Autism
One out of every sixty eight children in America are affected by a disorder that causes forty percent of that one in every sixty eight to have the disadvantage of not being able to speak.Autism Spectrum Disorder is a disorder that affects only one percent of Americans, but it is very serious for some children.
If a child has autism the child may have difficulty with social activities, and it may make a child’s senses more sensitive and more dramatic to noise, touch, smell, and tastes. This disorder makes its appearance during the first year of a child’s life. Some autistic people will be able to have a normal life without someone holding their hand all their life while other people with autism will have to have support their entire lives. Some parents of autistic children are against doctors studying their child’s brain, while others want doctors to help them with their child and help make a brighter future for them. It should be legal for doctors to study the brain of young children presenting autistic symptoms.
Research shows that the earlier autistic treatments start the more effective the are, doctors are able to come closer to discovering how autism develops, and if they catch it earlier the doctors can help break the bad behaviours and change them to better behaviors. First, the earlier treatments start for autism the more effective the treatment is for the child. A treatment for an autistic child depends on the child themself. This is one reason doctors need to study the child’s brain. In the article “Issues in the Autistic Community” it states, “Some forms of treatment may work with some people but not with others.” Treatments are like school learning because some children learn better when they read things and other may learn better when they hear things.
It all depends on the child and the child’s brain. Doctors want to learn how to help the child and find the best treatment earlier on in their life because as the article “Autism Research” states treatments are more effective when the child is younger. The article reads, “Modern studies suggest that the most successful long-term treatment for children on the autism spectrum begins before the child is three years old” (Autism Research). One treatment that has been successful for most autistic children is one done by a certain routine that the child will do every day. In the article “Autism Spectrum Disorder” it states, “Treatment programs focus on providing children with a routine.
A predictable schedule filled with highly structured activities reinforces positive behavior. Children may learn communication skills that do not come naturally to them, and slowly ease their way into more complicated social interactions.” Not only does this treatment help calm the child down, but it may also help the child with social skills they may be lacking. Like stated earlier, doctors can help find a treatment that best suites a child, but only if they study the child’s brain. Not only do earlier treatments help, but doctors are able to discover more connection to other diseases and children without autism when the autistic child is younger. One example is that thirty percent people with autism spectrum disorder also have epilepsy.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes unconsciousness, or convulsions. Epilepsy is normally associated with abnormal electricity in the brain. Epilepsy isn’t the only disorder linked with autism though. In the article “Issues in the Autistic Community” it states, “People with autism are more likely to have seizures. Doctors think that as many as one of every four people on the spectrum are more likely to have seizures.” Seizures are episodes where the human body shakes, but this is caused by a disturbed nerve in the brain.
Another connection doctors have been able to make is stated in the article “Autism Research”. The article reads, “These scans allow modern researchers to study the differences between children with autism and other children, moving researchers closer to discovering exactly how autism develops” (Autism Research). The scans this article is telling the reader about is a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. These scans are the same as a magnetic resonance imaging scan, but doctors put their patience asleep. They do functional magnetic resonance imaging scans for children because during a magnetic resonance imaging people are required to hold still during the entire scan, but most children cannot hold still during this period of time. In the same article it states, “Other medical researchers are studying the relationship between autism and the body’s gastrointestinal tract.
Many individuals with autism also have gastrointestinal disorders, such as Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome” (Autism Research). Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is when a person is born with cholesterol synthesis problems. Doctors have been researching this and have been trying to link how autism and Smith-Lemli-Opitz are related, but in order for them to do that they have to have children they can study and help. It is easier for doctors to find similarities and differences in autistic and non-autistic brain in children because they are not fully developed, and doctors can watch the disorder develop and watch the differences increase. By doing this not only can doctors help children with autism spectrum disorder, but other disorders that may come along with it.
Finally, if doctors catch autism earlier, it is easier to change bad or harmful behaviors into better behaviors. Autistic people are more sensitive to loud noises because of this they may rip on their hair or ears until it stops. Most people can’t imagine the pain and damage this does for people, but if the person sees a doctor about it as a child they may be able to change ripping on their hair to scrunching their toes.n the article “Issues in the Autistic Community” it states, “When a child is found to be on the spectrum at a very young age, more options may be available to help them adjust to the condition.” The younger a child is when they find out they have autism, the easier it is to help them adjust to this disorder and make it smoother for the child.
Another behavior that parents might want to change is stated in the article “Autistic Spectrum Disorder”. It reads, “…a child with this symptom might cover his or her ears and scream in response to too many conversations happening in a room.” This behavior isn’t harmful to the child, but it may be disturbing for other people and it may embarrass the child.
Because of this, parents may choose to fix this behavior. Once again in the article “Autistic Spectrum Disorder” it states, “Behavioral therapists and autism researchers agree that early intervention is key when treating autism. Most autism therapy revolves around teaching new behaviors and reducing the frequency of harmful ones. Young children may learn new behaviors more easily than teens or adults.” This is saying that the younger the patient the easier it is to change habits and different behaviors.
The earlier treatments start for a patient the more effective and the easier it is for both the behavioral therapists and the child. Some people may argue that it should be illegal for doctors to study the brain of autistic children. They believe this because most of the autistic symptoms are obvious to parents.However, not all symptoms are obvious. In the article “Autism Spectrum Disorder” it states, “Children diagnosed with autism may find it difficult to begin conversation or respond to social cues. They may not recognize changes in tone of voice that indicate emotion or meaning.
” This symptom may not be obvious to the average American parent. Some children are just slower to learning how to speak. That’s all it might be, but that one child might have autism and the parents won’t know. Clearly, it should be legal for doctors to study the brain of autistic children so that they can help the child and the child’s parents. In conclusion, it should be legal for doctors to study the brain of children presenting autistic symptoms and they should be allowed to study the brain of children with autism. The treatments help the child live as close to a normal life as possible, by becoming a patient the child helps doctors find how autism is caused, and by doing this doctors can help the autistic child steer clear of harmful behaviors.
Don’t be the parent that refuses to let a doctor study an autistic child because that doctor might be the one to figure out how to stop this disorder.
