Megan Matthews
Mr. Block
English 201
April 11, 2008
Autism
For most of us, the use of our senses helps us go through day to day experiences without many complications but for children and adults who are diagnosed with Autism those same experiences may become challenging and difficult. Many times children with Autism experience sensory deficiencies; for example, a person without Autism understands that the taste of a kiwi is sweet, the juices inside the kiwi are thirst quenching and the outside is a soft feeling. On the other hand, a child diagnosed with Autism may find the outside of a kiwi to be painful and the smell to be too impulsive to eating. Those are a few characteristics that children with Autism encounter during the day. Autism is becoming more and more diagnosed in children and although the link to what causes Autism is still unknown, with more research and government funding, we may be able to associate a cause with a treatment.
Autism is a development disorder that ranges from different level based upon the severity of the child. There are children who have high-functioning, low-functioning, children who are more-abled, less-abled and it is important to understand that every child who is diagnosed with Autism is an individual and each can learn and development into more independent individuals with time. Autism is typically diagnosed within the first three years of childhood when significant delays appear in children and is referred to a doctor to make the diagnosis. According to an article titled, “Combating Autism,” about every 1 in 150 children is diagnosed before the age of three (Enzi, 21). Autism affects the cognitive levels of communication, difficulty in being social with peers, leisure activities and verbal and non-verbal communication. Autism is considered a “spectrum disorder” because it affects children on varying levels and to different degree’s of severity. ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, is under the category of PDD, Pervasive Developmental Disorders which is a neurological disorder; Autism is one of five categories under PDD. Basically, Autism is categorized under PDD because it is related to the developmental areas of the brain that affects children during the developmental period of childhood. Pervasive Developmental Disorders have the characteristics of severe cognitive delay and the development of the brain is slower. There are certain chemical imbalances that occur that are characterized under the PDD category. The affects of Autism range from child to child that fall in different categories along the spectrum of the disability. For example, one child may be really bad at communication and be perfectly find with his or her sense and another child may be really bad at his or her senses but have good communication skills.
Autism rages from mild to severe and can be found in all races, gender, social groups and ethnic backgrounds. Autism is more likely to be found in boys than in girls by four times as much; the reason for that is unknown but same ratio exists with the disability of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder where boys are more common to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls are. Autism can be difficult to diagnose because it is hard to distinguish the characteristics of Autism with the facts of your child just being delayed. As stated in the article titled, “Combating Autism Act” there are no tests to diagnose Autism; it is simply an observation of how the child communicates with others, behavioral levels and developmental levels during the first three years of child development and how that child interacts with his or her peers and how they are able to function in relation to how children without Autism are functioning (Enzi 23). Parents are usually the best ones to notice if their child seems to have delays since they are with the child the most about of time. Many times it is hard to distinguish Autism to a different mental disability such as Mental Retardation, hearing problems, behavioral disorders including ADHD, OCD. It becomes more complicated when many times mental disabilities co-occur with Autism and because Autism has no specific medication or cure it is difficult to treat. The charactertics of Autism are set apart from other disabilities frequently diagnosed with Autism because unlike Autism, the other disabilities can be treated with medication and therapy’s because the cause of them is known. Unlike disabilities such as Down Syndrome where you know from onset that your child has a disability, Autism does not appear until the earliest of 6 months and 3 years old. According to the article titled “Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders,” many of the parents thought that something may be wrong with their child within the first year of birth based on their appearance but were in doubt because they didn’t think anything could be wrong with their child (Williams 15).
There is no specific cause of Autism that is known and there is no specific treatment that children can undergo that can make the disability diminish, or medications that can make the disability seem not prevalent. Autism was first diagnosed about 60 years ago and according to an article titled “The History of Autism” researches first thought Autism came from bad parenting and the combination of bad genes (Wolff 205). Throughout history, research for Autism has taken many strides to find the link to what causes Autism. There is no single right answer that can justify why a child is diagnosed but research has shown that there are different strides that are being taken to find out what exactly is causing it. Since Autism is a developmental delay disability, it is linked to the genetic makeup of the child. Researchers have narrowed it down to the genetic make-up of the child and the relevance of disabilities in family members; while other researchers find that abnormalities in the brain lead the cause of Autism. According to the article titled “Asperger Syndrome: Familial and Pre- and Perinatal Factors” children with Autism were categorized by medical syndromes and/or chromosomal abnormality leading to the hypothesis that medical problems cause Autism (Gillberg 159). In agreement that Autism is a gene disorder; it is difficult to find exactly what particular genes are the causes of Autism. There are about twenty different genes that can be related to the characteristics found in Autism and it is difficult to distinguish between them if they are the cause of Autism of if it is a different reason why Autism is appearing in a child.
Throughout history, many different theories as to what causes Autism have been evaluated. Risk factors that are studied the most are the history of psychiatric disorders in the family history, place of birth of the child and parents, paternal identity and parental age according to an article titled, “Effects of familial risk factors and place of birth on the risk of Autism: a nationwide register-based study” (Lauritsen 963). As previously stated, Autism was first diagnosed about 60 years ago. Some theories that researchers have studied from that time concerning what causes Autism have varied dramatically. For example, first researchers believed that emotional trauma experienced during the early developmental stages of the child led to the diagnosis of Autism and also bad parenting during that time may have caused the diagnosis too. The next theory that researchers cannot pinpoint are certain vaccines during pregnancy and the exposure of mercury during the developmental stages; therefore, there is no specific link that relates vaccines and Autism. The vaccine that was most recently studied was the MMR, measles-mumps-rubella vaccine that is given to every child. The main reason for research to be done about vaccines is because there is no cure for Autism and if something so simple such as a vaccine was to cause, then Autism could be eliminated. The main push for this research was from people who were diagnosed on the spectrum and parents of children who have Autism in an attempt to find the cause of it. As stated in the article, “Broader Autism Phenotype in Parents of Autistic Children: Reality of Myth,” a direct way to study the cause of Autism is study the DNA but a less direct way is to study the family patterns of children who have Autism and the Autistic traits that occur in the extended family (Scheeren 276). It is a vital aspect of understand Autism to study how children in one immediate family are related to the family members outside of the nuclear family system.
Many parents may wonder, does my child have Autism or is he or she merely delayed in the developing compared to his or her peers? As stated in the article titled “Combating Autism Act of 2005,” there is no cure for Autism but early and intensive intervention plans are important to improving the individual’s intellectual ability and to improve in all areas of learning (Enzi 5). The best strategies for children with Autism to grow up as much like his or her peers is to have early intervention from doctors, other professionals and parents. The sooner that it is diagnosed, the sooner strides can be taken to help the child to be as normal as possible and be successful. There are many centers around the country that offer treatment strategies. The best awareness that parents can have is to understand the early warning signs of Autism so that those children get services as soon as possible. The best thing parents can do if they suspect their child of having a delay is to have their child tested. Screens provide an initial indication of the prevalence of the disorder; if professionals feel the child needs a full screen, which is taken care of free of charge to parents. As stated in the article titled “Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders,” many children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, are diagnosed as least two years after parents suspect that their child may have developmental problems. The reason why there is such a delay in the diagnosis of Autism is because parents are undereducated about the disability and what the warning signs are. The need for awareness of Autism is this country is growing and there are different strategies to be taken to achieve full awareness.
