Autism Essay examples -- essays research papers

&65279There are several reasons why I chose the topic of Autism. First, autism is intriguingbecause it is very hard to understand. Medical science is at a loss to explain why and how it occurs.Second, I curb had occasion to develop a personal relationship with children who are afflicted withautism. At The Childrens Institute, where I volunteer, I sit and play with many kids, two of whomare very hard to play with. Even though they are five and six years old, they avoid making eyecontact with opposites, and often refuse to play with the other kids. Also, once they start watchingsomething, like television, it is very hard to swallow them to look somewhere else. They are focused,almost mesmerized by the television, especially if there are flashing lights or colors. One childrocks back and forth, sometimes slowly and sometimes faster. An older child makes noises a lot,hums and randomly laughs for no reason. My observations prompted me to do some research intoautism and I found that t hese were traits which others had also observed in patients afflicted withautism. Autism has mystified scientists and doctors for more than a century. So, what do we knowabout it now? It is a complex developmental disability that usually appears during the first triadyears of life, and it arises from a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. The brainstem of a person with autism is shorter than a normal brainstem, lacks a structure knownas the choice olive and has a smaller than normal structure known as the facial nucleus. Scientists who have observed the brainstems of autistic patients have reported that it is though aband of tissue is missing. The symptoms of autism start out from one person to another. Some people can be affectedgreatly by one symptom, while other may be affected more strongly by a different symptom. This developmental disability impacts normal development of the brain in areas much(prenominal) associal interaction and communication skills. Children with autism cannot interpret the emotionalstates of others, they dont recognize anger, sorrow or manipulative intent. Their language skillsare expressage and they will often fail to initiate and sustain conversations.  ... ...ng. A child with autism is normal in appearance to the untrained eye. But scientists haveidentified a few physical anomalies. The corners of the mouth are low compared with the center ofthe upper lip, and the tops of the ears flop over. Also, the ears are a bit lower than normal andhave almost a square shape. In the information I have gathered, we see both how similarly affected the victims ofautism are and how much the effects of autism vary from one person to another. New scientificdiscoveries have served to dispel some of the mystery of this complex developmental disability. Ofcourse, it is frustrating for anyone who has a family member or is a family friend of an autisticperson because there is still no explanation for why autism strik es. As a volunteer who works with autistic children, I deliberate it is important to increaseawareness and understanding of this affliction. We can and should reach out to autistic childrenand help them live lives that are as meaningful and productive as possible. In doing so, I have foundthat we can enrich not just their lives but our own as well.