User:Alexandet/sandbox

Article Project: Autism Spectrum

After reviewing this article about Autism, the article is a great length and has lots of great information. I would like to help the article become better by adding more information in different parts of the article to paint a clearer picture. I want to help create a clearer picture by first fixing the grammar as well as redefining some sentences in the text. After looking at the talk page, most of the other Wiki users and I agree that to be honest the article has dull points that make the article seem less interesting. The article uses lots of big vocabulary and scientific language where it needs not to be. With this hard to read language, it will be difficult for the reader to understand the biology of Autism. Adding these small critiques will help the flow of the article and make more sense with the terms that we will use. Next, Throughout all of the article, two terms (Autism, Autism Spectrum) continually come up and the article has them as being the same term. This is something that I want to make sure is fixed because both of these terms have different meanings that both labeled as the same things will cause misinformation. Having that small issue fixed will help the article to be using less terms and talk more about the disorder. Also, the article has multiple sources that send me to articles that have either not been completed or are even from Wikipedia. I want to search for better sources to use to get full information. Finally, the lead of the article. The lead of the article should be like the commercial for the movie, giving information about what the topic is about and also getting the reader interested in what they will be reading about. The lead in this article is really trying to do that however, the lead uses more vocabulary than explication and does not go into a good amount of detail for understanding. The lead is my biggest goal of this whole project. I want to make the lead more understandable to the readers that come to Wikipedia to seek information so when they read about this topic in the lead it will interest them. Above all, this article is stocked with great information that the world needs to know about, it just needs a few improvements that can make it go from good to great.

Main Focus Points to work on:

1. Fixing sentences that needs grammar work

2. Making the dull points of the article more interesting (using details, or exchanging for different words).

3. Removing the difficult vocabulary > making the topic more understandable. (MMR Vaccine controversy, Causes).

4. Defining Autism Vs. Autism Spectrum

5. Adding and removing sources

6. Working on a better lead

Sources to Help Article:

Slaughter, V. P. (2013). Autism. Magill’S Medical Guide (Online Edition),

White, E. (2014). Science, pseudoscience, and the frontline practitioner: The vaccination/autism debate. Journal of Evidence-based Social Work.,11(3),269.

Comer, R. J. (2016). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology. New York: Worth /Macmillan Learning.

O'Brien Towle, P. (2013). The Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders : A Visual Guide. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Frith, Uta et al. Current Biology, Volume 15, Issue 19, R786 - R790

Hannah Gardener, Donna Spiegelman, Stephen L. Buka. The British Journal of Psychiatry Jul 2009, 195 (1) 7-14; DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.051672

Additions in Progress

-Slaughter, V. P. (2013). Autism. Magill’S Medical Guide (Online Edition),

(Defining Autism) ( I did not create all of this article below, I just added some facts to the original article and pasted it here to add point in this first section for the introduction).

Autism Spectrum Disorder is neurodevelopmental disorder that effects social, communication, and emotional behaviors of the individual. With these difficulties, the individual will have trouble with social interactions, avoid all communication when possible, and will act out in repetitive behaviors and interests. Autism is commonly found to be diagnosed the beginning years of the child's life or middle childhood, however to be diagnosed as being autistic, the symptoms commonly occur before the age of three. Scientists today have not found a true cause for this type of disorder, however research has found some potential theories to be either from genetics, prenatal development, or through a vaccine.

Autism spectrum, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a range of conditions classified as neurodevelopmental disorders. Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder present with two types of symptoms: problems in social communication and social interaction, and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. Symptoms are typically recognized under the age of three. According to statistics, ASD has been found to affect 1 in 600 children, and 80 percent of patients that have been diagnosed have been males. Once diagnosed, the patient will carry this disorder all through out their life and will experience struggles of creating and keep relationships, maintaining a job, and performing daily tasks.

The cause of autism spectrum is uncertain. Risk factors include having an older parent, a family history of the condition, and certain genetic conditions. Diagnosis is based on symptoms. The DSM-5 redefined the autism spectrum disorders to encompass the previous diagnoses of autism, Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and childhood disintegrative disorder. Other theories have possibly found causes of ASD from problems in the prenatal stage, and certain vaccines and medications.

Treatment efforts are generally individualized to the person's condition. Medications may be used to try to help improve certain associated problems. Evidence to support the use of medications, however, is not very strong. Austism spectrum is estimated to affect about 1% of people (62.2 million globally as of 2015). Besides medicine, other treatments that aid in improving occupation, language, and socials skills have been found to help the individual carry on daily life with the disorder.

-White, E. (2014). Science, pseudoscience, and the frontline practitioner: The vaccination/autism debate. Journal of Evidence-based Social Work.,11(3),269.