There is no specific treatment for Autism; there is no medication that can take it away from a person. Behavioral Intervention Plans and Education Plans are important to get started as much of an early age as possible. There has been little funding for the research of Autism until recently and that is why intervention strategies have been the main treatment for children with Autism. Parents and children should try to attend as many therapy sessions as possible so that the child can learn how to function like his or her peers. A lot of the time, there are other disabilities associated with Autism and one of those is ADHD; medications can diminish ADHD as much as possible and there are medications that can handle symptoms associated with Autism but those medications cannot hide Autism. A simple therapy that can be achieved in any situation is peer involvement. As stated in the article by Nirit Bauminger, peer friendships are the basic and essential affective relationship that human beings form throughout one’s life span and it is important for the development of children. Friendship is important for protection from loneliness and social rejection and even children with a disability like Autism need that support as much if not more than they peers (Bauminger 135). Since Autism ranges from so many different levels, it depends on the needs of the child if friendships can be achieved. For children who have a more severe case of Autism, it can be difficult to make and keep friends because their least restrictive environment may not be in the general education classroom or the general school. They may be placed in a school where he can only associate with people that suffer from the same severity of the disability. On the other hand, children with high functioning Autism may be able to interact normally with his or her peers but may struggle in the classroom with learning. It is important and vital for the child that he or she is placed in the least restrictive environment so that the highest level of success can be achieved.
Autism is a spectrum disability meaning that it ranges of severity and different types. There is such a difficulty in diagnosing Autism because it is to unique in how it affects people in different ways. Many times children with Autism have troubles with communication both verbal and nonverbal ways. According to an article titled, “Communicative Spontaneity of Children with Autism” states that the lack of spontaneity in verbal and non-verbal communication appears to be a consistent and serious problem for children with Autism because the appropriate skills are not taught to them (Chiang 9). The struggles that children with Autism face are greater with the lack of knowledge of the people surrounding that child. If parents are not educated of what Autism is and how to interact with their child who has Autism, that child will suffer and may not be successful in developing in the least restrictive environment with his or her peers. The most important thing that parents can do once their child is diagnosed with Autism is to get educated themselves and get their child on a treatment and care plan as fast as possible. Parents who have children with Autism often find themselves in a world of guilt and do not know how to comprehend that their child is Autistic. There are many different support groups and the more that parents know about the disability the better they will be able to control their child and his or her abilities.
One syndrome that falls under the category of Autism Spectrum Disorder is Asperger’s Syndrome. Along with Autism, it is a neurological disorder that affects the development and cognitive ability of children who are diagnosed with it. The characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome, AS, can range from mild to severe and have different categories of social and communication skills. Most kids who have AS have a normal IQ and have an exceptional talent in a certain area of skill. Most students are very high functioning and are particularily viewed as being “odd” because they experience high levels of functioning but then at the same time lack the basic communication skills that are needed to interact with peers, a major component in relation to Autism. According to an article titled Asperger Syndrome: Familial and Pre- and Preinatal Factors, Asperger Syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder closely genetically and clinically linked to childhood autism/DSM-IV autistic disorder (Gillberg 159). Many children who have AS specialize in an area of interest and become experts on that area. From personal experiences, children with AS seem particularily intelligent and know more about their “special interest” than someone without AS would ever care to know, or ever even think about knowing. For example, one child knew everything about every house that was built during the 1980 time period. He knew what kinds of houses were built and the characteristics of those types of houses. Children with autism may seem to less intelligent because they often hear and see things that are not actually there and that is due to an imbalance in the brain. Asperger’s Syndrome is a dynamic disability that falls under the Autism Spectrum category.
The transition from child to adulthood can be a difficult hurdle for children without disabilities but it becomes even more challenging for families and children who have disabilities. Children with disabilities are covered under the IDEA 2004 which means all children with disabilities are to receive a free education, including Family Service Plans, Individual Education Plans and Transition Plans established by each child’s team. Transition Plans are put into place to help the child transition from childhood to adulthood as easy as possible but a concern becomes reality when the child turns 21. There is no longer a security blanket for the families to fall back on with services provided to their child by law. According to a study done and stated in the article “Young Adult Outcome of Autism Spectrum Disorders,” children with ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, grow up and develop needs beyond the school and home that they were raised with, and most of the focus of Autism is centered towards the assessment and treatment of children with Autism but not the life of children who have Autism (Eaves 739). So the question still remains, what happens to children with Autism once they reach adulthood? Inclusion for people with Autism into the everyday world that normal peers their age is something that needs to have more attention. Depending on the degree of severity in the child, many can grow up and live normal and near-normal lives including jobs, family life and careers. The sooner the treatment and diagnosis is started, the sooner the intervention plans can take place which is vital in achieving as much normalcy as possible.
As stated earlier, the intervention strategies and plans established for children vary from child to child and that also carries into adulthood. Some adults are able to live virtually on their own and only need limited assistance whereas some adults need as much assistance as possible. Some will with at home with their parents, on their own, in group homes and some may live in institutions. They may be able to have jobs and have families as well. Many parents who are Autistic and choose to have children, their children with often have mental retardation, seizure disorders, or other learning disabilities. This is a troubling fact because there is not enough awareness about the effects of Autism and how it affects brain function to people who have it. Adults that are mildly autistic may not think they have Autism and suffered all of their life with the affects of Autism thinking it was something else. A few things that adults may think they have are anxiety, a mild learning disability, or mild mental retardation. These people were undiagnosed with Autism when they were younger because Autism was not near as prevalent in diagnosing as it is now; therefore, children of these people are suffering from it because their parents were undiagnosed.
The government spending of Autism has been limited throughout history. About 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with Autism and yet there is little federal funding for research and development of Autism affects almost nearly 1.5 million people in the United States. Until recently, only 15 million dollars of our nation’s budget was spent on Autism research. Recently, President Bush passed a bill that granted 945 million dollars to be spent on the research of Autism to find a cure for the next five years as stated in the article “Combating Autism Act” (Enzi 20). With more money being granted in the research of Autism, the cause of Autism can be combating and less cases of Autism will be diagnosed. There will be fewer children whose lives are affected by this disability and will be able to lead a more normal life in comparison to their peers. Annually the rate of Autism is up 17 to 20 percent in the United States (Enzi 20). The reason of the increase in Autism is generally related to the known characteristics of the disability. In the past, many people were not aware of the Autism and what exactly it was. Since there has been more research being done about the disability, there has been more kids diagnosed with it instead of being left undiagnosed or being left under a different category of disabilities. The ratio between boys and girls being diagnosed with the disability is significantly different. As stated in the article titled, “Combating Autism Act” about 1 in 94 boys are diagnosed with Autism and as a whole, about 1 in 150 children with diagnosed with Autism. Although boys are diagnosed to have Autism more frequently, girls are found to have more severe cases of Autism and boys are (Enzi 21). Autism is a common disability that is continuing to affect the population of young children to a different degree every day. There is never two Autistic children who have the exact same characteristics and there are no two children with will need the exact same care plans for the future. The act to funnel more money into the research of Autism will hopefully help to prevent the diagnosis of Autism and help treat those children who are already impacted by this disability. In reality, there is no way to stop an entire disability but there are ways to diminish the appearance of it in the future and help those who are already affected by it.
Autism is a fascinating disability because it ranges from so many different levels of severity and there are never two children who have the exact characteristics. The amount of children with Autism is growing and there is still no cure and no cause of it. With the help of government funding, the future generations will be able to develop and research what is to blame for the cause of Autism and how you can cure Autism. Along with treatment and care plans, behavioral intervention strategies and a better understanding of knowledge focused around Autism, parents and children will be able to future their success. Children who experience Autism will be able to interact with their peers and associate and be included with children without Autism as much as possible. Parents who have Autism will still be pushing to find a cure and it will be easier to help those families in need once more intervention strategies become available.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Research Question: Autism is becoming more and more prevalent in the diagnosis of children who have mental disabilities. Although the link to what causes Autism is not known, the effort to find a cure is something many people are trying to accomplish. To find a cure, we must understand what is causing the diagnosis. What causes Autism and what efforts are being taken to find a cure?
