Theories Explaining Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children

Abstract

     Autism is considered a disorder of the modern era, with medical advances still unable to determine its causes or find a definitive treatment. Due to the diversity of cases depending on each child’s health, social, and environmental conditions, the type, causes, and characteristics of autism vary from child to child. Consequently, methods of care and rehabilitation differ. The researcher regards autistic children as children with special needs, requiring special treatment, conditions, nutrition, and an integrated environment, different from that provided to typical children. It is important to distinguish degrees of autism, from severe to moderate to mild. With modern technological development and increasing social pressures, many mothers have joined the workforce alongside fathers, placing children in support institutions for early upbringing. Sometimes these institutions care for children from the first weeks of life. However, due to limited parental time and institutional care, autism symptoms may go unnoticed until a later age, by which time symptoms have fully appeared, including delays in language and communication. Parents then seek diagnosis and rehabilitation, but no cure exists due to unknown causes. Hence, understanding explanatory theories of autism is essential as an attempt to gather the potential physical, intellectual, social, or psychological causes that may coexist in one child but be absent in another. Collecting these theories represents gathering causes, which is crucial for finding solutions.