(The Theory of the MMR Vaccine causing Autism)

The conflict of the MMR vaccine causing Autism in children was a theory that changed the world and caused much uproar. This theory that the MMR vaccine was causing autism in children was debunked when scientist who carried out the experiment were found of the techniques that were used. Scientists who carried out the experiment were found to use small sample sizes, not have proper a full control over their control groups in the experiment, and they did not make proper conclusions. Looking deeper into this experiment, researchers found that multiple rules were broken when experimenting and a misconduct had taken place to skew data.

-Comer, R. J. (2016). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology. New York: Worth /Macmillan Learning.

(Communication Struggles of Autism)

A common road block that individuals face when they are diagnosed with autism is the concept of communication.When is comes to talking, the individual is unable to communicate properly, they may use wrong tones when speaking, have confusing nonverbal expressions, and have trouble making eye contact. They will have difficulties understanding what is being communicated and will also have problems communicating back properly what is the topic at hand. It is common to see them repeat sentences during conversations even if it is not relative to the current topic. Having this habit of being repetitive is common for someone who has ASD and is commonly referred to as echolaia, which is the repetitive use of words that are spoken that the individual may not even understand the meaning of what they are speaking. Having these traits can be difficult to have a simple conversation and can cause the other individual to feel uncomfortable.

-O'Brien Towle, P. (2013). The Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders : A Visual Guide. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

(Social Skills struggles of Autism)

People who are diagnosed with ASD have problems communicating, however they also have problems with social skills. Out of all that impairments that have been included in the Autism Spectrum, lacking proper social skills is one of the most difficult for people with ASD to cope with. Having these social skills impediments make it very difficult for people with ASD to have simple conversations with others, make friends, have close relationships, and even keeping a job. All of these issues stem from cognitive impairments all throughout the brain and neurons that cause these difficulties for the thought process. Difficulties in this thought process is called "theory of the mind" or mind blindness which translates that the mind has difficulty with thought process as well as being aware of what is going on around them. Research through brain scans have found normal activity of different parts of the brain like the Pre-frontal Cortex and Amygdala to show some signs of activity, however other parts of the brain as well as certain sections of neurons show less to little brain activity. Having this "absent" spots of the brain not functioning can be very difficult for the individual to fully function at 100 percent and be aware of what is going on around them because their perceptions and brain are not able to see and understand it.

-Frith, Uta et al. Current Biology, Volume 15, Issue 19, R786 - R790

(How Genetics Cause Autism)

Over all of the theories of causes, genetics have shown to be of the highest rate to be diagnosed with Autism. If a family member has been diagnosed with Autism, the rest of the family has 50 percent chance of been diagnosed as well with the disorder, and being a twin gives a 69 to 90 percent chance do become diagnosed with ASD. Through research, scientists have found that the gene for Autism sits on three of the very chromosomes (2q, 7q, 15q) of the individual that can be passed down to the next generation. Extra research has found a correlation that has not been completely confirmed as true, however researchers have found and tested cases that when certain genes that an individual has are exposed to a certain environment can cause the trigger or increase the risk of the individual to be diagnosed with Autism. Again, this has not been confirmed and remains a theory of what may be an alternative and possible cause to be diagnosed as Autistic.

-Hannah Gardener, Donna Spiegelman, Stephen L. Buka. The British Journal of Psychiatry Jul 2009, 195 (1) 7-14; DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.051672

(Is prenatal risk factors a cause of Autism Spectrum Disorder)

Research of a connection or a correlation between effects in the prenatal phase and Autism have claimed that the prenatal phase should not be a direct indicator of the cause of Autism, but this phase of life can increase the chance of an individual to become Autistic. The empirical data does state that there could be semi causes that may contribute to the cause of the diagnosis of ASD. Data and scans have discovered brain abnormalities already present in the child during the prenatal phase. The cause of the brain abnormality has not been found, however research has concluded that ASD does begin inside the womb before any contact is made physically with the outside environment. Another experiment was done comparing rates of birth order in families and children who were born and diagnosed with ASD. This correlation spiked an interesting trend showing that children who were born as the first child of the family had a 61 percent higher chance of being diagnosed with ASD than the third or fourth born child.

Caitlyn's Review

After reading over your plans, I think you have got a great plan and a lot of work ahead of you! I have underlined the sentences that I have made suggestions on. In this sentence, "Out of all that impairments that have been included in the Autism Spectrum, lacking .." I suggest taking out the "that" and adding in "the" instead. For this sentence, "When is comes to taking, the" I am not sure if you meant talking instead of taking? I also suggest possible changing "will" to "may" because not all that are diagnosed will have all of the symptoms. In this sentence, "people will ASD", Do you mean "with" instead of "will"? I suggest taking out "just" because I think that it sounds too informal and "a twins" either needs to be changed to be all singular or all plural form. Watch out for informal words added in for example, "basically". I think you're off to a great start! I would also suggest just reading over what you have written to make sure the sentences make sense and do not sound too informal. Have fun editing!