Lawanna Brock Discusses Autism

     Lawanna Brock Discusses Autism

     Depicted in the 1940s by Leo Kanner (1943), autism is an affliction of profound consequence. He used the term ‘autism’ to describe children with emotional or social problems, and he expressed this as “. . .an innate inability to form the usual, biologically provided affective contact with other people.” “Pervasive developmental disorder” was the American alternative name adopted for this condition early on. As understanding of autism increased over the past 60 years, scientists, physicians, and psychologists came to accept it as “autism spectrum disorder’ or ASD. Because cases vary so markedly, autism is a difficult disorder to define. Autism embodies a spectrum of disorders ranging from severe mental retardation to high functioning Asperger’s and savant syndrome. Because of the many brain regions implicated, it is difficult to develop a unified theory of autism. Specialists believe that individuals with autism appear extremely focused on their selves. The self has always been integral in defining autism, as the word ‘autism’ derives from the Greek word ‘autos’ which literally translates to ‘self’. According to the research by Lawanna Brock, the autistic person is entirely self-focused, calling it “egocentric in the extreme”. Other researchers convey that the condition is fascinating and mysterious because “…of the complexity of the many interacting brain systems that it discomposes” and because “it disrupts the necessary abilities that are essential to one’s very humanity”. The core symptoms of autism include (1) a reduced ability to interpret the emotions and intentions of others; (2) a reduced capacity for social interaction and communication; and (3) a preoccupation with a single subject or activity.

    ASD’s unclear etiology, complex heterogeneity, wide range of interpretations, and various theories have researchers asking the question: “is the spectrum of autism due to a spectrum of neuropathologies or does a single common pathology exists to explain the spectrum?”

Lawanna Brock found that some experts believe that the evolving research and the recent increase in understanding of ASD will lead to new strategies for prevention and cure. There is therapeutic progress shown through animal studies involving inhibition of a specific kinase leading to reversal of symptoms of fragile X syndrome.

     According to Lawanna Brock, the literature regarding the prevalence of autism provides a wide range of values. The research includes many countries around the world. Estimations of people who have ASD are   anywhere from 1 in 110 to as many as 1 in 10,000. The range is due to the variability of symptoms, and the regard of autism as a ‘spectrum disorder’. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the number at 6.6 in 1,000 births, a 1 in 166 value. Some researchers have suggested that we are presently in the core of an epidemic with the condition becoming more prevalent as the decades pass. Some believe that the variation in prevalence could be related to healthcare and education resources and pressure to obtain intensive services are leading to over-diagnosis. These researchers do, however, remark that prevalence has greatly increased since the 1960s and consider it a public health concern. The U.S. Department of Developmental Services reported a 55% increase in the prevalence of ASD from 1991 to 1997, a higher rate than the reported rates for other pediatric conditions such as cancer, spina bifida, and Down syndrome.

     According to the data Lawanna Brock found, autism occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, but on the average, 4.5 times more likely to occur in boys than in girls. The average prevalence in the U.S. among non-Hispanic white children was significantly greater than that among non-Hispanic black children. Hispanic children had a significantly low prevalence rate. Approximately 13% of U. S. children have a developmental disability, ranging from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments to serious developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism. There is convincing evidence that autism is largely genetically determined with the documentation from twin and family studies.