Health Life + Beauty + Style
By: Barbara Meyer
Autism is one of the most rapidly-growing developmental disorders in America. More than three and a half million Americans are living with autism, and our country spends $236262 billion on autism services annually. Autism rates are on the rise - the CDC estimates that 1 in 68 U.S. children have autism. The ratios are higher for males - autism affects 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls.
What is aut is m?
There is wider awareness of autism than ever, but it is still greatly misunderstood. Autism is not a disease or type of mental illness. It’s a spectrum of five neurological disorders ranging from mild to profoundly disabling that impact socialization, language and communication. Autism is characterized
by uneven skill development - an autistic child can struggle with language but have highly developed abilities in math or music. Autism is not a new condition. It was first diagnosed as a distinct clinical syndrome by Austrian child psychiatrist Leo Kanner in 1943. Kanner coined the term based on his observations of a patient named Donald Triplett and 10 other children with similar socialization issues. Triplett’s father’s wrote a letter to Kanner describing his son’s repetitive behavior, obsession with numbers, and social isolation, all traits that would be familiar to modern parents of autistic children. Kanner initially thought that Donald had schizophrenia, but eventually came to understand and name the unique condition he had identified as autism. A change in environment improved Triplett’s development and he was able to learn to golf, drive, get a college degree, work and travel abroad to 36 countries, including an African safari. Kanner’s landmark paper, “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact” paved the ground for further study of the condition.
TOPS Magazine | April 2018
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