Good Example Of Autism Spectrum Disorders Essay

The topic selected for this assignment is Autism. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) involves a series of neurodevelopment disorders that affect the personality of an individual. Autism awareness has increased in the past few years due to the interest in the field and the understanding of the ailment. Prior to the promotion of autism awareness, all children and adults suffering from the disorders were assumed to be mentally disabled. Despite the fact that Autism is still a field that is currently being explored, much information pertaining to the field has been recorded in a variety of internet databases.
For this assignment, the website selected was the official government and National Health Institute website, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The website address (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm) offers many insights on the issue of Autism. The government, particularly the National Health Institute, sponsors the website. As such, the website is highly credible and overly reliable. Office of Communications and Public Liaison is the official publisher of the article that is to be used for this assignment. The qualifications of the publisher are credible since the Institute is the government certified and thus involves much research on the topic, exploring the insights that have been presented by professional medical practitioners pertaining to autism spectrum disorders.
According to the article, Autism Spectrum Disorders cases are steadily increasing in the contemporary society. Currently, 1 out of 88 children under the ages of eight have Autism Spectrum Disorders. The website uses credible sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is an officially certified website that discusses the issue of autism and other similar ailments. Autism causes impaired social interaction. A child suffering from ASD can go unnoticed until he or she is old enough to socialize with others when in different social engagement characteristics exhibit themselves.
Some of the key characteristics of autistic children are their inability to hold eye contact, their unresponsiveness to the calling of their names, inability to read emotions and moods among people as well as the lack of empathy. Other behavioral differences exhibited by autistic children include self-harm such as self-biting, banging their heads recurrently, and repetitive movements such as rocking back and forth. Autistic children also avoid being playful and are socially awkward. According to the article, Autism Spectrum Disorder is associated with other symptoms that include Fragile X syndrome, Seizures, Epilepsy, Turret’s syndrome and attention deficit disorder.
The article also shares some information on some of the strategies used to diagnose a child with autism. Some of the behavioral observations include not making a single sound for the first 16 months to two years. Another behavioral indicator of ASD in a child is the inability to respond to their names and poor eye contact as well. Additionally, the loss of language and social skills in a developing child could indicate the possibility of a child having autism. The lack of social responsiveness such as smiling and frowning where necessary is also a key indicator of autism. At times, parents might not be aware of the disorder in their children for a long time. Arguably, some of the later symptoms of autistic children include inability to make friends and peers, inability to start and hold a conversation with other people, limited scope of interest, abnormal preoccupation with certain objects or gadgets and inability to adhere to certain routines and rituals.
The website shares insightful information pertaining to autism and uses some of the most credible sources. Some of the sources cited include Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, Autism National Committee (AUTCOM), Autism Research Institute (ARI) and Autism Science Foundation. Arguably, the website is also a not-for-profit website that is federally controlled hence deeming it a highly credible resource. The website also shares similar information, as the textbook indicating that the content published on the website is highly credible. Additionally, most of the content on the website indicate that the website not only uses credible resources, but also shows that the website is highly dependable and professional.
One of the agencies that are essential to review the issue of autism is the Autism Research Institute. ARI shares information pertaining to some of the best ways through which people can handle children with autistic disorders without compromising their wellbeing. The organization’s website (http://www.autism.com/index.asp) not only provides information on catering for children but also offers jobs for autistic adults. The website also offers information pertaining to the best strategies for ensuring that adults with autism are catered for as well. Another Agency that is vital for this research is the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Information Clearinghouse (NIDCD) and their website (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/Pages/default.aspx) shares information on some social disorders including autism among others.
The CRAAP test (Currency, Reliability, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) indicates the reliability of this website. The article, which was published in September 2009, is relatively current, being only five years old. As such, the information is reliable but still might ignore more recent findings and hence needs to be updated. The references used and the fact that the website is government owned and controlled makes it increasingly reliable as well. The website is run by a government agency, hence meets the requirement for reliability. The domain of the website is .gov, meaning it is government controlled. Additionally, the information provided coincides with most textbooks on the issue of autism; hence, indicating that the content is accurate as well. The purpose of the website is to promote awareness of Autism. The website is government controlled and hence not a profit making article making it more reliable.

Work Cited

Office of Communications and Public Liaison. Autism Fact Sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, September 2009. Web. February 25, 2014.