The autism spectrum disorder scenario

The autism spectrum disorder scenario

Ryan Johnson sits alone and in silence in a conference room in downtown Manhattan for about six hours every day. He is writing a program for one of his company's clients, a leading stock brokerage firm in New York. Ryan's current line of work suits him better than the previous one. It was an open office with the constant ringing of phones, chatty colleagues and clicking of keyboards. Working in such an environment exhausted Ryan, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a lower form of autism spectrum disorder.

Ryan's condition has become more common in the United States over the past 50 years. Autism spectrum disorder was first identified in 1949. However, it was never systematically studied for several decades. A sketchy 1970 study found that one in 14,000 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder. In 2000, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began regularly collecting data on autistic children, and the number has more than doubled. Today, one in 68 children is affected by autism. A recent study by behavioral scientists in South Korea found that one in 38 children between the ages of seven and 12 had some degree of autism spectrum disorder.

Autism is a complicated brain disorder. It encompasses a wide range of symptoms that usually include discomfort with mixing with people, obsessive interests, and hypersensitivity to touch, taste, smell, and sound. More than a quarter of all autistic children do not speak. Some studies have put the number higher. You need the help of apps like What’s the Expression and Make Sentences to communicate.

But at the other end of the autism spectrum are people with high or average intelligence who are able to lead normal lives. These include singers, musicians, painters and even engineers and computer programmers.

The extent of autism usually varies between people. Many autistic people score high on intelligence tests, but at the same time have difficulty communicating and making repetitive movements such as shaking hands or moving back and forth. Others may have good vocabulary but suffer from poor IQ and motor skills that can make it difficult to use simple tools like a fork or pencil. The apps “What’s the Expression” and “Make Sentences” can help you in such cases.

The causes of autism spectrum disorder are not well known. Genes often play an important role behind the disease. But environmental factors such as parents' exposure to air pollution and viruses also play a role.

Scientists believe that autism spectrum disorder is triggered early in life. While parents may notice strange behaviors in their children before they are one year old, symptoms do not appear until much later. For unknown reasons, men appear to be more susceptible to autism. In the United States, for example, autism is more than five times more common in boys than in girls.

Autism has no cure. However, the label is often inappropriate for autistic children, who can improve with regular counseling. They may only be able to do things independently, without support and shine in their professional life.

Inspired by Kevin Carter