Waterhouse, Lynn. “Developmental Trends in Cognitive Skills for Children Diagnosed as Autistic and Schizophrenic.” Child Development. 55.1 (1984): 236-248.
This book presents a lot of information about autism in children and schizophrenia in adults. It had a lot of general information about Autism and how a child who has Autism interacts with others. The Author generalized behaviors between people diagnosed with Autism and people diagnosed with Schizophrenia and how they can display the same cognitive delay. This article was particularly interesting in the fact that the research presented generalization of the two diagnoses as having very similar traits and one may lead to the other. The author presents a great deal of facts and knowledge through graphs that show her research she conducted.
Loomis, Earl A. Jr. “Autistic and Symbiotic Syndromes in Children.” St. Lukes Hospital, Division of Child Psychiatry. 25.3 (2003): 39-48.
The author in this book presented a lot of information about how children are diagnosed with Autism and how Autism may be linked from genes. There was a family that had four children and all of the children had Autism, the first child had the least severe and the youngest child had the most severe case of Autism. Children with Autism present certain words and phrases that they say at a certain time during development that lead to the diagnosis of Autism. The family experienced the same instances of all their children.
Sigman, Marian, and Ruskin, Ellen. “Continuity and Change in the Social Competence of Children with Autism, Down Syndrome, and Developmental Delays.” Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. 256.64.1 (1999): 1-142.
The information in this book focused a lot on the interactions of children who have Autism experience with his or her peers. It was a study conducted from the authors and presented a lot of information of how a child with Autism may act. The most useful section of this book was about the stability of diagnosis and intelligence of the child and also the nonverbal communication, play and language skills. This book does not provide any information about a cure for Autism or the cause but rather what interactions people have who are diagnosed with it.
Enzi, Mr. “Combating Autism Act of 2005” 109.2d. (2006): 109-318
This document has a lot of information about Autism and the legislature. It is from the Senate Report. The contents include many different areas revolving around Autism. Since Autism is becoming more prevalent in young children, the government is taking strides to find the cause of it. The report focuses on what the government is doing, the background information and the need for legislation, laws that are in place to protect those who have Autism.
Bauminger, Nirit. “Children with Autism and Their Friends: A Multidimensional Study of Friendship in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Journal of Abnormal and Child Pychology. 36.1. (2008): 135-150.
This article from the Journal of Abnormal and Child Psychology presented a lot of data that discussed in depth the friendships that children hold who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the perceptions that those students have on their own friends. There was a study conducted that compared students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, to students who do not and how that friendship was valued differently. This article will help me with my paper to relate how students with ASD can have above average IQ’s but yet fall behind in socially adaptive behaviors.
Spek, Antionnette A. “Brief Report: The Use of WAIS-III in Adults with HFA and Asperger Syndrome.” Journal of Abnormal and Child Psychology. 38.1. (2008): 782-787.
This journal article compares the similarities between high functioning autism, HFA, and Asperger’s Syndrome. There was a study conducted that related the two in several different categories such as: Performance Intelligence and Verbal Intelligence, Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, Freedom from Distractibility and Processing Speed. Similar to other journal articles I have found, this one will come in great when I discuss the relationships between the different types of Autism.
Eaves, Linda C., Ho, Helena H. “Young Adult Outcome of Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Journal of Autism Dev. Disorder. 38.1. (2008): 739-747.
The article in this journal presented information related to the way parents found out that their child had Autism Spectrum Disorder and procedures when done once the testing started. The cause for Autism is still unknown, so there was no way that the parents and caregivers mentioned in this article would ever know if the rest of their children could be diagnosed with ASD. I will use this article a lot because it talks greatly about the ways parents were told their child has ASD and the testing that was done to figure that out.
Fitzgerald, Michael. Matthews, Pat. Woods, Mairide. “Research in Brief.” SAGE Online Journals. 32.(1999): 193-195
This article links Autism and the Coeliac Disease in children. The article focuses on people who have Autism, Asperger Syndrome or any features of Autism. It relates some of the people who had Asperger syndrome correlate to respondents with Coeliac disease. Also, it talks about how family members other than the immediate family had Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. This article will help me connect how Autism may be linked to genetics and discuss other possible ways of the causes of Autism.
Wolff, Sula. “The History of Autism.” Early Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 13.1. (2004): 201-208.
Autism was first diagnosed almost 60 years ago and still to this day, it is untreatable and the cause is unknown. This article talks about children who had Autism when it was first diagnosed and characteristics that are found in children in present time. Some similarities can connect from theories back then to theories now as to what is the reason of Autism. I will use this article when I talk about the relationship between methods used in young infants back when Autism was first diagnosed and the methods used in present day infants.
Abramson, RK. Ravan, SA. Wieduwilt, K. Wright, HH. “The Relationship Between Restrictive and Reptitive Behaviors in Individuals with Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms in Parents.” Child Psychiatry and Human Development. 36.2. (2005): 155-164.
This article talks in great deal about how repetitive behaviors are linked with Autism and how many children who have Autism have Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. It also talks about what kind of things families do when their child has these behaviors. I am not sure if I will use this article in my paper because it doesn’t really relate to the Autism and the cause/cure of Autism.
Brayne, Carol. Williams, Jo. “Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders.” SAGE Online Journals. 10.1. (2006):11-35.
This article explains certain procedures that are conducted when a child is referred to doctors that may have Autism Spectrum Disorder. There are a lot of graphs in this article that show how the testing has changed over the years. It relates to how things used to be tested and how they are tested now. I like this article and will use it in my paper to discuss the relationship between screening for Autism and the characteristics found in all children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Dawson, Geraldine. Fein, Deborah. Greenson, Jessica. Meltzoff, Andrew N. Toth, Karen. “Early Social, Imitation, Play and Language Abilities of Young Non-Autistic Siblings of Children with Autism.” Journal of Autism Dev Disorders. 37. (2007): 145-157.
This article compares children who have siblings that are Autistic and the relationship between those children and the relationship they have with their parents. It compared how children with Autism were accepted into the family and how the other family members did not have Autism and how they were accepted into the family. The beginning of the article briefly explains Autism and impact it can have on a family. It also talks about the experiences the family had in the hospital with the child who was later diagnosed with Autism and experiences the family had with their children without Autism.
Lauritsen, Marlene Briciet. “Effects of familial risk factors and place of birth on the risk of autism.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 46.9. (2005): 963-971.
Since the cause of Autism is still unknown, strong empahasis has been placed on the genetic make-up of children who have Autism. This article takes a look at how families who have one child with Autism almost always have another child who is diagnosed with Autism. It talks a great deal about how families with a history of Autism, or Asperger’s syndrome had children with Autism. I will use this article in my paper because it explains a lot about the genetic makeup of parents who have children with Autism, although it is not proven yet.
Cederlund, Mats. Gillberg, Christopher. “Asperger Syndrome: Familial and Pre- and Perinatal Factors.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 35.2.(2005): 159-166.
This article was a study conducted that linked genetic factors and brain damage to Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism. It talked about how clinical examinations of the families with children with Asperger’s Syndrom were conducted and the diagnoses. It related that Asperger’s Syndrome was related to the familial fisk and pre/parinatal problems that occurred during pregnancy.
