Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Paper 2022

Running head: AUTISM 1
Autism
Student’s name
Institutional affiliation
Due date

Autism 2
Introduction
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term used to refer to a variety of neural
developmental disorders. These disorders include Asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative
disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders. These disorders are mainly characterized
with communication difficulties, poor social interaction, repetitive behaviors and obsessive
behaviors (Robison, 2013). The prevalence rates of autism are relatively low as they are below
two percent. This paper focuses on experiences on autism and how these experiences have been
challenges or reinforced based on learning module 1 and 2.
Experiences and how they influenced my views
Last year I came across a certain boy who had the autism spectrum disorder. The boy was
about 10 years in age but behaved and acted way younger than anyone would expect of a 10 year
old boy. He used to play with children younger than his age as well and even in school he was a
few classes behind his classmates. His performance in school was also below average and I could
realize that he was struggling to grasp basic concepts. However, his overall ability was not that
bad. It was not what I had always thought about children with autism. The boy was way too
lively, he kept telling me many things about how people treat him, how he sees the world and
how he feels about the people around him.
Prior to meeting this kid, I had always believed that autism was more like mental
retardation. My view of such children was that such children were disorderly, incompetent and
could not be able to engage in serious activities. I had not imagined people with autism can be
social, excel in school work or other life aspects. This notion had mostly been influenced by the
stories people tell about people with autism. The society holds a strong stigma and