{"id":4129,"date":"2017-07-18T13:11:08","date_gmt":"2017-07-18T17:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/?p=4129"},"modified":"2017-12-07T15:54:23","modified_gmt":"2017-12-07T20:54:23","slug":"%ef%bb%bf-autism-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/%ef%bb%bf-autism-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt\/","title":{"rendered":"\ufeff Autism: What It Is and What It Isn\u2019t"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Taking the Mystery out of Autism<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Autism<\/strong> is frightening. It brings to mind a child that not only has physical or cognitive disabilities but also cannot relate to and join normal society. There is a tremendous lack of understanding about the ASD<\/strong> spectrum which leads to compounding the fears of the average parent. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Some parents cannot accept the diagnosis for fear of their personal relationships being its cause. Even though the other spouse or a family member or teacher strongly suggests having the child evaluated, they procrastinate or deny the need, terrified that a positive diagnosis would expose not only their child\u2019s deficiency but also their own. \u00a0The term \u2018refrigerator parents<\/strong>\u2019 was coined in the 1950\u2019s suggesting that a mother who did not display warmth towards her infant was the cause of autism<\/strong>. This hypothesis has long been disproved by scientific studies. 1<\/sup> However, its ramifications still linger in the minds of parents traumatized by the possibility of ASD<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Parents also fear raising a child who will have no interest in a relationship with either them, his siblings or the world around him. An ASD<\/strong> child, they believe, lacks a basic component of what makes us human. Those working in the field have discovered that these fears are unfounded. An autistic child<\/strong>\u2019s need and desire for relationship does not differ from that of the average child. However, he does not have the necessary ability to spontaneously develop social relationships. With proper early intervention, these skills can be learned and the relationships that he deeply desires will become attainable. 2<\/sup><\/p>\n

Increased funding is needed to provide services for each child.<\/a><\/p>\n

The linkage between childhood vaccines and autism<\/strong> became another fear in the 1990\u2019s when studies seemed to show a correlation between thimerosal,<\/strong> a component of vaccines and autism<\/strong>. Many studies have disproved this hypothesis. However, since the final word is not yet known,\u00a0 as an additional precaution, thimerosal<\/strong> has been eliminated from all but a few vaccines. 3<\/sup><\/p>\n

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Autism is a journey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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According to Barbara T. Doyle of John Hopkins School of Education, autism is typified by the following:<\/p>\n