How Autism Affects a Person and How to Help It

How Autism Affects a Person and How to Help It

        Autism is a very well known mental disorder that affects the actions and intelligence of a

person. The article “Autism” explains that “[a]utism (or Autism Spectrum Disorder) is a severe

disorder marked by an inability to communicate and interact socially with others.” Autism is a mental

disorder with various types, mild to severe behaviors, and numerous treatments.

        There are various types of autism. One type of autism is Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's Syndrome is one of the milder types of autism and it is not easy to identify at times (Parks 24). People with Asperger's Syndrome “generally have higher functioning.” Elaine Landau explains that Asperger's syndrome is a term used to “describe individuals with autistic behaviors” (32). The article “Diseases and Conditions” states that “[p]eople with this condition may be socially awkward and have an all-absorbing interest in specific topics.” Individuals that have Asperger's syndrome have IQ's “typically in the normal to very superior range.” It is stated in “What is Asperger's Syndrome?” that “[t]hey are usually educated in the mainstream, but most require special education services.” Bonne Rochman, journalist for TIME magazine, writes, “children currently with Asperger's disorder- who typically have a normal or high IQ but are stymed by social interaction...would no longer qualify” as autistic (16). Asperger's Syndrome is a type of autism that affects communication and intelligence of a person.

        Autistic Disorder is another type of autism that affects a persons everyday life. This disorder is very severe and it affects how one would communicate or interact socially. Researcher Bernard Rimland says the word autistic means “self-involved”. Rimland informs that “[t]he autistic child is

more interested in inanimate objects than in persons or other living things and often follows rigid

patterns of repeated and sometimes bizarre behavior” (803). Some people with Autistic Disorder “have language abnormalties or do not speak at all... [their] symptoms range from mild to severe and may differ from person to person. Although up to eighty percent of individuals with autism are classified as mentally deficit, some people with the disorder are highly functional.” Researchers claim that a major determining constituent of autism is hereditary (“Autism” UXL Science). Autistic disorder is a form of autism that affects how a person communicates and performs actions.