Treatment Options for an Incurable Disorder Essay -- Health, Diseases,

Millions of people around the world suffer from incurable diseases and disorders. Everyday brings a new challenge, a new obstacle to overcome as they search in vain for a way to ease the pain brought upon them by the disease or disorder they carry. Autism is one of the many mental disorders that plagues the planet. Autism is defined as, â€Å"A set of symptoms that include limited social abilities and highly patterned behavior† (â€Å"Autism† 1), and though many treatments are available world wide, as of now, there is no cure. This mental disorder is growing rapidly. In fact it is growing so quickly that now every 1 in 110 children is diagnosed with autism and there is a new case diagnosed every twenty minutes. The scariest statistic to date states that this year more children will be diagnosed with autism than AIDS, cancer, and diabetes combined (â€Å"Autism Support† par. 4).Due to this developmental disability’s rampant increase, parents are desperate t o discover a treatment that will help their children. Treatment options for autism are growing rapidly, however only a few handfuls prove reliable and affective. Autism is not one clear cut disorder. Cases of autism range in levels of severity. The autism spectrum defines the different intensities of autism, ranging from Asperger syndrome to childhood disintegrative disorder, also known as CDD (â€Å"Autism† 1). Symptoms defining the autism spectrum include, â€Å"difficulty maintaining eye contact or looking directly at objects of interest; repetition of sounds or physical motions; difficulty adapting to changes in environment or schedule; and inability to understand and participated in â€Å"make believe† scenarios† (â€Å"Autism† 1-2). However, before the autism spectrum came about, the disorder itself had ... ...the world moves forward to discover new technologies and advances in medicine, new autism treatments are being revealed as well. Unfortunately not all of these treatments are considered effective and or respectable. Autism Speaks Incorporated and the National Autism Center are two of the most respectable sources for families who have children with autism to search for possible treatment options suitable for their children. Both these organizations list applied behavioral analysis one of the most successful treatment options. Shock therapy (a therapy not included in either Autism Speaks Incorporated or the National Autism Center) is a highly debated treatment due to ethical reasons. Autism affects more people every year. For now, there is no cure for autism but if families choose the correct treatment method for their children, the symptoms can be greatly reduced.