AUTISM

I know a child, who is a gift from GOD you see, A person who has no visible sign of a disability, Doctors call it Autism or ASD, He is the same as you and me, It just means his brain is wired differently.

Autism is a disorder that affects 1 in 88 kids every year. The majority of children affected are boys. Autism has been linked to an abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. Although the cause is still unknown, many theories or possible causes have been suspected but not yet proven. Some of the theories are diet, digestive tract changes, mercury poisoning and vaccine sensitivity. The body’s inability to use vitamins and minerals has also been discussed. There are other development disorders that can accompany and mimic autism. Two of them in particular are ADHD and Asperger Syndrome. Individuals with ADHD exhibits symptoms of “acting out”, short attention spans, anxiety, and even aggression towards others or themselves. Those with Asperger’s also exhibit anxiety, outbursts, difficulty sleeping, and aggression. Autism is known for all of these symptoms and many more. Autism is a wide spectrum disorder which means that no two children will have exactly the same set of symptoms. They may have only two or three or they may experience a wide range of symptoms. Some can be mild while others can be severe if they are combined with other disorders such as, Asperger’s, Rhett Syndrome, Fragile X, and a host of others. The term ‘Autism” now includes a wider spectrum than it did 30 years ago. Back then it was just thought that a child was “odd” or “strange”. They could even be called “stupid” or” undisciplined”. Autism affects the normal development of the brain. The brain contains more than a 100 billion nerve cells called neurons. Neurons have connections that carry messages to the brain and body. The chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, keep the neurons working properly. In a child with autism the connections do not work properly as they should. Research has shown that an autistic child has an “altered” immune system. This is also related to the brain because of how the brain and body function as a system. There has also been a study done that suggests a brain of an autistic child is larger than normal. Certain senses in an autistic child are usually more sensitive than a child without autism. They may react to a hug by pulling away as if they cannot understand the emotion associated with it. Certain sounds may affect a child with autism differently than other children. Such as a dog barking in the distance. A child with autism may hear this as if the dog were right beside them. Due to autism’s effect on the frontal lobe, a sort of hypo responsiveness to touch is caused. Some can’t tolerate touch, while others need to experience it on a consistent basis. The range of how the brain is affected will vary due to the differences in each child. There are some similarities as well which all makes the research to find a cause for autism more difficult. Currently there is no cure for autism. There are no medications to specifically treat autism. There are however some medications that will help manage some of the symptoms associated with the disease, such as aggression, anxiety, and seizures. There are many perceptions about autism. People think that children with autism are “bad kids” because of their behaviors. It has been said that an autistic child is “retarded or dumb”. That could not be further from the truth! I have also heard it said they don’t have feelings or if the parents were more involved and affectionate then they