Scheeren, Anke M., Stauder, Johannes E.A. “Broader Autism Phenotype in Parents of Autistic Children: Reality or Myth?” Journal of Autism Dev Disorders. 38. (2008): 276-287.
This journal article relates how Autism is linked to the Genetic DNA make-up of that individual. Although it is still unclear, it is important to understand that there are many different genes that make up DNA and it is hard to understand which genes carry the traits of Autism and combat those genes. I like this article because it talks about how the genetic makeup of DNA can be related to children with Autism and the testing that is being done on individuals that have Autism.
Chaing, Hsu-Min. “Communicative Spontaneity of Children with Autism.” SAGE Online Journals. 12.1. (2008): 9-21.
This article talked about the verbal and non-verbal communication difficulties that children with Autism have. The language barriers that children with Autism are faced with and how families communicate with their child who has Autism. I like this article because it gives a great amount of information about the history of Autism but I will probably not use the parts that talk about verbal and nonverbal communication too much.
Glasco, Fances Page. “Can a Broadband Developmental Behavioral Screening Test Identify Children Likely to Have Autism Spectrum Disorder?” SAGE Online Journals. 46.9. (2007): 801-805.
The cause of Autism is currently unknown. The author or this article presents information linking pregnancy and the diagnosis of Autism. He goes into great detail about certain things preformed during pregnancy can be the reason why children have Autism. Perhaps, eliminating those things during pregnancy can stop Autism being diagnosed.
Waterhouse, Lynn. “Developmental Trends in Cognitive Skills for Children Diagnosed as Autistic and Schizophrenic.” Child Development. 55.1 (1984): 236-248.
This book presents a lot of information about autism in children and schizophrenia in adults. It had a lot of general information about Autism and how a child who has Autism interacts with others. The Author generalized behaviors between people diagnosed with Autism and people diagnosed with Schizophrenia and how they can display the same cognitive delay. This article was particularly interesting in the fact that the research presented generalization of the two diagnoses as having very similar traits and one may lead to the other. The author presents a great deal of facts and knowledge through graphs that show her research she conducted.
Loomis, Earl A. Jr. “Autistic and Symbiotic Syndromes in Children.” St. Lukes Hospital, Division of Child Psychiatry. 25.3 (2003): 39-48.
The author in this book presented a lot of information about how children are diagnosed with Autism and how Autism may be linked from genes. There was a family that had four children and all of the children had Autism, the first child had the least severe and the youngest child had the most severe case of Autism. Children with Autism present certain words and phrases that they say at a certain time during development that lead to the diagnosis of Autism. The family experienced the same instances of all their children.
Sigman, Marian, and Ruskin, Ellen. “Continuity and Change in the Social Competence of Children with Autism, Down Syndrome, and Developmental Delays.” Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. 256.64.1 (1999): 1-142.
The information in this book focused a lot on the interactions of children who have Autism experience with his or her peers. It was a study conducted from the authors and presented a lot of information of how a child with Autism may act. The most useful section of this book was about the stability of diagnosis and intelligence of the child and also the nonverbal communication, play and language skills. This book does not provide any information about a cure for Autism or the cause but rather what interactions people have who are diagnosed with it.
Enzi, Mr. “Combating Autism Act of 2005” 109.2d. (2006): 109-318
This document has a lot of information about Autism and the legislature. It is from the Senate Report. The contents include many different areas revolving around Autism. Since Autism is becoming more prevalent in young children, the government is taking strides to find the cause of it. The report focuses on what the government is doing, the background information and the need for legislation, laws that are in place to protect those who have Autism.
Bauminger, Nirit. “Children with Autism and Their Friends: A Multidimensional Study of Friendship in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Journal of Abnormal and Child Pychology. 36.1. (2008): 135-150.
This article from the Journal of Abnormal and Child Psychology presented a lot of data that discussed in depth the friendships that children hold who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the perceptions that those students have on their own friends. There was a study conducted that compared students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, to students who do not and how that friendship was valued differently. This article will help me with my paper to relate how students with ASD can have above average IQ’s but yet fall behind in socially adaptive behaviors.
Spek, Antionnette A. “Brief Report: The Use of WAIS-III in Adults with HFA and Asperger Syndrome.” Journal of Abnormal and Child Psychology. 38.1. (2008): 782-787.
This journal article compares the similarities between high functioning autism, HFA, and Asperger’s Syndrome. There was a study conducted that related the two in several different categories such as: Performance Intelligence and Verbal Intelligence, Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, Freedom from Distractibility and Processing Speed. Similar to other journal articles I have found, this one will come in great when I discuss the relationships between the different types of Autism.
Eaves, Linda C., Ho, Helena H. “Young Adult Outcome of Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Journal of Autism Dev. Disorder. 38.1. (2008): 739-747.
The article in this journal presented information related to the way parents found out that their child had Autism Spectrum Disorder and procedures when done once the testing started. The cause for Autism is still unknown, so there was no way that the parents and caregivers mentioned in this article would ever know if the rest of their children could be diagnosed with ASD. I will use this article a lot because it talks greatly about the ways parents were told their child has ASD and the testing that was done to figure that out.
Fitzgerald, Michael. Matthews, Pat. Woods, Mairide. “Research in Brief.” SAGE Online Journals. 32.(1999): 193-195
This article links Autism and the Coeliac Disease in children. The article focuses on people who have Autism, Asperger Syndrome or any features of Autism. It relates some of the people who had Asperger syndrome correlate to respondents with Coeliac disease. Also, it talks about how family members other than the immediate family had Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. This article will help me connect how Autism may be linked to genetics and discuss other possible ways of the causes of Autism.
Wolff, Sula. “The History of Autism.” Early Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 13.1. (2004): 201-208.
Autism was first diagnosed almost 60 years ago and still to this day, it is untreatable and the cause is unknown. This article talks about children who had Autism when it was first diagnosed and characteristics that are found in children in present time. Some similarities can connect from theories back then to theories now as to what is the reason of Autism. I will use this article when I talk about the relationship between methods used in young infants back when Autism was first diagnosed and the methods used in present day infants.
Abramson, RK. Ravan, SA. Wieduwilt, K. Wright, HH. “The Relationship Between Restrictive and Reptitive Behaviors in Individuals with Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms in Parents.” Child Psychiatry and Human Development. 36.2. (2005): 155-164.
This article talks in great deal about how repetitive behaviors are linked with Autism and how many children who have Autism have Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. It also talks about what kind of things families do when their child has these behaviors. I am not sure if I will use this article in my paper because it doesn’t really relate to the Autism and the cause/cure of Autism.
Brayne, Carol. Williams, Jo. “Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders.” SAGE Online Journals. 10.1. (2006):11-35.
This article explains certain procedures that are conducted when a child is referred to doctors that may have Autism Spectrum Disorder. There are a lot of graphs in this article that show how the testing has changed over the years. It relates to how things used to be tested and how they are tested now. I like this article and will use it in my paper to discuss the relationship between screening for Autism and the characteristics found in all children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Dawson, Geraldine. Fein, Deborah. Greenson, Jessica. Meltzoff, Andrew N. Toth, Karen. “Early Social, Imitation, Play and Language Abilities of Young Non-Autistic Siblings of Children with Autism.” Journal of Autism Dev Disorders. 37. (2007): 145-157.
This article compares children who have siblings that are Autistic and the relationship between those children and the relationship they have with their parents. It compared how children with Autism were accepted into the family and how the other family members did not have Autism and how they were accepted into the family. The beginning of the article briefly explains Autism and impact it can have on a family. It also talks about the experiences the family had in the hospital with the child who was later diagnosed with Autism and experiences the family had with their children without Autism.
