Sierra Acai Company
Sierra Acai Company
Open 7 Days a Week
MonaVie Independent Distributor
Distributor Training
Shop Online
Enroll Now
Buy Wholesale and maintain an Active status for 2 months and we will refund your $39 Distributor Fee
Friends
Buy Wholesale and maintain an Active status for 2 months and we will refund your $39 Distributor Fee
20-September-2008 09:55:51 - Controversies in autism Controversies in autism encompass the disagreement over the exact nature of autism, its causes and manifestations. Autism is considered to be a neurodevelopmental condition which manifests itself in markedly abnormal social interaction, communication ability, and patterns of interests. The causes of autism and the spectrum of pervasive developmental disorders PDDs are either unknown or unclear. Contents 1 Epidemiology 2 Genetics 3 Vaccines 4 Intelligence 5 Joint attention 6 References Epidemiology For more details on this topic, see Epidemiology of autism. There is uncertainty and controversy over whether the incidence of autism spectrum disorders ASD is actually increasing or if there simply is an increase in the number of reported cases and better diagnosis. Genetics For more details on this topic, see Heritability of autism. There is evidence that autism has a genetic component,1 and ongoing research focuses on finding the biomarkers that determine autistic phenotypes. One, as yet unproven theory is that there may be genes which contribute to a vulnerability to environmental triggers or have another role in the etiology of autism. Genetics is viewed as an underlying factor. However, while some parents of those with autism are progressively also being diagnosed on the autism spectrum, at least some autistic children have apparently neurotypical parents. This suggests to some that genetics are either not a necessary cause or that they don't play a part in all cases of ASD, although it could also mean that the genes responsible may be recessive or a spontaneous mutation. The spectrum of autistic disorders is notable for its significant gender disparity, with the incidence of autism in males greatly exceeding the incidence in females. Whilst this could argue against a genetic theory, it has also been argued that male brains may be more vulnerable during early development.2 Variations in the gene for protein kinase C beta 1 PRKCB1, a protein with an important role in brain function, may be associated with autism.3 Vaccines Several controversial claims have been made with regard to autism and vaccinations, leading notably to the MMR vaccine controversy and the thiomersal controversy. None of these claims have been verified to date. Intelligence Scientific literature suggests that mainstream intelligence tests do not accurately measure the cognitive abilities of autistics because autistic cognition differs from typical human cognition. According to the Association for Psychological Science, a 2007 study by Dawson et al. suggested that Raven's Progressive Matrices RPM, a test of abstract reasoning, may be a better indicator of intelligence for autistic children than the more commonly used Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children WISC. Researchers suspected that the WISC relied too heavily on language to be an accurate measure of intelligence for autistics. They administered both tests to neurotypical and autistic children. The neurotypical children scored similarly on both tests, but the autistic children fared far better on the RPM than on the WISC.4 This study contradicts the widely held assumption that autistics suffer from cognitive deficits in high-level abstract thinking. The RPM is considered a paradigmatic measure of abstract, general and fluid reasoning, which is precisely the ability autistics have been presumed to lack. This theory would predict that autistics fare dramatically worse on the RPM than on other measures of intelligence, whereas Dawson et al. showed that the opposite is true.56 A recent review questioned the validity of IQ testing of autistic people.7 As those with normal or high intelligence are less likely to be diagnosed with autism, the average IQ of the autistic community as a whole may not be able to be reliably determined. Furthermore, anecdotal accounts of autistic children whose IQ scores have increased dozens of points over a relatively short period of time are not uncommon. Some of these cases, however, may not correspond to an increase in actual intelligence; perhaps, as with neurotypical children, children with autism may simply get better at taking IQ tests the so-called practice effect. Joint attention Joint attention refers to a cluster of behaviors in one of two classes: a child's response to someone else pointing or shifting eye gaze, and a child seeking another's attention. Many joint-attention behaviors