Alexis Gutierrez
Mr. Roberts
2 June 2014
AP English Lang&Comp. Autism Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or autism is a general term that people use to describe a series of complex brain development disorders. This disease affects a person’s social skills and causes the brain to react differently in social situations than most peoples. Autism is most commonly found in a child’s first 3 years of their life, but it is not uncommon for an adult to be diagnosed with autism. ASD affects more than 2 million people in the United States alone. It is said that there is a 1 in 42 chance of autism in boys, and a 1 in 168
Approximately 33% of adults with autism are able to have and keep a casual job for their whole life while the other 67% will not be hired anywhere or are too severely autistic to hold down a job. (Autistic Society). It is also reported in a study done by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative that adults with autism have frequently few or no friends and never develop romantic relationships and often never marry. Being an adult living with autism is a difficult challenge that many Americans face every day, but with the support of caregivers and getting the right therapeutic treatment to better the working abilities makes it worthwhile. Many people have often wondered what exactly causes autism. Is it genetic? Is it contagious? Where did my child get it from? Well actually, there is not an exact known source of autism right at the moment, but researchers are looking at the possibility that the environment might have something to do with it. Although it is a somewhat genetic disorder scientists still believe that something else is causing it as well. In genetics, it causes a mutation in your genes that create brain abnormalities in its function and structure. (Center for Disease Control). “In many families, there appears to be a pattern of autism or related disabilities, further supporting the theory that the disorder has a genetic basis. While no one gene has been identified as causing