Autism Spectrum Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Essay Example The difficulty with ASD with regard to diagnosis is that there are no markers from biology to identify the condition, and so clinical interviews are the primary means of diagnosis (Skafidas et al. 2012). Moreover, as with other mental health conditions, the definition of the condition has been shifting, leading to changes as well in the way some of the conditions associated with ASD are viewed, diagnosed, and treated (Carey 2012; Wallace 2012). Be that as it may, there are universally accepted key markers for autism in general and for ASD in particular, including an inability to function well in social settings, due to shortcomings in skills tied to communication and general social skills (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2013).   Moreover, the qualifications above notwithstanding, the medical literature is clear as to what the symptoms and signs of ASD are. Some of the literature classifies the symptoms along three categories, social skills, communication skills, and r eacting to the general outside reality. With regard to the third category, people with ASD show a lack of fear when facing danger, object attachments of unusual intensity, difficulties adjusting to routine alterations,   sleeping and eating problems, and movements of self-stimulation, such as rocking. Communication skills symptoms include problems with articulation of needs, difficulty in being able to address questions, and echoing back words said to them. Social skills symptoms include inability to make eye contact.... Moreover, the qualifications above notwithstanding, the medical literature is clear as to what the symptoms and signs of ASD are. Some of the literature classifies the symptoms along three categories, social skills, communication skills, and reacting to the general outside reality. With regard to the third category, people with ASD show a lack of fear when facing danger, object attachments of unusual intensity, difficulties adjusting to routine alterations, sleeping and eating problems, and movements of self-stimulation, such as rocking. Communication skills symptoms include problems with articulation of needs, difficulty in being able to address questions, and echoing back words said to them. Social skills symptoms include inability to make eye contact, difficulties in making friends, aversion to touch, and ill-timed and mismatching emotional reactions (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2013). Another set of literature meanwhile focuses likewise on the inability of childr en with ASD to develop imagination in the social sense, such as an inability to participate in what is known as pretend play or social play (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2013; The National Autistic Society 2013). Then too, there are aspects of ASD associated with children regressing in terms of the skill sets identified above, from a point of prior more advanced proficiency or level of development (National Institutes of Health 2013). III. Teaching Strategies The literature describes many teaching strategies and interventions that have been known to be effective in improving learning and life outcomes for children with ASD, developed over