Blog Post #1 

The topic that I would like to do furthermore research on would be autism. According to the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, autism is defined as " 
a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social relations and communication and by rigid patterns of behaviour in affected individuals" . This disorder has increased cases by the year. The reason why it is so important is because although the there is research to point to how it develops or why some individuals have it and not others, there are those cases that are not the typical autistic case. I personally, have a few cousins that have autism. At first, because I was much younger, I did not know why they were acting the way they were. I feel embarrassed and disrespectful now thinking about it, but I should have been aware, asked the appropriate questions, but at the same time, those adults around me, did not take the time to explain it to me. Now that I study more on this topic I understand the different behaviors and I know more than I knew then, and I can actually communicate with my cousins. Autism is everywhere, and it is spreading, it's starting to become relevant to a lot more people than before. It's very important to be educated and to educate people about this disorder because there will come a time when one will come across with some one who has autism, and instead of acting awkward and impolite, they will know how to handle things much better. Autistic individuals are not monsters. They are no different than you and I. They think, they feel, and they are well aware of what is surrounding them. What differs them from "normal" individuals, is that their thought process, learning process is much slower, and they have difficulties. That was not by choice, but unfortunately how it happens to some. They should be treated with care and respect, same way we all care and respect one another. Although there is a fear of the widespread of autism, at the same time there is no solid evidence for this matter for a few reasons such as; the definition is constantly changing to what autism really is, difficulties of comparing older and newer cases, methods of estimating  that cases have evolved.  For the most part, autism primarily happens through genetics and biological characteristics. As I was reading about autism and why it is important and relevant, a quote by Debra Ginsberg, a writer, caught my eye, she said “Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other parents felt the same way I did - that everything involving our children was painful in some way. The emotions, whether they were joy, sorrow, love or pride, were so deep and sharp that in the end they left you raw, exposed and yes, in pain. The human heart was not designed to beat outside the human body and yet, each child represented just that - a parent's heart bared, beating forever outside its chest.”  This quote defines the struggles that a parent goes through seeing their child struggle through this disorder because it is not easy. It's a hard disorder to have, and even a harder one to witness, but hopefully as medical research advances, so will the cure to this disorder. 

Resource:"Autism in Children." Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. McGill University, n.d. Web. 18 June 2014.