Causes of autism still puzzle experts<\/p>\n
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The scariest thing about autism is the uncertainties over the
\ncause of the disorder. Even after almost 60 years since Dr. Leo
\nKanner -- a psychiatrist at John Hopkins University -- had
\ndefined the word in 1943, doctors and scientists have still
\nfailed to pinpoint the cause of autism.<\/p>\n
The symptoms of autism itself vary from case to case, of which
\nimpairments in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal
\ncommunication, and imagination, are most prominent.<\/p>\n
Although there is no known unique cause of autism, there is
\ngrowing evidence that autism can be caused by a variety of
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
According to Stephen M. Edelson of the Center for the Study of
\nAutism in Salem, Oregon, there is some indication of a genetic
\ninfluence in autism, and that the genetic link to autism may be a
\nweakened or compromised immune system.<\/p>\n
Other research showed that depression and or dyslexia were
\nquite common in one or both sides of the family when autism was
\npresent, he said in his overview of autism found on the Internet.<\/p>\n
Psychologist Adriana S. Ginanjar, however, downplayed genetic
\nfactors as the number of people affected by autism was growing
\neach year. In the U.S. it is estimated that there were one in
\nevery 200 children with autism, while previously there had been
\none in every 1000 children.<\/p>\n
Autism is three times more likely to affect males than
\nfemales, Edelson said, however this gender difference was not
\nunique to autism since many developmental disabilities had a
\ngreater male to female ratio.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, the number of children affected by Pervasive
\nDevelopment Disorder (PDD), including autism, had also been
\nrising in the last few years by about 10,000 to 12,000 cases
\nannually, accounting for between 0.15 percent to 0.2 percent of
\nthe total number of births annually, according to the Ministry of
\nHealth.<\/p>\n
\"Genes do not cause an outbreak, there's been a report from
\nEngland that autism there is growing fast, and that couldn't be
\njust because of genes,\" Adriana said in a one-day workshop on
\nincreasing communication abilities in autistic children here.<\/p>\n
She said that autism was more likely caused by the change in
\nthe environment, pollution, wider use of artificial fertilizers,
\nand higher consumption of fast foods.<\/p>\n
As an example, Edelson cited the high prevalence of autism in
\nthe small town of Leomenster, Massachusetts, where a factory
\nmanufacturing sunglasses was once located. Interestingly, the
\nhighest proportion of autism cases were found in the homes down-
\nwind from the factory smokestacks.<\/p>\n
There was also evidence that a virus can cause autism, and
\nthat there was an increased risk in having an autistic child
\nafter exposure to rubella during the first trimester of the
\npregnancy.<\/p>\n
Additionally, there were growing concerns that viruses
\nassociated with vaccinations, such as the measles component of
\nthe MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine and the pertussis
\ncomponent of the DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) shot, may
\ncause autism.<\/p>\n
\"This is why many doctors now prefer to delay giving these
\nshots to children under three years old,\" Adriana said.<\/p>\n
Many autistic children also seemed to have an impairment in
\none or more of their senses, which could involve the auditory,
\nvisual, tactile, taste, vestibular, olfactory (smell), and
\nproprioceptive senses.<\/p>\n
These senses may be hypersensitive, hyposensitive, or may
\nresult in the person experiencing interference, such as a
\npersistent ringing or buzzing sound in the ears. As a result, it
\nmay be difficult for them to process incoming sensory information
\nproperly.<\/p>\n
Edelson said that about 10 percent of autistic individuals had
\nsavant skills, or remarkable abilities. These skills were often
\nspatial in nature, such as a special talent in music and art, and
\nmathematical abilities in which some can multiply large numbers
\nin their head within a short period of time. Others could
\ndetermine the day of the week when given a specific date in
\nhistory, or memorize a complete airline schedule.<\/p>\n
Over the years, families have tried various types of
\ntraditional and non-traditional treatments to reduce autistic
\nbehaviors and to increase appropriate behaviors.<\/p>\n
Food intolerances and food sensitivities were receiving much
\nattention as possible contributors to autistic behaviors, and
\nmany families had observed rather dramatic changes after removing
\ncertain food items from their children's diet.<\/p>\n
Edelson said that researchers had detected the presence of
\nabnormal peptides in the urine of autistic individuals. It is
\nthought that these peptides may be due to the body's inability to
\nbreakdown certain proteins into amino acids.<\/p>\n
These proteins were gluten such as wheat, barley, and oats;
\nand casein found in human and cow's milk. Many parents had
\nremoved these substances from their children's diets and had, in
\nmany cases, observed dramatic, positive changes in health and
\nbehavior.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/causes-of-autism-still-puzzle-experts-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}