Autism Spectrum Disorder - Research Paper Example

ASD varies in individuals concerning its onset, with cases that are from birth while others develop in later life. In the area of learning, impairment makes the affected child who could be, for example, be in the fifth grade, to have the reading level of a second grade level child. In the area of socialization, other children start to portray withdrawal symptoms, where they prefer to be alone, and seem uninterested in the games or activities of the people around them. This affects their communicational development and their learning ability (Tidmarsh and Volkmar, 2003) because socialization is a very important aspect of childhood development, since children learn some aspects of behavior through imitating what other children are saying or doing (Tidmarsh and Volkmar, 2003).

These children with ASD lack this chance of developing if the situation is not addressed through encouraging them to interact with other children (Volkmar, 2012). Some children with ASD also show signs of uncontrollable fits of temper, great resistance to change and are oversensitive or under sensitive to sounds or sights, while others too are prone to epileptic seizures and fits, anxiety and depression. Others will portray the lack of interest in the people around them, avoiding eye contact and probably only showing interest in toys and other objects or in a certain subject.

Some of the victims of ASD speak very few or no words at all, but use pictures and signs to communicate, while others are preoccupied with certain objects or items. Many victims of ASD portray a consistent adherence to some specific rules and rituals . It is also worthwhile to note that autism affects boys more than girls with the ratio being that out of every five people with the disorder, four are male (Volkmar, 2012). Research on the possible causes of autism has been done extensively and is continuing, but no clear causes have been established but scientists have been able to identify some various types of genes that are associated by the disorder and there also have been noticeable relationship with the disorder among close family members, indicating that genetics is a major factor (Tidmarsh and Volkmar, 2003).

Research has shown that an identical twin has a 90% chance of getting ASD if the other twin has the disorder, further advancing the theory about genetics (National Institute).It has also been observed that due the presence of high levels of serotonin and other transmitters of information to the brain, ASD could be caused by their interfering with normal brain formation starting from fetal stage to later life. These substances have been found to occur in higher than normal levels in people with ASD.

ASD has no known cure but therapeutic and behavioral interventions can be and have been used to bring a remedy to some of the specific symptoms observed and, where applied there have been great improvements. While symptoms may vary, it is very important that they be noted as early as possible so that ways to manage the disorder can be enhanced earliest possible (Tidmarsh and Volkmar, 2003). The following methods would be helpful to assist or educate a victim of ASD in the best way possible. I would emphasize on the screening and proper diagnosis of his