Month: January 2020

With headlines like “Vaccines cause Autism” and “People with Autism don’t Want Friends,” there are plenty of misconceptions about what it means to have autism.  In reality, autism is a complex spectrum that is not fully understood.

Autism is commonly referred to as ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) due to the wide variety of severity associated with it and the broad challenges Autistic people face. ASD is diagnosed under the following criteria:

• Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts.
• Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history.
• Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period.
• Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.

Though most people think of autism as an intellectual disability, it can be seen by the criteria above that it primarily manifests in social behaviors. Autistic people may struggle to make/keep friends, express their emotions, make eye contact with others, catch social cues, or communicate verbally. Because of these challenges, many Autistic people struggle to connect with others and peers may avoid them because they think that they don’t want to be connected with.

As I previously said, autism is referred to as a spectrum due to the differing severity of the manifestations. Some Autistic people can function fully in society and their behaviors may not even be noticed by the general population. Others on the spectrum may be fully nonverbal and struggle to do anything independently. In the past, there used to be a difference between those with “high functioning” and “low functioning” autism. Those with high functioning autism who may also have a unique ability in a subject (perhaps reading, math, or memory) were diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. These people still struggle with acts of empathy, socialization, and understanding complex cues. Though there used to be two distinct diagnoses, there has been a recent push to include Aspergers in the Autism Spectrum because the difficulties faced by both groups were greatly misunderstood and overlapped significantly.

You may have noticed that through out this post, I’ve been referring to people who have Autism as “Autistic people.” Though there has been a general push for people-first language in the disability community, many Autistic people are proud of their diagnosis and think of it as an integral part of who they are. Because of this, they want to be described as autistic because they cannot be separated from it. With that being said, others prefer “people with autism” and you should always check with that individual before assuming their prefrences.

Oftentimes, when babies are born with Down syndrome, the doctors profusely apologize to the parents, saying that they’re sorry for their loss. Parents are given dark outlooks on the future and kids are looked down upon. Despite the significant challenges that kids with down syndrome face, there are also positives and the opportunity to live a productive and fulfilling life.

Down syndrome is a genetic condition caused by a third 21st chromosome. The additional genetic material causes alterations to intellectual and physical development. Some of the common features of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a crease down the palm. People with Down syndrome may also need heart or spinal surgeries and may face hearing or vision loss.  The name Down syndrome comes from a physician, John Down, who in 1866 described the condition as a distinct entity. However, it wasn’t until 1959 when Down syndrome was identified as a chromosomal condition.

In addition to the physical challenges, there are also intellectual and developmental differences in people with Down syndrome. All people with Down syndrome will have some degree of intellectual disability; however, the disability widely ranges in severity. Early intervention is critical in catching up on development, as there are often setbacks in speech and motor abilities. Additionally, most children with Down syndrome in the US will be placed in Special Education due to the variety of support they may need. Physical, occupational, and speech therapies are all critical in supporting development. Many adults with down syndrome are able to live semi-independently in community homes and hold down stable jobs.

Most people with Down syndrome prefer person-first language, meaning that you describe them as an individual/person/child with Down syndrome, rather than Down syndrome child or Down’s kid. It’s also important to stay away from phrases like “struggles with” or “abnormal.”

The cause of the extra chromosome is unknown. Maternal age is one factor that has been linked to the condition, however, there are still many women under the age of 35 who have a child with down syndrome. The additional copy can originate from the mother or the father; however, 95% of the cases are linked with the mother. Additionally, only 1% of Down syndrome cases are hereditary, meaning that just because a parent has one baby with Down syndrome, does not mean their next will have the condition. It’s estimated that Down syndrome occurs in about 1 in every 700 babies.

 

The Oxford Dictionary defines disability as “a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities.” or “a disadvantage or handicap, especially one imposed or recognized by the law.” Both of these definitions highlight an individual who is “limited” compared to the general person. The second definition doesn’t comment on what is causing the disadvantage, leaving people to wonder what exactly could be considered a disability. Is anyone below average in any aspect disabled? Perhaps a mom who makes less than minimum wage is disabled because she is unable to buy enough food, putting her at a disadvantage. Perhaps kids who are picked last for the soccer team are disabled because their athletic abilities and coordination aren’t excellent since they just joined soccer this year and thus they’re at a disadvantage on the field. Though both of these ideas technically fit into the second definition’s parameters, most people agree that these are not definitions. That’s where the first definition comes in. It explicitly states that there has to be a physical or mental condition.  If the mom mentioned earlier has autism and struggles to communicate with people, causing her to struggle to get and maintain a job that pays more, she fits into the first definition. If the kid was born with one leg, and thus has a physical condition that limits his ability to play soccer, he too would fit into the first definition. Most people agree that these two individuals would be legally disabled and qualify for government assistance.

Though the above definitions are more universally agreed upon, some activists argue that the mom in the first scenario should qualify for similar government assistance as the mom in the second scenario because poverty and disability relate in a vicious cycle. Poverty will often lead to preventable causes of blindness and hearing impairment due to the decreased access to medical services. Oxfam found that “100 million people living in poverty suffer from impairments acquired due to malnutrition and lack of proper sanitation.” On the flip side, individuals with a disability are more likely to be unemployed, or if employed, make significantly less money. The US Department of Labor found that “The unemployment rate for persons with a disability was 8.0 percent in 2018, more than twice the rate of those with no disability (3.7 percent).” Because of this cyclical relationship, several activists believe that the best way to decrease disabilities and improve livelihood is to give people who are struggling similar assistance to people who are legally disabled.