Angelman Syndrome

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Rare or “orphan” diseases are now affecting close to 200,000 people in the United States. This group is made up of nearly 6,000 disorders, and one of them is called Angelman Syndrome. A distant cousin to Angelman Syndrome is called Autism, and this disorder is spreading rapidly affecting families every day with 1 child in every 166 births being diagnosed with Autistism. Doctors in the United States will diagnose 50 new cases every day. While both of these disorders fall under the label of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and are considered being in the same family they are actually very far apart. While Angelman Syndrome and Autism are believed to have different characteristics that cause developmental difficulties and social problems…show more content…
Most people believe that Autistic children do not have the ability to support relationships in their family and community. Angelman children however grow very attached and dependent on the people in their social network, and will require lifelong assistance. While they cannot speak to express their wants and needs; these magnificent children will express their appreciation with their contagious laughter and excessive happiness. Both of which are a few characteristics of these children. They will always depend on people to help them with day to day tasks in which they show affection as a way to express their wants, needs, and gratitude. Autistic children are generally very independent people not wanting to be touched or bothered however this is not always the situation. One of the most famous portrayals of an autistic person is that of “Rainman” played by Dustin Hoffman. This story is not that far from the truth. Even though this is a story about a person with severe autistic characteristics the real life “Rainman” did have a very good relationship with his father. Achieving a lasting relationship does take a lot of time and work to initially build a bond with an Autistic child. Lasting relationships can be formed with these special children. No matter whether they are an angel, autistic, or a regular child every one of them is different with their own set of difficulties, and…show more content…
One common factor that you will find when studying the lives of these magnificent children is their families. They are loved, and adored by a family that may never be able to see them be accepted by the world around them. When a child is diagnosed with Angelman syndrome or Autism parents will wonder if they will ever be able to live a normal life. For many families their definition of normal has changed a lot because of the outside world around them. As more people are diagnosed each and every day with these disorders it important to not only learn about, but learn to accept these children as the wonderful people that they are, and to remember that they too have a purpose. Studies show that in the United States as a whole that the amount of autistic 1st graders attending public school in 2000-2001 was roughly 9,483, and just a few years later the same study of 1st graders in the 2006-2007 school year rose to 21,275! This is a 124% increase in first graders alone. This is a pandemic that is now facing our nation, family, friends, and neighbors. Learning and accepting all people affected by autism spectrum disorders is the key to succeed as our communities will experience more and more changes as we work to remember not to underestimate people with autism but to simply understand

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