Lauritsen, Marlene Briciet. “Effects of familial risk factors and place of birth on the risk of autism.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 46.9. (2005): 963-971.
Since the cause of Autism is still unknown, strong empahasis has been placed on the genetic make-up of children who have Autism. This article takes a look at how families who have one child with Autism almost always have another child who is diagnosed with Autism. It talks a great deal about how families with a history of Autism, or Asperger’s syndrome had children with Autism. I will use this article in my paper because it explains a lot about the genetic makeup of parents who have children with Autism, although it is not proven yet.
Cederlund, Mats. Gillberg, Christopher. “Asperger Syndrome: Familial and Pre- and Perinatal Factors.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 35.2.(2005): 159-166.
This article was a study conducted that linked genetic factors and brain damage to Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism. It talked about how clinical examinations of the families with children with Asperger’s Syndrom were conducted and the diagnoses. It related that Asperger’s Syndrome was related to the familial fisk and pre/parinatal problems that occurred during pregnancy.
Scheeren, Anke M., Stauder, Johannes E.A. “Broader Autism Phenotype in Parents of Autistic Children: Reality or Myth?” Journal of Autism Dev Disorders. 38. (2008): 276-287.
This journal article relates how Autism is linked to the Genetic DNA make-up of that individual. Although it is still unclear, it is important to understand that there are many different genes that make up DNA and it is hard to understand which genes carry the traits of Autism and combat those genes. I like this article because it talks about how the genetic makeup of DNA can be related to children with Autism and the testing that is being done on individuals that have Autism.
Chaing, Hsu-Min. “Communicative Spontaneity of Children with Autism.” SAGE Online Journals. 12.1. (2008): 9-21.
This article talked about the verbal and non-verbal communication difficulties that children with Autism have. The language barriers that children with Autism are faced with and how families communicate with their child who has Autism. I like this article because it gives a great amount of information about the history of Autism but I will probably not use the parts that talk about verbal and nonverbal communication too much.
Glasco, Fances Page. “Can a Broadband Developmental Behavioral Screening Test Identify Children Likely to Have Autism Spectrum Disorder?” SAGE Online Journals. 46.9. (2007): 801-805.
The cause of Autism is currently unknown. The author or this article presents information linking pregnancy and the diagnosis of Autism. He goes into great detail about certain things preformed during pregnancy can be the reason why children have Autism. Perhaps, eliminating those things during pregnancy can stop Autism being diagnosed.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
5 more sources!
Toth, Karin. “Early Social, Imitation, Play, and Language Abilities of Young Autistic Siblings of Children with Autism.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 37.1. (2007): 145-157.
Kelley, Elizabeth. “Residual Language Deficits in Optimal Outcome Children with a History of Austism.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 36.6. (2006): 807-828.
Landa, Rebecca. “Development in infants with autism spectrum disorders: A perspective Study.” Journal of Child Psychology and Pyschiatry.” 47.6. (2006): 629-638.
Lauritsen, Marlene Briciet. “Effects of familial risk factors and place of birth on the risk of autism: a nationwide register-based study.” Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry. 46.9. (2005): 963-971.
Wolff, Sula. “The history of autism.” European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 13.4. (2004): 201-208.
Kelley, Elizabeth. “Residual Language Deficits in Optimal Outcome Children with a History of Austism.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 36.6. (2006): 807-828.
Landa, Rebecca. “Development in infants with autism spectrum disorders: A perspective Study.” Journal of Child Psychology and Pyschiatry.” 47.6. (2006): 629-638.
Lauritsen, Marlene Briciet. “Effects of familial risk factors and place of birth on the risk of autism: a nationwide register-based study.” Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry. 46.9. (2005): 963-971.
Wolff, Sula. “The history of autism.” European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 13.4. (2004): 201-208.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Sources and Research Topic!!
Research Question: Autism is becoming more and more prevalent in the diagnosis of children who have mental disabilities. Although the link to what causes Autism is not known, the effort to find a cure is something many people are trying to accomplish. To find a cure, we must understand what is causing the diagnosis. What causes Autism and what efforts are being taken to find a cure?
Enzi, Mr. “Combating Autism Act of 2005” 109.2d. (2006): 109-318
This document has a lot of information about Autism and the legislature. It is from the Senate Report. The contents include many different areas revolving around Autism. Since Autism is becoming more prevalent in young children, the government is taking strides to find the cause of it. The report focuses on what the government is doing, the background information and the need for legislation, laws that are in place to protect those who have Autism.
Sigman, Marian, and Ruskin, Ellen. “Continuity and Change in the Social Competence of Children with Autism, Down Syndrome, and Developmental Delays.” Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. 256.64.1 (1999): 1-142.
The information in this book focused a lot on the interactions of children who have Autism experience with his or her peers. It was a study conducted from the authors and presented a lot of information of how a child with Autism may act. The most useful section of this book was about the stability of diagnosis and intelligence of the child and also the nonverbal communication, play and language skills. This book does not provide any information about a cure for Autism or the cause but rather what interactions people have who are diagnosed with it.
Waterhouse, Lynn. “Developmental Trends in Cognitive Skills for Children Diagnosed as Autistic and Schizophrenic.” Child Development. 55.1 (1984): 236-248.
This book presents a lot of information about autism in children and schizophrenia in adults. It had a lot of general information about Autism and how a child who has Autism interacts with others. The Author generalized behaviors between people diagnosed with Autism and people diagnosed with Schizophrenia and how they can display the same cognitive delay. This article was particularly interesting in the fact that the research presented generalization of the two diagnoses as having very similar traits and one may lead to the other. The author presents a great deal of facts and knowledge through graphs that show her research she conducted.
Loomis, Earl A. Jr. “Autistic and Symbiotic Syndromes in Children.” St. Lukes Hospital, Division of Child Psychiatry. 25.3 (2003): 39-48.
The author in this book presented a lot of information about how children are diagnosed with Autism and how Autism may be linked from genes. There was a family that had four children and all of the children had Autism, the first child had the least severe and the youngest child had the most severe case of Autism. Children with Autism present certain words and phrases that they say at a certain time during development that lead to the diagnosis of Autism. The family experienced the same instances of all their children.
Gustavo, Roman C. “Autism.” Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 262.1/2. (2007): 15-26.
The cause of Autism is currently unknown. The author or this article presents information linking pregnancy and the diagnosis of Autism. He goes into great detail about certain things preformed during pregnancy can be the reason why children have Autism. Perhaps, eliminating those things during pregnancy can stop Autism being diagnosed.
Enzi, Mr. “Combating Autism Act of 2005” 109.2d. (2006): 109-318
This document has a lot of information about Autism and the legislature. It is from the Senate Report. The contents include many different areas revolving around Autism. Since Autism is becoming more prevalent in young children, the government is taking strides to find the cause of it. The report focuses on what the government is doing, the background information and the need for legislation, laws that are in place to protect those who have Autism.
Sigman, Marian, and Ruskin, Ellen. “Continuity and Change in the Social Competence of Children with Autism, Down Syndrome, and Developmental Delays.” Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. 256.64.1 (1999): 1-142.
The information in this book focused a lot on the interactions of children who have Autism experience with his or her peers. It was a study conducted from the authors and presented a lot of information of how a child with Autism may act. The most useful section of this book was about the stability of diagnosis and intelligence of the child and also the nonverbal communication, play and language skills. This book does not provide any information about a cure for Autism or the cause but rather what interactions people have who are diagnosed with it.
