Mental Illness

Ashshanti Bryant

HCA/240

March 22, 2010

Carolyn Moore, MSN, FNP-BC

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Autism

While the cause of Autism is unknown, Autism is a developmental disability that is

widely affecting children. This disorder has been known to rob children of their innocence

speech, laughter, and most of all…..the ability to love.

There are hundreds of childhood diseases and disorders. Currently, there are millions

of children in the United States. Unfortunately, there is one childhood disorder that

affects 1 out of every 150 children here in the United States. This disorder affects more

children than all the childhood diseases and disorders combined. The name of this

disorder is Autism. As parents around the world search for answers and a cure, the

number of Autism cases continues to grow daily.

Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals all differently and to varying degrees (Autism, 2006).

English: Subject: Quinn, an ~18 month old boy with...

Major brain structures implicated in autism.

English: People with Asperger's Syndrome are often...

Autism is also indicated as an ASD, which is defined as Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD). Autism affects a person's ability to be social, and the ability to communicate with others. Autism also affects the cognitive and spatial abilities. This disorder is put in to groups. Studies have shown that Autism affects 1 out every 150 children in the United States. Autism is known to affect more boys than girls. The ratios for boys affected are 1 out of 94. Autism does not discriminate. Autism is known to affect all races and people of different economic statuses. As of today, there is no known single cause for autism.

The history of autism goes as far back as 1911. Eugen Bleuler, who was a Swiss

psychiatrist, first composed the term. However, the term actually applied to adult schizophrenia.