Autism Spectrum Disorder Case Study

Mentally and physically disabled individuals make up a great percentage of the American population. Approximately 15 percent of the U.S. population (53 million Americans) are classified as disabled (Groveman, 2011). Such a large percentage enables this group of people to serve as the largest minority group in America (Olkin, 1999). Analogous to many other minority groups, the disabled continue to face challenges pertaining to equal rights and general acceptance. Currently, one in every six American children (15 percent) is diagnosed with some sort of developmental disorder. Among the top of developmental disorders being diagnosed is Autism Spectrum Disorder (CDC, 2017). Thus, as the statistic grows, the need for accurate representation of autism grows as well . …show more content…
Donald was described as “the happiest when left alone, /he/ almost never cried for his mother, did not seem to notice his father’s homecomings, and was indifferent to visiting relatives. He seems to be self-satisfied. He does not observe the fact that anyone comes or goes, and never seems glad to see father or mother or any playmate. He seems almost to draw into his shell and live within himself. He wandered about smiling, making stereotyped movements with his fingers, crossing them about in the air. Words to him had a specifically literal, inflexible meaning” (Kanner, 1943). This is one of the first reports that vividly portrays what now is known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and one of the first reports that shaped many stereotypical views towards