Waterhouse, Lynn. “Developmental Trends in Cognitive Skills for Children Diagnosed as Autistic and Schizophrenic.” Child Development. 55.1 (1984): 236-248.
This book presents a lot of information about autism in children and schizophrenia in adults. It had a lot of general information about Autism and how a child who has Autism interacts with others. The Author generalized behaviors between people diagnosed with Autism and people diagnosed with Schizophrenia and how they can display the same cognitive delay. This article was particularly interesting in the fact that the research presented generalization of the two diagnoses as having very similar traits and one may lead to the other. The author presents a great deal of facts and knowledge through graphs that show her research she conducted.
Loomis, Earl A. Jr. “Autistic and Symbiotic Syndromes in Children.” St. Lukes Hospital, Division of Child Psychiatry. 25.3 (2003): 39-48.
The author in this book presented a lot of information about how children are diagnosed with Autism and how Autism may be linked from genes. There was a family that had four children and all of the children had Autism, the first child had the least severe and the youngest child had the most severe case of Autism. Children with Autism present certain words and phrases that they say at a certain time during development that lead to the diagnosis of Autism. The family experienced the same instances of all their children.
Gustavo, Roman C. “Autism.” Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 262.1/2. (2007): 15-26.
The cause of Autism is currently unknown. The author or this article presents information linking pregnancy and the diagnosis of Autism. He goes into great detail about certain things preformed during pregnancy can be the reason why children have Autism. Perhaps, eliminating those things during pregnancy can stop Autism being diagnosed.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Megan MatthewsENGL 201Mr. BlockMarch 10, 2008AdAs I began my quest to finding an advertisement, I started to think about what interests me the most. When I started looking through magazines for a good ad, I found that cigarette ads are completely gross, and can be found in almost any magazine. Smoking is a harmful addiction that affects people of all ages, genders and cultures. It becomes an addiction that many people struggle to break and sometimes cannot break. Companies that produce cigarettes are not concerned about the health of its consumers but rather the sale of their product and the amount of money they make off that product. I started to think about just how common cigarette ads are and how they appear in a lot of different places where a lot of people see them. I started a search on the internet and came across a lot of cigarette ads and one of them grabbed my attention the most.This ad grabbed my attention by the giant cigarette hanging from the ceiling. At first glance, it becomes difficult to realize what is going on and it doesn’t necessarily look like a cigarette and it is unclear of what the image is. The giant cigarette is hanging on the ceiling placed in what seems to be a gym. There are big bold words that say “Fight Smoking.” I find it very important to live a healthy lifestyle so working out in a gym is one way to achieve that. A giant punching bag hanging in the middle of a gym where many people work out is a great way to get the attention of people who may smoke or who take strides to fight smoking advertisements. In the background of where the giant cigarette is are red punching gloves hanging from a bar. The red punching gloves signify that anyone is welcome to use them to work out and punch the giant cigarette. It may also signify that it is open for anyone to use and the reason they are hanging there is because nobody has used them. The red gloves are also the same color as the giant sign that says “Fight Smoking.” Perhaps, the gloves and the sign are supposed to relate in color so that people associate the gloves to punching the big giant cigarette. The red sign pops out at you, but not as soon as the big giant cigarette. After you look at the cigarette and move your focus to the red sign, then you can associate the red gloves to the red sign. It kind of puts the thoughts in your head like if you beat this cigarette as hard and as much as you can then you can “fight smoking.” On the other hand, it might do just the opposite and not associate punching this cigarette as a way to stop smoking.There is a weight machine with several pulley’s hanging down from it. The weight machine is very tall and the giant cigarette punching bag is right next to it. It shows just how large it is, expanding from the ceiling all of the way to the ground. Generally weight machines extend all the way from the ground and to the ceiling. By placing the punching bag next to the weight machine, it shows just how big the punching bag is.The enormous size of the punching bag can signify just how important beating smoking can be. Since the cigarette is much much larger than an actual cigarette, it can signify that smoking can be a bigger deal than what some people may think it is. In the big picture, there is a fan to the right of the weight machine and it appears that it is running. The fan may signify that someone was working out and that by having a fan running, it will cool people off who were working out.Looking at the background of the image is a mirror behind the weight machine which shows there is more work out machines in the gym. To the right of the giant punching bag are two smaller pictures followed with small text on the bottom of those pictures. The first picture on the right hand side shows a close up of a sign posted by the machine with the giant cigarette punching bag. The sign is titled “Fight Smoking” in large white writing with a red background. Behind the sign, all of the walls are white and all of the machines are white. The red sign with bright, bold writing that definitely stands out and shows a clear message to start fighting smoking.The second picture on the right side of the large photo says “Fight Smoking.” It is a close up of the picture on the top of it. On the bottom right hand side of that picture there is a logo that says “Champ.” Champ is a word that is associated with winning and achieving goals that can be associated with working out in a gym or in anything in life. Perhaps, by fighting smoking everyone that smokes can become a champ in his or her life, and can fight the battle of addiction and cigarette smoking. On the bottom of that picture, there is a small sentence that you cannot read at all because of its size. There is not a lot of writing on the advertisement other than the small print under the pictures on the right hand side. It is very hard to read and I think it is intended to not be read. All of the other images on the advertisement are large and focused on the same object of “fighting smoking.”I find it to be very interesting that the largest picture on the ad is a picture of a giant cigarette punching bag and then as you move your focus to the right on the top it is a close up picture of the top of the weight machine. Moving down under that image, there is a close up image of that picture. The ad grabs your attention by focusing on what is really important by magnifying the image three times. In the giant picture, you don’t really notice the red sign because it is hidden behind the giant cigarette punching bag. As you analyze the ad and look around, you realize that the message of the picture is not the giant punching bag but rather the message to “fight smoking.” The giant punching bag is simply an image that draws in the attention of the consumer.In many ads there are people associated with what is being advertised. In this ad, there is no human being seen in the picture. It is hard to think that if there is a gym with a great size, that there is nobody working out in it. Perhaps the empty gym shows that nobody needs to use a giant punching bag to stop smoking. It may also signify that people don’t need the strength to fight smoking by somebody else telling them, they just need to do it whenever they want and that is if they ever want to stop smoking. The choice of smoking or not smoking belongs to the person performing that habit
The overall message of this ad is to fight the addiction of smoking. By placing a giant cigarette in a with giant red signs on it that say “fight smoking” signifies that if you punch this punching bag that you can fight smoking. When you are fighting smoking by punching the giant cigarette, you are also working on your own self image. The more that people work out and stop smoking, the healthier a person will look. This ad can draw attention to people of all age levels; since many people both young and old smoke cigarettes, the ad does not target a certain age level. On the other hand, as though the ad does not exactly target a certain age group but it does target people who work out in gyms. Typically, there are not many 70 year people and children as young as fourteen years old working out in a gym facility. The ad may be drawing its attention to the general population that spend the most significant amount of time in the gym and that is people between the ages of twenty to forty years old.
