What I Already Know About Autism

Autism is four times more common in boys than girls. Autism is a complex developmental disability that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. It is not a disease that can be caught, but it can be hereditary. Presently, there is no known single cause for autism. However, it is not caused by environmentally by a child's upbringing. Autism does not have a cure. Children may appear to be normal but then regress. Most have speech problems and some even lose their speech. More children get diagnosed with autism than AIDS, diabetes, and cancer combined. Children with autism can get very aggressive and abusive. Autism usually begins before the age of three. People with autism have a normal life span. Some signs that children may have autism are they don't babble or point by age 1, no single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2, no response to name, loss of language or social skills, poor eye contact, excessive lining up of toys or objects, and no smiling or social responses.

The Story Behind Autism

 One in every 110 children born in the US has autism.  I decided to choose autism as my topic because my little brother has been diagnosed with it.  While studying the family, my Aunt and I discovered that autism does run in the family and is only in a certain generation.  Another reason I chose autism is because I am really curious about the causes of it and I would like to know if there are ways of preventing it. Also I want to know some things parents, siblings, teachers, etc can do to help the child better. Children with autism can be quite aggressive so people need to learn how to control it.  The last thing I want to find out about autism is how autism affects a child's ability to learn while in a class with students who are not disabled. Some people with autism have learning disabilities and others do not. The child's learning environment and the way they are taught have a huge impact. Children with autism learn best in a calm, low stimulus environment with clear structure.