differ in children with autism: for example, eye contact is relatively absent or atypical.8 These joint attention skills seem to be prerequisites for functional language development.9 It has also been hypothesized that autistic children initiate joint attention perhaps even as often as their neurotypical peers, albeit in atypical ways, and that a parent should join an autistic child's focus of attention and try harder to notice the child's atypical requests for attention rather than insist on typical behavior from the child. The empirical data supporting the latter hypothesis has been questioned.10 References ^ Dunham, Will 2007-02-19. International study finds new autism genetic links, Reuters. Retrieved on 2008-02-29. ^ Kimura, Doreen 2002-05-13. Sex Differences in the Brain, Scientific American. Retrieved on 2008-02-29. ^ Medical Research News 2005-07-18. Variations in the gene for protein kinase C beta 1 PRKCB1 strongly associated with autism. Press release. Retrieved on 2008-02-29. ^ The Matrix of Autism. Science Daily 2007-08-05. ^ The Case of Mistaken IQ. ScienceNow 2006-02-20. Retrieved on 2007-10-24. ^ Dawson M, Soulières I, Gernsbacher MA, Mottron L 2007. The Level and Nature of Autistic Intelligence. Psychological Science 18 8, 657-662. ^ Edelson, MG 2006. Are the majority of children with autism mentally retarded? a systematic evaluation of the data. Focus Autism Other Dev Disabl 21 2: 66-83. doi:10.1177/10883576060210020301. Retrieved on 2007-04-15. ^ Bruinsma Y, Koegel RL, Koegel LK 2004. Joint attention and children with autism: a review of the literature. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev 10 3: 169-75. doi:10.1002/mrdd.20036. PMID 15611988. ^ Johnson CP, Myers SM, Council on Children with Disabilities 2007. Identification and evaluation of children with autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics 120 5: 1183-215. doi:10.1542/peds.2007-2361. PMID 17967920. Lay summary - AAP 2007-10-29. ^ Joint attention controversy: Gernsbacher MA, Stevenson JL, Khandakar S, Goldsmith HH 2008. Why does joint attention look atypical in autism?. Child Dev Perspect 2 1: 38-45. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2008.00039.x. Burack JA, Russo N 2008. On why joint attention might look atypical in autism: a case for a strong policy statement but more nuanced empirical story. Child Dev Perspect 2 1: 46-8. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2008.00040.x. Gernsbacher MA, Stevenson JL, Khandakar S, Goldsmith HH 2008. Autistics' atypical joint attention: policy implications and empirical nuance. Child Dev Perspect 2 1: 49-52. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2008.00041.x. v d e Pervasive developmental disorders / Autism Main Causes Comorbid conditions Epidemiology Heritability Sociological and cultural aspects Therapies Diagnoses Asperger syndrome Autism Childhood disintegrative disorder Fragile X syndrome Multiple-complex Developmental Disorder PDD-NOS Rett syndrome Semantic pragmatic disorder Controversies Autism rights movement Autistic enterocolitis Chelation MMR vaccine controversy Neurodiversity Refrigerator mother Thiomersal controversy Lists Autism-related topics Fictional characters Further reading on Asperger syndrome People on the autistic spectrum People speculated to have been autistic Groups Aspies For Freedom Autism Network International Autistic Self Advocacy Network Autism Society of America Autism Speaks Generation Rescue National Autistic Society Safe Minds Wrong Planet Retrieved from http://en..org/wiki/Controversies_in_autism Categories: Autism | Medical controversies Views Article Discussion this page History Personal tools Log in / create account Navigation Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Search Go Search Interaction Community portal Recent changes Contact Donate to Help Toolbox What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent link Cite this page This page was last modified on 3 July 2008, at 16:51
39 Reasons to Drink Acai Juice Every Day
What is MonaVie - Watch the 8-minute video
Discovering MonaVie video
The Power of You video
Log into your Wholesale MonaVie Account
So many of us do not eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, have too much stress, or are impacted with toxins and pollutants. Drinking 2 ounces of MonaVie twice a day will help your body detoxify as well as build your immune system. Its the smartest thing you can do for yourself, so start today. Buying MonaVie through our company guarantees you support 7 days a week and, if you would like to share MonaVie with your family and friends we will guide you from start to finish.
1. Click on Enroll Now (30 - 55% off retail price)
2. Pay $39 for your Wholesale ID number.
3. NO minimum order required.
4. MonaVie is delivered to your door in 3 to 5 days.