The overall message of this ad is to fight the addiction of smoking. By placing a giant cigarette in a with giant red signs on it that say “fight smoking” signifies that if you punch this punching bag that you can fight smoking. When you are fighting smoking by punching the giant cigarette, you are also working on your own self image. The more that people work out and stop smoking, the healthier a person will look. This ad can draw attention to people of all age levels; since many people both young and old smoke cigarettes, the ad does not target a certain age level. On the other hand, as though the ad does not exactly target a certain age group but it does target people who work out in gyms. Typically, there are not many 70 year people and children as young as fourteen years old working out in a gym facility. The ad may be drawing its attention to the general population that spend the most significant amount of time in the gym and that is people between the ages of twenty to forty years old.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Ad 1250 words
Megan Matthews
ENGL 201
Mr. Block
March 10, 2008
Ad
As I began my quest to finding an advertisement, I started to think about what interests me the most. When I started looking through magazines for a good ad, I found that cigarette ads are completely gross, and can be found in almost any magazine. Smoking is a harmful addiction that affects people of all ages, genders and cultures. It becomes an addiction that many people struggle to break and sometimes cannot break. Companies that produce cigarettes are not concerned about the health of its consumers but rather the sale of their product and the amount of money they make off that product. I started to think about just how common cigarette ads are and how they appear in a lot of different places where a lot of people see them. I started a search on the internet and came across a lot of cigarette ads and one of them grabbed my attention the most.
This ad grabbed my attention by the giant cigarette hanging from the ceiling. At first glance, it becomes difficult to realize what is going on and it doesn’t necessarily look like a ciagrette. The giant cigarette is hanging on the ceiling placed in what seems to be a gym. There are big bold words that say “Fight Smoking.” I find it very important to live a healthy lifestyle so working out in a gym is one way to achieve that. A giant punching bag hanging in the middle of a gym where many people work out is a great way to get the attention of people who may smoke or who take strides to fight smoking advertisements. In the background of where the giant cigarette is are red punching gloves hanging from a bar. The red punching gloves signify that anyone is welcome to use them to work out and punch the giant cigarette. It may also signify that it is open for anyone to use and the reason they are hanging there is because nobody has used them. The red gloves are also the same color as the giant sign that says “Fight Smoking.” Perhaps, the gloves and the sign are supposed to relate in color so that people associate the gloves to punching the big giant cigarette. The red sign pops out at you, but not as soon as the big giant cigarette. After you look at the cigarette and move your focus to the red sign, then you can associate the red gloves to the red sign. It kind of puts the thoughts in your head like if you beat this cigarette as hard and as much as you can then you can “fight smoking.” On the other hand, it might do just the opposite and not associate punching this cigarette as a way to stop smoking.
There is a weight machine with several pulley’s hanging down from it. The weight machine is very tall and the giant cigarette punching bag is right next to it. It shows just how large it is, expanding from the ceiling all of the way to the ground. Generally weight machines extend all the way from the ground and to the ceiling. By placing the punching bag next to the weight machine, it shows just how big the punching bag is.
The enormous size of the punching bag can signify just how important beating smoking can be. Since the cigarette is much much larger than an actual cigarette, it can signify that smoking can be a bigger deal than what some people may think it is. In the big picture, there is a fan to the right of the weight machine and it appears that it is running. The fan may signify that someone was working out and that by having a fan running, it will cool people off who were working out.
Looking at the background of the image is a mirror behind the weight machine which shows there is more work out machines in the gym. To the right of the giant punching bag are two smaller pictures followed with small text on the bottom of those pictures. The first picture on the right hand side shows a close up of a sign posted by the machine with the giant cigarette punching bag. The sign is titled “Fight Smoking” in large white writing with a red background. Behind the sign, all of the walls are white and all of the machines are white. The red sign with bright, bold writing that definitely stands out and shows a clear message to start fighting smoking.
The second picture on the right side of the large photo says “Fight Smoking.” It is a close up of the picture on the top of it. On the bottom right hand side of that picture there is a logo that says “Champ.” Champ is a word that is associated with winning and achieving goals that can be associated with working out in a gym or in anything in life. Perhaps, by fighting smoking everyone that smokes can become a champ in his or her life, and can fight the battle of addiction and cigarette smoking. On the bottom of that picture, there is a small sentence that you cannot read at all because of its size. There is not a lot of writing on the advertisement other than the small print under the pictures on the right hand side. It is very hard to read and I think it is intended to not be read. All of the other images on the advertisement are large and focused on the same object of “fighting smoking.”
I find it to be very interesting that the largest picture on the ad is a picture of a giant cigarette punching bag and then as you move your focus to the right on the top it is a close up picture of the top of the weight machine. Moving down under that image, there is a close up image of that picture. The ad grabs your attention by focusing on what is really important by magnifying the image three times. In the giant picture, you don’t really notice the red sign because it is hidden behind the giant cigarette punching bag. As you analyze the ad and look around, you realize that the message of the picture is not the giant punching bag but rather the message to “fight smoking.” The giant punching bag is simply an image that draws in the attention of the consumer.
In many ads there are people associated with what is being advertised. In this ad, there is no human being seen in the picture. It is hard to think that if there is a gym with a great size, that there is nobody working out in it. Perhaps the empty gym shows that nobody needs to use a giant punching bag to stop smoking. It may also signify that people don’t need the strength to fight smoking by somebody else telling them, they just need to do it whenever they want and that is if they ever want to stop smoking. The choice of smoking or not smoking belongs to the person performing that habit.
ENGL 201
Mr. Block
March 10, 2008
Ad
As I began my quest to finding an advertisement, I started to think about what interests me the most. When I started looking through magazines for a good ad, I found that cigarette ads are completely gross, and can be found in almost any magazine. Smoking is a harmful addiction that affects people of all ages, genders and cultures. It becomes an addiction that many people struggle to break and sometimes cannot break. Companies that produce cigarettes are not concerned about the health of its consumers but rather the sale of their product and the amount of money they make off that product. I started to think about just how common cigarette ads are and how they appear in a lot of different places where a lot of people see them. I started a search on the internet and came across a lot of cigarette ads and one of them grabbed my attention the most.
This ad grabbed my attention by the giant cigarette hanging from the ceiling. At first glance, it becomes difficult to realize what is going on and it doesn’t necessarily look like a ciagrette. The giant cigarette is hanging on the ceiling placed in what seems to be a gym. There are big bold words that say “Fight Smoking.” I find it very important to live a healthy lifestyle so working out in a gym is one way to achieve that. A giant punching bag hanging in the middle of a gym where many people work out is a great way to get the attention of people who may smoke or who take strides to fight smoking advertisements. In the background of where the giant cigarette is are red punching gloves hanging from a bar. The red punching gloves signify that anyone is welcome to use them to work out and punch the giant cigarette. It may also signify that it is open for anyone to use and the reason they are hanging there is because nobody has used them. The red gloves are also the same color as the giant sign that says “Fight Smoking.” Perhaps, the gloves and the sign are supposed to relate in color so that people associate the gloves to punching the big giant cigarette. The red sign pops out at you, but not as soon as the big giant cigarette. After you look at the cigarette and move your focus to the red sign, then you can associate the red gloves to the red sign. It kind of puts the thoughts in your head like if you beat this cigarette as hard and as much as you can then you can “fight smoking.” On the other hand, it might do just the opposite and not associate punching this cigarette as a way to stop smoking.
There is a weight machine with several pulley’s hanging down from it. The weight machine is very tall and the giant cigarette punching bag is right next to it. It shows just how large it is, expanding from the ceiling all of the way to the ground. Generally weight machines extend all the way from the ground and to the ceiling. By placing the punching bag next to the weight machine, it shows just how big the punching bag is.
The enormous size of the punching bag can signify just how important beating smoking can be. Since the cigarette is much much larger than an actual cigarette, it can signify that smoking can be a bigger deal than what some people may think it is. In the big picture, there is a fan to the right of the weight machine and it appears that it is running. The fan may signify that someone was working out and that by having a fan running, it will cool people off who were working out.
