Autism - A Singular World View, Abundance Of Theories, Teaching And Learning
disorder individuals characteristics
Autism is a profound mental disorder marked by an inability to communicate and interact with others. The condition's characteristics include language abnormalities, restricted and repetitive interests, and the appearance of these characteristics in early childhood. The disorder begins in infancy, but typically is not diagnosed until the ages two to five. Although individuals with autism are more likely to be mentally retarded than other individuals some people with the disorder have a high intelligence level. The cause of autism is unknown although it is probably biological in origin.
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Children with autism were described as early as 1908 by Heller, a Viennese educator. Autism was not named and identified as a distinct condition until 1943. That year American psychiatrist Leo Kanner wrote about what he called "infantile autism." Kanner derived the term autism from the Latin word aut, meaning self. Kanner described a group of children who looked normal but showed lim…
The precise cause of autism is not known and many theories have emerged concerning its origin. Initially autism was believed to be caused by destructive parents. Kanner observed in 1943 that there are few "really warmhearted fathers and mothers" among parents of autistic children (Groden 1988). Other experts suggested that parents of autistic children are more likely to be cold and u…
As theories about the cause of autism have changed so have approaches to teaching autistic individuals. Individuals with autism were once considered unteachable and were often institutionalized. Experts currently recommend early education for autistic individuals using approaches geared specifically for them. Those who cannot speak may learn sign language. Often some form of behavioral modificatio…
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