Autism Spectrum Disorder is a widely misunderstood condition. Many people confuse autism with Down Syndrome, which is a completely different developmental disorder (although it is possible and not uncommon for people with down syndrome to also be autistic). So what is autism really, and how does it affect autistic people?.
What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder which is characterized by having issues with communication and other social skills.
Causes of ASD aren't known for sure, however there have been some autistic people who may have inherited the disorder genetically. There are still studies being conducted to know for sure how autism is acquired, and scientists now hypothesize that there are actually multiple factors that cause ASD. It has been found that there have been small, rare mutations in the genes of autistic people that could likely have caused the disorder. More research is going into whether environmental factors play a role in autism as well.
According to the "National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences," some of these environmental factors may be if the child is prenatally exposed to air pollution, if the mother has immune disorders, obesity, or diabetes, if the birthweight of the child is below average, and if there is lack of oxygen flow to the baby's brain.
People on the spectrum vary greatly. For example some autistic people are able to speak very well, while some are completely nonverbal. Autism is a very wide spectrum, so it is important to note and realize that each autistic person is different.
What are the symptoms of ASD?
Autistic people may portray:
Early-aged communication and abnormal interactions such as not keeping eye contact, not understanding others' emotions or sarcasm, not sharing interests or playing with other children, lack of facial expressions, etc.
Echolalia (repeating words or phrases)
An intense interest in niche subjects
Various, repetitive body movements (such as rocking or flapping hands)
Obsession with rules and order (for example, the person follows a schedule and may have difficulty with small changes or shifts in their schedule)
Delayed language, learning, or movement skills
Anxiety, stress
Atypical sleep or eating habits or moods/reactions
Seizures
As mentioned before, not all autistic people may portray these traits. Some autistic people may have only a few of these traits, or none. Neurotypical people may portray some of these traits as well. There are many more traits that an autistic person can inherit, and it is not confined to this list.
A study of the brain and ASD:
Dr. Daniel Geschwind, a professor of Human Genetics, Neurology, and Psychiatry at UCLA, conducted the first study to search for the effects and causes of autism at a molecular level. The regions of the brain that were specifically focused on were the temporal lobe and the frontal lobe. These regions of the brain are responsible for social cognition, which is hampered in autistic people. Examining the brains of 49 autistic people and 54 neurotypical people who acted as the control group, the researchers found that the parts of the brain responsible for temperature, pain, and touch had changes in the RNA sequencing compared to the controls. This then led the researchers to believe that this change in the RNA is what causes the sensory overloads or hypersensitivity that many autistic people portray. The RNA changes were most likely not effects of ASD, but actually caused it.
The causes of ASD are still unknown, but there have been significant strides into understanding the condition, and hopefully, we can spread more information on ASD to mitigate the misinformation on this condition.
Sources:
“What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 Dec. 2022, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html.
“Autism.” National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/conditions/autism/index.cfm#:~:text=Scientists%20have%20found%20rare%20gene,of%20genetic%20and%20environmental%20factors. Accessed 13 May 2023.
“Brain Changes in Autism Are Far More Sweeping than Previously Known, UCLA-Led Study Finds.” UCLA Health System, www.uclahealth.org/news/brain-changes-autism-are-far-more-sweeping-previously-known. Accessed 14 May 2023.
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