Autism is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder that reveals itself in a pronounced abnormal social interaction, patterns of interests, patterns of behavior, and transportation ability. The exact cause of autism is unknown, some researchers advise that autism results from genetically-influenced vulnerabilities to environmental triggers. It is estimated that autism occurs in as many as one child in 166 in the United States. Families that already have one autistic child, the odds of a second autistic child mau be as high as one in twenty. Autism is 3 to 4 times more coarse in boys. However, girls with the disorder tend to have more severe symptoms and greater cognitive impairment.
The word autism was first used in the English language by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugene Bleuler in a 1912 issue of the American Journal of Insanity. It comes from the Greek word for "self." Bleuler used it to recite the schizophrenic's seeming strangeness in connecting with other people. However, the classification of autism did not come into play until the middle of the twentieth century, in 1943 Dr. Leo Kanner of the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore reported eleven child patients with astonishing behavioral similarities, and introduced the label early infantile autism. He recommend "autism" from the Greek (autos), meaning "self," to recite children lacking interest in other people. Kanner's first paper on autism was published in (now defunct Journal) The Nervious Child. An Austrian scientist, Dr. Hans Asperger, made similar observations. However, his name has since been attached to a different and higher-functioning form of autism know as Asperger's syndrome. Dr. Asperger's work was not nationally recognized until after World War Ii in Germany, and his major work wasn't translated into English for roughly fifty years. The majority of Dr. Asperger work wasn't widely read until 1997.
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Autism may not be physiologically obvious. A complete corporeal and neurological estimation will often be part of diagnosing autism. Recently, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of rehabilitation have found a relationship in the middle of autism, abnormal blood vessel function and oxidative stress. The study advise that, if researchers can inspect more evidence linking decreased blood flow to the brain and oxidative stress with the analysis of autism, revision in therapy could be found.
During my thirty five years feel as a reasoning condition pro I have had the chance to work in some society reasoning condition programs which exposed me to most reasoning disorders on a daily basis, together with autism. This environment afforded me precious opportumity to interact directly with parents and caretakers of children disgnosed with infantile autism. Also, as a therapist, many mothers of autistic children discussed with me their profound feelings of guilt, shame, helplessnes, and disappointment being the parent of an autistic child. These mothers said they often feel personally responsible for their child's autism, and unconsciously blame themselves.
Recently I read an narrative titles: Autism's Parent Trap, New York Times, Op-Ed page, June 5, 2000. Ms. McGovern, the author, aim to caution parents with regard to the popular, but unrealistic and estimation of their abilities to enable an autistic child to lead a general life is clearly evident: And the setting for the parent trap. To make the relationship in the middle of unrealistic expectation of rescue from autism and potential devastating outcome, Ms. McGovern reported on three cases in which parents were accused of killing their autistic children, these cases occurred in England and the United States within a short span of one month: In one case the mum committed suicide, as well. In this instance, for three children with autism, the disconnect in the middle of parental expectation and tiny expand may have been lethal. The occurrence of parent killing their maladjusted child, and often themself, is not as rare as we may think.
The New York Times narrative triggered my desire to learn why parents, mostly mothers, experienced such intense negative emotions that would cause them to kill their autistic children, and often themselves; as an act of love. Is there a social relationship that cause parents, especially mothers, of children born with birth defects or developmental disabilities to feel such ultimate shame and guilt?
If you are the mum of a child diagnosed with autism you already know that no matter what you do for or with your child, you still feel guilty. You feel guilty primarily because no one know the causes or have a cures of autism. Therefore, you may feel that anything you did could be your fault, or did you do all that would help. You know that your child did not regain autism for the lack of motherly love. However, you are not so definite about that small glass of wine you had when you were pregnant. And what about the vaccines you allowed the physician your child? Since no one can tell you what causes autism, it is very easy to settle that it was your fault.
Let's face it, society has a rich history of blaming mothers for imperfect children; be it psychological, physiological, or sociological it is all the time the mother's fault. After all, it wasn't very long ago that mothers were blamed for their sons' homosexuality. And during the 1940's the term refrigerator mum was coined as a label for mothers of autistic children. These mothers were often blamed for their children's atypical behaviors. reasoning condition professionals recommend that autism was the goods of mothers who were cold, distance and rejecting, depriving the child an chance to bond property.
Therefore, having a greater understanding of the social foundation which motherhood is erected it requires no great leap to perceive why women blame themselves and feel profound guilt when they give birth to children with life-long defects. Culture teaches mothers that when something goes wrong with the kids or in the family its ordinarily their fault. Many mothers internalized the social expectations that they must do everything, and do it very well, and when they fail to meet these high expectations; they feel guilty. The emotion of guilt is not innate, or a part of the human gene pool, but guilt can be passed-down from generation to generation. I am not suggesting that women are hard-wired to feel guilt. However, women are socialized very early as nurturers, and to accept accountability for the happiness of others. While this is an impossible and unreasonable task. Yet, many women feel it as their goal and feel guilty even when they have done their best.
Autism - An Enigmatic Event Revisited: From the Refrigerator mother to The Parent Trap
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