109-476: Kodomo is the Japanese word for child . Kodomo may also refer to: Child A child ( pl. children ) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty , or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of child generally refers to a minor , in this case as
218-452: A neurodevelopmental disorder , but the autism rights movement (and some researchers) see autistic people as part of humanity's natural neurodiversity . From this point of view, autistic people may also be diagnosed with a disability of some sort, but that disability may be rooted in the systemic structures of a society rather than in the person; thus, proponents argue that autistic people should be accommodated rather than cured. On
327-487: A rite of passage , which may or may not correspond to the time of puberty. Children generally have fewer rights than adults and are classed as unable to make serious decisions, and legally must always be under the care of a responsible adult or child custody , whether their parents divorce or not. Early childhood follows the infancy stage and begins with toddlerhood when the child begins speaking or taking steps independently. While toddlerhood ends around age 3 when
436-606: A "level" system, which ranks how in need of support the patient is, level 1 being the mildest and level 3 the severest, while the ICD-11 system has two axes, intellectual impairment and language impairment, as these are seen as the most crucial factors. Autism is currently defined as a highly variable neurodevelopmental disorder that is generally thought to cover a broad and deep spectrum , manifesting very differently from one person to another. Some have high support needs, may be nonspeaking , and experience developmental delays; this
545-426: A UN report, warfare is preventing 28 million children worldwide from receiving an education, due to the risk of sexual violence and attacks in schools. Other factors that keep children out of school include poverty, child labor, social attitudes, and long distances to school. Social attitudes toward children differ around the world in various cultures and change over time. A 1988 study on European attitudes toward
654-438: A broader medical condition or syndrome , representing about 25% of ASD cases. The causes of syndromic autism are often known, and monogenic disorders account for approximately 5% of these cases. Non-syndromic autism, also known as classic or idiopathic autism, represents the majority of cases, and its cause is typically polygenic and unknown. Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it
763-488: A hurried and pressured style may limit the protective benefits they would gain from child-driven play. The initiation of play in a classroom setting allows teachers and students to interact through playfulness associated with a learning experience. Therefore, playfulness aids the interactions between adults and children in a learning environment. “Playful Structure” means to combine informal learning with formal learning to produce an effective learning experience for children at
872-486: A longer history than generally recognized, with its roots traceable to similarly imaginative constructions of childhood circulating, for example, in the neo-platonic poetry of seventeenth-century metaphysical poet Henry Vaughan (e.g., "The Retreate", 1650; "Childe-hood", 1655). Such views contrasted with the stridently didactic, Calvinist views of infant depravity. With the onset of industrialisation in England in 1760,
981-648: A low demand for coordination that ameliorated many challenges associated with disruptive turns." Autistic interests, and thus conversational topics, seem to be largely driven by an intense interest in specific topics ( monotropism ). Historically, autistic children were said to be delayed in developing a theory of mind , and the empathizing–systemizing theory has argued that while autistic people have compassion ( affective empathy ) for others with similar presentation of symptoms, they have limited, though not necessarily absent, cognitive empathy . This may present as social naïvety, lower than average intuitive perception of
1090-575: A model of social patterns, and develop coping mechanisms, referred to as " masking ", which have recently been found to come with psychological costs and a higher increased risk of suicidality. ASD includes a wide variety of characteristics. Some of these include behavioral characteristics which widely range from slow development of social and learning skills to difficulties creating connections with other people. Autistic people may experience these challenges with forming connections due to anxiety or depression, which they are more likely to experience, and as
1199-923: A neurotypical bias in autism research, which has come to be scrutinized for "dehumanization, objectification, and stigmatization". Recent research has proposed that autistics' lack of readability and a neurotypical lack of effort to interpret atypical signals may cause a negative interaction loop, increasingly driving both groups apart into two distinct groups with different social interaction styles. Differences in verbal communication begin to be noticeable in childhood, as many autistic children develop language skills at an uneven pace. Verbal communication may be delayed or never develop ( nonverbal autism ), while reading ability may be present before school age ( hyperlexia ). Reduced joint attention seem to distinguish autistic from non-autistic infants. Infants may show delayed onset of babbling , unusual gestures, diminished responsiveness, and vocal patterns that are not synchronized with
SECTION 10
#17328022689741308-539: A new family ideology centred around the upbringing of children. Puritanism stressed the importance of individual salvation and concern for the spiritual welfare of children. The modern notion of childhood with its own autonomy and goals began to emerge during the 18th-century Enlightenment and the Romantic period that followed it. Jean Jacques Rousseau formulated the romantic attitude towards children in his famous 1762 novel Emile: or, On Education . Building on
