraph)” A child who has autism may have symptoms that span from mild to severe. There are several types of autism that fall under the spectrum. They include Aspergers Syndrome, RETT Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS). “These disorders are characterized in varying degrees, be it difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non- verbal communication and repetitive behaviors.” ( Autism Speaks, 2011) Aspergers syndrome is a high functioning form of autism. A child with Aspergers might have difficulty interacting with others, awkwardness, and display repetitive behaviors. “Rett syndrome is a disorder of the nervous system that leads to developmental reversals, especially in the areas of expressive language and hand use.” (2.PubMed Health,2010) Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is when a child is developing normally through ages 3 or 4 and then over time will lose the language, and social and motor skills that they have developed already. Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS) is when a child shows some of the symptoms of autism...
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...Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social, communication skills, and restricted and repetitive behavior. It affects the processing and organization of information to the brain. But this is only one of the recognized disorders in the autism spectrum, the other two are Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. Autism has a strong genetic basis, and in rare cases, is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. The signs usually develop gradually, but some autistic children first develop more normally and then regress. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help autistic children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. Although there is no known cure, there have been reported cases of children who recovered. Not many children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, though some become successful. An autistic culture has developed, with some individuals seeking a cure and others believing autism should be accepted as a difference and not treated as a disorder. Social deficits distinguish autism and the related autism spectrum disorders from other developmental disorders. People with autism have social impairments and often lack the intuition about others that many people take for granted. Some unusual social development becomes noticeable in early childhood...
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