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Article Series: Autism
Autism Causes, Signs & Treatments
Autism:
History and Possible Causes
The medical community first became aware of
autism in the 1940's. In those early years the medical profession
unfortunately put much of the onus on parents of children with
autism. It was thought that it may have been 'cold' behavior
on their part that caused their children to withdraw. And it
must have been devastating for those parents to have had to
deal not only with the heartbreak of an ill child but with
this other added guilt. Over time this attitude was done away
with and research into other factors continued. However, it
took until the 1990's before it became more defined. Even so,
much about this complex disorder remains a mystery to scientists,
researchers and doctors.
In part this is because autism is a complex disorder that
touches upon a wide range of developmental disabilities. This
makes it a little more difficult to pinpoint a specific cause
or sequence of events that explains clearly why any one individual
child becomes autistic. It is referred to as a developmental
disorder because it usually arises before the age of three
when children are learning so many of the basic skills. Autism
delays the progress of these skills and hampers their development
throughout the life of the individual.
However, as research continues there are different factors
that are under analysis. In 1995 a group working for the National
Institute of Health reached the conclusion that autism may
result from a genetic susceptibility or vulnerability that
involves several genes. And at present researchers feel that
as many as ten different genes on different chromosomes may
be implicated to varying degrees. One can begin to see the
wide range of possibilities that could be connected to each
individual case.
It has also been confirmed that autism can be a result if
before birth a baby is exposed to thalidomide. As well, if
an expectant mother is infected with the wild rubella virus
during the early part of her pregnancy this can cause certain
birth defects that they feel could also result in a child developing
autism.
In more recent news there has been a lot of discussion
and debate as
to whether or not there is a link between autism and vaccines
given to children. Understandably there are strong
emotions on both side of this issue. Research by both parties
is ongoing
and it is hoped that there will soon be a definitive answer
on this subject. Concerned parents must weigh all available
data before making the best informed decision that they possibly
can with regard to their children. Jenny McCarthy's book
"Louder Than Words - A Mother's Journey In Healing Autism"
may be a good start. You can find it in bookstores and on
Amazon.com.
While there are yet so many unanswered questions - more and
more parents are having to face the challenge of raising a
child with autism. Fortunately there are a great number of
federal agencies, organizations, and support groups that are
doing their utmost to gain a better understanding of this disorder
and to help those with autism to achieve their best potential
in living full and productive lives.
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
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