NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Autism Research Institute

The Autism Research Institute (ARI), established in 1967 by Bernard Rimland, is a San Diego, California, based nonprofit that funds research and provides information on autism and related autistic spectrum disorders. Since its inception, ARI has been guided by the premise that autism can be treated effectively through intensive behavior modification, such as Applied Behavior Analysis, and a variety of individualized biomedical autism therapies. 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Bernard Rimland, Ph. ... Nickname: Americas Finest City Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates: Country United States State California County San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders City Attorney Michael Aguirre City Council Scott Peters Kevin Faulconer Toni Atkins Tony Young Brian Maienschein Donna Frye Jim Madaffer Ben Hueso Area - City 963. ... A non-profit organization (often called non-profit org or simply non-profit or not-for-profit) can be seen as an organization that doesnt have a goal to make a profit. ... Autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in delays of social interaction, language as used in social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play, with onset prior to age 3 years, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. ... The autistic spectrum (sometimes referred to as the autism spectrum) is a developmental and behavioral syndrome that results from certain combinations of traits. ... This article is about the behaviorist technique. ... Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a systematic process of studying and modifying observable behavior through a manipulation of the environment. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Biomedical intervention for autism. ...

Shedding light on autism

Dr. Stephen M. Edelson, who became the director of ARI upon Rimland's death in 2006, said “Dr. Rimland will go down in history as the person who ended the ‘dark ages’ of autism and spearheaded the fight to bring hope and help to autistic children. When he began his work in the field of autism in the 1960s, psychiatrists blamed parents for their children’s autism, institutionalized those children, and ‘treated’ them by drugging them into submission. Today, autistic children receive effective educational interventions and biomedical treatments that bring about dramatic improvement and often even recovery. At every step of this revolution, Dr. Rimland led the way—and at every step, he had to fight tooth-and-nail against an establishment determined to maintain the status quo.”

Infantile Autism

Dr. Rimland's 1964 book, "Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior", challenged the belief of the mainstream medical establishment that autism was an emotional disorder caused by refrigerator mothers. Treatments, prescribed by Bruno Bettelheim and other psychoanalysts of the 1960s, included having children kick and spit on statues representing their mothers. Rimland's leadership of ARI helped change such medical stereotyping, and fostered an understanding among medical professionals that autism is actually a biomedical disorder, rather than the result of poor parenting. 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The term refrigerator mother was coined in the 1940s as a label for mothers of autistic children. ... Bruno Bettelheim (August 28, 1903 - March 13, 1990) was an American writer and child psychologist. ... Psychoanalysis is the revelation of unconscious relations, in a systematic way through an associative process. ...

The autism epidemic

During the 1980s, ARI was in the forefront of calling attention to what is now widely recognized as an autism epidemic. Recent studies^{[citation needed]} show an 800% increase in cases since 1985, when Rimland and ARI first started calling attention to the rapidly increasing number of children diagnosed with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders. ARI developed and maintains the world's largest databank of information on autistic individuals, with over 37,000 detailed case histories of autistic children from 60 countries, and is a major source of information on the epidemic and its potential causes. The number of reported cases of autism has increased dramatically over the past decade. ...

Ongoing projects

See also

External link

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | 1967 establishments | Autism The autistic spectrum (sometimes referred to as the autism spectrum) is a developmental and behavioral syndrome that results from certain combinations of traits. ... Autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in delays of social interaction, language as used in social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play, with onset prior to age 3 years, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. ... Asperger syndrome â€” also referred to as Aspergers syndrome, Aspergers, or just AS â€” is one of five neurobiological pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) that is characterized by deficiencies in social and communication skills. ... Autistic enterocolitis is a controversial condition first reported by British gastroenterologist Dr. Andrew Wakefield to describe a number of common clinical symptoms and signs which he contends is distinctive to autism. ... Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), also known as Hellers syndrome and disintegrative psychosis, is a rare condition characterized by late onset (>3 years of age) of developmental delays in language, social function, and motor skills. ... There are many comorbid disorders associated with autism spectrum disorders and Aspergers Syndrome. ... Fragile X Syndrome, also known as the Martin-Bell syndrome, is a syndrome of X-linked mental retardation. ... Added to User:reverie98/Desk 71. ... PDD not otherwise specified or PDD-NOS is a pervasive developmental disorder. ... Sensory Integration Dysfunction is a neurological disorder causing difficulties with processing information from the five classic senses (vision, auditory, touch, olfaction, and taste), the sense of movement (vestibular system), and/or the positional sense (proprioception)[1]. Sensory information is sensed normally, but perceived abnormally. ... Multiple-complex Developmental Disorder (McDD) represents a distinct group within the autistic spectrum based on symptomatology. ... There is considerable disagreement over the exact nature of autism, however it is generally considered to be a neurodevelopmental condition which manifests itself in markedly abnormal social interaction, communication ability, patterns of interests, and patterns of behavior. ... Andrew Wakefield (born 1956 in the United Kingdom) is a Canadian trained surgeon, best known as the lead author of a controversial 1998 research study, published in the Lancet, which reported bowel symptoms in a selected sample of twelve children with autistic spectrum disorders and other disabilities, and alleged a... It has been suggested that Autism epidemic be merged into this article or section. ... The number of reported cases of autism has increased dramatically over the past decade. ... The autism rights movement (which has also been called autistic self-advocacy movement [2] and autistic liberation movement [3]) was started by adult autistic individuals in order to advocate and demand tolerance for what they refer to as neurodiversity. ... Biomedical intervention for autism consists of a wide range of therapeutic approaches for treating - and some say curing - autism in children, adolescents, and possibly adults. ... Chelation therapy is a process involving the use of chelating agents to remove heavy metals from the body. ... Generation Rescue is a nonprofit organization which was founded by parents united by their belief that many childhood neurological disorders, such as autism, Aspergers syndrome, ADHD, speech delay, sensory integration disorder and other developmental delays, are the effects of a primary diagnosis of mercury poisoning and related complications. ... The heritability of autism is debated by psychology researchers, parents of children diagnosed with autism, and members of the autistic community. ... Neurodiversity is a concept that atypical (neurodivergent) neurological wiring is a normal human difference that is to be tolerated and respected as any other human difference[citation needed]. The concept of neurodiversity was created by some autistic individuals and people with related conditions, who believe that autism is not a... The term refrigerator mother was coined in the 1940s as a label for mothers of autistic children. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Biomedical intervention for autism. ... This is a list of autism-related topics. ...

Encyclopedia > Autism Research Institute

Contents

Shedding light on autism

Infantile Autism

The autism epidemic

Ongoing projects

See also

External link