Looking at the background of the image is a mirror behind the weight machine which shows there is more work out machines in the gym. To the right of the giant punching bag are two smaller pictures followed with small text on the bottom of those pictures. The first picture on the right hand side shows a close up of a sign posted by the machine with the giant cigarette punching bag. The sign is titled “Fight Smoking” in large white writing with a red background. Behind the sign, all of the walls are white and all of the machines are white. The red sign with bright, bold writing that definitely stands out and shows a clear message to start fighting smoking.
The second picture on the right side of the large photo says “Fight Smoking.” It is a close up of the picture on the top of it. On the bottom right hand side of that picture there is a logo that says “Champ.” Champ is a word that is associated with winning and achieving goals that can be associated with working out in a gym or in anything in life. Perhaps, by fighting smoking everyone that smokes can become a champ in his or her life, and can fight the battle of addiction and cigarette smoking. On the bottom of that picture, there is a small sentence that you cannot read at all because of its size. There is not a lot of writing on the advertisement other than the small print under the pictures on the right hand side. It is very hard to read and I think it is intended to not be read. All of the other images on the advertisement are large and focused on the same object of “fighting smoking.”
I find it to be very interesting that the largest picture on the ad is a picture of a giant cigarette punching bag and then as you move your focus to the right on the top it is a close up picture of the top of the weight machine. Moving down under that image, there is a close up image of that picture. The ad grabs your attention by focusing on what is really important by magnifying the image three times. In the giant picture, you don’t really notice the red sign because it is hidden behind the giant cigarette punching bag. As you analyze the ad and look around, you realize that the message of the picture is not the giant punching bag but rather the message to “fight smoking.” The giant punching bag is simply an image that draws in the attention of the consumer.
In many ads there are people associated with what is being advertised. In this ad, there is no human being seen in the picture. It is hard to think that if there is a gym with a great size, that there is nobody working out in it. Perhaps the empty gym shows that nobody needs to use a giant punching bag to stop smoking. It may also signify that people don’t need the strength to fight smoking by somebody else telling them, they just need to do it whenever they want and that is if they ever want to stop smoking. The choice of smoking or not smoking belongs to the person performing that habit.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Ad 700 words
Ad
As I began my quest to finding an advertisement, I started to think about what interests me the most. When I started looking through magazines for a good ad, I found that cigarette ads are completely gross. Smoking is a harmful addiction that affects people of all ages, genders and cultures. It becomes an addiction that many people can’t break. Companies that produce cigarettes are not concerned about the health of its consumers but rather the sale of their product. I started to think about just how common cigarette ads are and how they appear in a lot of places. I started a search on the internet and came across a lot of cigarette ads and one that popped my attention the most.
This ad grabbed my attention by the giant cigarette hanging from the ceiling. At first glance, it becomes difficult to realize what is going on. The giant cigarette is hanging on the ceiling placed in a gym. There are big bold words that say “Fight Smoking.” I find it very important to live a healthy lifestyle so working out in a gym is one way to achieve that. A giant punching bag hanging in the middle of a gym where many people work out is a great way to get the attention of people who are smokers. In the background of where the giant cigarette is are red punching bags hanging from a bar. There is a weight machine with several pulley’s hanging down from it. The weight machine is very tall and the giant cigarette punching bag is right next to it. It shows just how large it is, expanding from the ceiling all of the way to the ground.
Looking at the background of the image is a mirror behind the weight machine which shows there is more work out machines in the gym. To the right of the giant punching bag are two smaller pictures followed with small text on the bottom of those pictures. The first picture on the right hand side shows a close up of a sign posted by the machine with the giant cigarette punching bag. The sign is titled “Fight Smoking” in large white writing with a red background. Behind the sign, all of the walls are white and all of the machines are white. The red sign with bright, bold writing definetly stands out and shows a clear message to start fighting smoking.
The second picture on the right side of the large photo says “Fight Smoking.” It is a close up of the picture on the top of it. On the bottom right hand side of that picture there is a logo that says “Champ.” Champ is a word that is associated with winning and achieving goals that can be associated with working out in a gym. Perhaps, by fighting smoking everyone that smokes can become a champ in his or her life. On the bottom of that picture, there is a small sentence that you cannot read at all because of its size. There is not a lot of writing on the advertisement other than the small print under the pictures on the right hand side. It is very hard to read it and I think it is intended to not be read. All of the other images on the advertisement are large and focused on the same object of “fighting smoking.”
I find it to be very interesting that the largest picture on the ad is a picture of a giant cigarette punching bag and then as you move your focus to the right on the top it is a close up picture of the top of the weight machine. Moving down under that image, there is a close up image of that picture. The ad grabs your attention by focusing on what is really important by magnifying the image three times. In the giant picture, you don’t really notice the red sign because it is hidden behind the giant cigarette punching bag. As you analyze the ad and look around, you realize that the message of the picture is not the giant punching bag but rather the message to “fight smoking.” The giant punching bag is simply a image that draws in the attention of the consumer.
As I began my quest to finding an advertisement, I started to think about what interests me the most. When I started looking through magazines for a good ad, I found that cigarette ads are completely gross. Smoking is a harmful addiction that affects people of all ages, genders and cultures. It becomes an addiction that many people can’t break. Companies that produce cigarettes are not concerned about the health of its consumers but rather the sale of their product. I started to think about just how common cigarette ads are and how they appear in a lot of places. I started a search on the internet and came across a lot of cigarette ads and one that popped my attention the most.
This ad grabbed my attention by the giant cigarette hanging from the ceiling. At first glance, it becomes difficult to realize what is going on. The giant cigarette is hanging on the ceiling placed in a gym. There are big bold words that say “Fight Smoking.” I find it very important to live a healthy lifestyle so working out in a gym is one way to achieve that. A giant punching bag hanging in the middle of a gym where many people work out is a great way to get the attention of people who are smokers. In the background of where the giant cigarette is are red punching bags hanging from a bar. There is a weight machine with several pulley’s hanging down from it. The weight machine is very tall and the giant cigarette punching bag is right next to it. It shows just how large it is, expanding from the ceiling all of the way to the ground.
Looking at the background of the image is a mirror behind the weight machine which shows there is more work out machines in the gym. To the right of the giant punching bag are two smaller pictures followed with small text on the bottom of those pictures. The first picture on the right hand side shows a close up of a sign posted by the machine with the giant cigarette punching bag. The sign is titled “Fight Smoking” in large white writing with a red background. Behind the sign, all of the walls are white and all of the machines are white. The red sign with bright, bold writing definetly stands out and shows a clear message to start fighting smoking.
The second picture on the right side of the large photo says “Fight Smoking.” It is a close up of the picture on the top of it. On the bottom right hand side of that picture there is a logo that says “Champ.” Champ is a word that is associated with winning and achieving goals that can be associated with working out in a gym. Perhaps, by fighting smoking everyone that smokes can become a champ in his or her life. On the bottom of that picture, there is a small sentence that you cannot read at all because of its size. There is not a lot of writing on the advertisement other than the small print under the pictures on the right hand side. It is very hard to read it and I think it is intended to not be read. All of the other images on the advertisement are large and focused on the same object of “fighting smoking.”
I find it to be very interesting that the largest picture on the ad is a picture of a giant cigarette punching bag and then as you move your focus to the right on the top it is a close up picture of the top of the weight machine. Moving down under that image, there is a close up image of that picture. The ad grabs your attention by focusing on what is really important by magnifying the image three times. In the giant picture, you don’t really notice the red sign because it is hidden behind the giant cigarette punching bag. As you analyze the ad and look around, you realize that the message of the picture is not the giant punching bag but rather the message to “fight smoking.” The giant punching bag is simply a image that draws in the attention of the consumer.
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