What Can Cause Autism - 1176 Words

Autism has turned into a fairly common, but is a serious developmental disorder that decreases the ability to communicate and interact. This impairs social, verbal and nonverbal interaction, and also brain development. Although there are many myths to what can cause autism, there are very few known true causes or preventions. The most commonly known cause is a mutation in chromosomes. Males are four times more likely to develop autism due to females having a ‘backup’ gene. Women hold two X chromosomes while males have an X and a Y, one from each parent. If the Y chromosome is altered, males will be affected, if the X chromosome is altered, men are still affected, but women can be guarded because they haul a second X chromosome. This may†¦show more content†¦The word ‘autism’ comes from the green work ‘autos’ meaning ‘self’, or a secluded individual. This term was first used to describe patients with schizophrenia who seemed to be withdrawn. In the early forties, analyzers began to use this word to label this to children with social and emotional problems. The history of autism dates back to the 1600’s, but in 1943, the first case of autism was reported by Leo Kanner, describing them as â€Å"an obsessive insistence on persistent sameness.† (Dan Brennan) The diagnosis of autism is crucial, but also can be very difficult due to the fact that there are no obvious visual signs, like there is in cases of Down syndrome. Symptoms of autism as a whole can include little to no communication or abnormal conversation, reduced emotions, attentiveness, eye contact and facial expression. The lack of verbal communication can lead to screaming, yelling, hitting or grabbing. Repetitive behavior is the most common symptom, such as sounds, hand flapping and rocking. Many require an everyday routine and do not handle change well, this sometimes can result in self-inflicted pain by head banging, vomiting, an d scratching. There are also different severities in autism, increasing when the ability to adjust decreases; all should be monitored by a specialist or someone whom they have an emotional attachment that they can feel safe