Describe three basic symptoms of autism. What do researchers today consider to be likely causes of this disorder?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves a pervasive impairment in social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors, interests or activities (APA, 2013). The degree of impairment can run from mild to severe, with severity being determined by how much support the individual needs to function effectively. Some children with autism have few words and respond only to focused, direct approaches from other people, while those with less severe symptoms may speak normally, but cannot successfully maintain the normal back and forth of conversation (APA, 2013). The individual shows symptoms in early childhood, even if the condition is not recognized and diagnosed until later in development. Strong evidence for a possible genetic cause comes from the observation that ASD runs in families. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016), if one identical twin has ASD, the other twin will have the same diagnosis about 36% to 95% of the time, depending on the particular study, while if one non-identical twin has ASD, the other twin will be affected 0% to 31% of the time.  Another genetic difference is that boys are 4.5 times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ASD (CDC, 2016). A different line of research has searched for possible environmental causes (or triggers) of autism spectrum disorder such as air pollution, nutritional factors, and environmental toxins. However, the major area of research being carried out today is the link between ASD and brain function and structure.