| Autism is classified by the World Health
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| | Conversely, some autistic children and
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| Organization (WHO) and American
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| | adults are opposed to attempts to cure
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| Psychological Association as a
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| | autism. These people see autism as part
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| developmental disability that results
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| | of who they are, and in some cases they
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| from a disorder of the human central
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| | perceive treatments and attempts of a
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| nervous system. It is diagnosed using
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| | cure to be unethical.
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| specific criteria for impairments to
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| | History
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| social interaction, communication,
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| | The word "autism" was first used in the
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| interests, imagination and activities.The
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| | English language by Swiss psychiatrist
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| causes, symptoms, etiology, treatment,
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| | Eugene Bleuler in a 1911 issue of the
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| and other issues are controversial.
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| | American Journal of Insanity. It comes
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| Autism manifests itself "before the age
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| | from the Greek word for "self," a?t??
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| of three years" according to the WHO's
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| | (autos). Autism was actually confused
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| International Classification of Diseases
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| | with schizophrenia during the early
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| (ICD-10). Children with autism are marked
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| | stages of observation. Bleuler used the
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| by delays in their "social interaction,
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| | term to describe the schizophrenics'
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| language as used in social communication,
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| | seeming difficulty in connecting with
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| or symbolic or imaginative play"
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| | other people.
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| (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
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| | However, the classification of autism as
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| Mental Disorders).
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| | a separate disorder or disease did not
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| Autism, and the other four pervasive
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| | occur until 1943 when psychiatrist Dr.
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| developmental disorders (PDD), are all
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| | Leo Kanner of the Johns Hopkins Hospital
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| considered to be neurodevelopmental
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| | in Baltimore reported on 11 child
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| disorders. They are diagnosed on the
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| | patients with striking behavioral
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| basis of a triad, or group of three
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| | similarities and introduced the label
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| behavioral impairments or dysfunctions:
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| | "early infantile autism." He suggested
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| 1. impaired social interaction, 2.
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| | the term "autism" to describe the fact
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| impaired communication and 3. restricted
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| | that the children seemed to lack interest
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| and repetitive interests and activities.
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| | in other people. Kanner's first paper on
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| These three basic characteristics reflect
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| | the subject was published in a now
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| Dr. Leo Kanner's first reports of autism
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| | defunct journal called The Nervous Child,
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| emphasizing "autistic aloneness" and
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| | and almost every characteristic he
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| "insistence on sameness."
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| | originally described is still regarded as
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| From a physiological standpoint, autism
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| | typical of the autistic spectrum of
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| is often less than obvious in that
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| | disorders.
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| outward appearance may not indicate a
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| | At the same time, an Austrian scientist
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| disorder. Diagnosis typically comes from
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| | named Dr. Hans Asperger made similar
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| a complete patient history and physical
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| | observations, although his name has since
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| and neurological evaluation.
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| | become attached to a different
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| The incidence of diagnosed autism has
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| | higher-functioning form of autism known
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| increased since the 1990s. Reasons
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| | as Asperger syndrome. Widespread
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| offered for this phenomenon include
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| | recognition of Asperger's work was
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| better diagnosis, wider public awareness
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| | delayed by World War II in Germany, and
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| of the condition, regional variations in
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| | by his seminal paper not being translated
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| diagnostic criteria, or simply an
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| | into English for almost 50 years. The
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| increase in the occurrence of ASD (autism
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| | majority of his work was not widely read
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| spectrum disorders). The United States
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| | until 1997.
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| Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
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| | Autism and Asperger syndrome are today
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| estimate the prevalence of autism
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| | listed in the DSM-IV-TR as two of the
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| spectrum disorders to be about one in
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| | five pervasive developmental disorders
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| every 150 children. In 2005, the National
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| | (PDD), which also include Childhood
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| Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) stated
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| | disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome
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| the "best conservative estimate" as 1 in
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| | and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not
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| 1000. In 2006, NIMH estimated that the
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| | Otherwise Specified (or atypical autism).
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| incidence was 2-6 in every 1000
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| | Health care providers also refer to
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| There are numerous theories as to the
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| | autism spectrum disorders (ASD) which
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| specific causes of autism, but they have
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| | includes only three of those listed in
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| yet to be fully supported by evidence
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| | PDD: Autistic disorder, Asperger
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| (see section on "Causes" below). Proposed
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| | syndrome, Pervasive Developmental
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| factors include genetic influence,
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| | Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. All of
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| anatomical variations (e.g. head
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| | these conditions are characterized by
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| circumference), abnormal blood vessel
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| | varying degrees of deficiencies in
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| function, oxidative stress, and
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| | communication skills and social
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| vaccinations. Their significance as well
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| | interactions, along with restricted,
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| as implications for treatment remain
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| | repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of
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| speculative.
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| | behavior.
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