1417-573: A person can depend on context, and may vary over time. While the DSM and ICD greatly influence each other, there are also differences. For example, Rett syndrome was included in ASD in the DSM-5, but in the ICD-11 it was excluded and placed in the chapter on Developmental Anomalies. The ICD and the DSM change over time, and there has been collaborative work toward a convergence of the two since 1980 (when DSM-III
1526-427: A person younger than the local age of majority (there are exceptions like, for example, the consume and purchase of alcoholic beverage even after said age of majority ), regardless of their physical, mental and sexual development as biological adults . Children generally have fewer rights and responsibilities than adults. They are generally classed as unable to make serious decisions. Child may also describe
1635-505: A person's ASD diagnosis did not influence their interest level. Thus, there has been a recent shift to acknowledge that autistic people may simply respond and behave differently than people without ASD. So far, research has identified two unconventional features by which autistic people create shared understanding ( intersubjectivity ): "a generous assumption of common ground that, when understood, led to rapid rapport, and, when not understood, resulted in potentially disruptive utterances; and
1744-547: A pervasive feature of the individual's functioning observable in all settings, although they may vary according to social, educational, or other context. Individuals along the spectrum exhibit a full range of intellectual functioning and language abilities. ICD-11 was produced by professionals from 55 countries out of the 90 involved and is the most widely used reference worldwide. The American Psychiatric Association 's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision ( DSM-5-TR ), released in 2022,
1853-487: A relationship with a parent (such as sons and daughters of any age) or, metaphorically , an authority figure , or signify group membership in a clan, tribe, or religion; it can also signify being strongly affected by a specific time, place, or circumstance, as in "a child of nature" or "a child of the Sixties." In the biological sciences, a child is usually defined as a person between birth and puberty, or between
1962-628: A result isolate themselves. Other behavioral characteristics include abnormal responses to sensations (such as sights, sounds, touch, taste and smell) and problems keeping a consistent speech rhythm. The latter problem influences social skills, leading to potential problems in understanding for interlocutors. Autistic people's behavioral characteristics typically influence development, language, and social competence. Their behavioral characteristics can be observed as perceptual disturbances, disturbances of development rate, relating, speech and language, and motility. The second core symptom of autism spectrum
2071-423: A set of closely related and overlapping diagnoses such as Asperger syndrome and the syndrome formerly known as Kanner syndrome . This created unclear boundaries between the terms, so for the DSM-5 and ICD-11, a spectrum approach was taken. The new system is also more restrictive, meaning fewer people qualify for diagnosis. The DSM-5 and ICD-11 use different categorization tools to define this spectrum. DSM-5 uses
2180-491: A small effect, and some of which are rare and have a large effect. The most common gene disrupted with large effect rare variants appeared to be CHD8 , but less than 0.5% of autistic people have such a mutation. The gene CHD8 encodes the protein chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 8, which is a chromatin regulator enzyme that is essential during fetal development. CHD8 is an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)–dependent enzyme. The protein contains an Snf2 helicase domain that
2289-716: A stage where they make new friends and gain new skills, which will enable them to become more independent and enhance their individuality. During middle childhood, children enter the school years, where they are presented with a different setting than they are used to. This new setting creates new challenges and faces for children. Upon the entrance of school, mental disorders that would normally not be noticed come to light. Many of these disorders include: autism , dyslexia , dyscalculia , and ADHD . Special education , least restrictive environment , response to intervention and individualized education plans are all specialized plans to help children with disabilities. Middle childhood
SECTION 20
#17328022689742398-399: A steady course without remission (different developmental timelines are described in more detail below). Autistic people may be severely impaired in some respects but average, or even superior, in others. Clinicians consider assessment for ASD when a patient shows: These features are typically assessed with the following, when appropriate: There are many signs associated with autism;
2507-448: A substantial fraction of autism cases may be traceable to genetic causes that are highly heritable but not inherited: that is, the mutation that causes the autism is not present in the parental genome. As of 2018 , understanding of genetic risk factors had shifted from a focus on a few alleles to an understanding that genetic involvement in ASD is probably diffuse, depending on a large number of variants, some of which are common and have
2616-472: A tendency to be associated with sedation and weight gain . Melatonin supplementation has been shown to improve insomnia related to autism. Stimulant therapy may improve mental processing speed when there is comorbid ADHD. Before the DSM-5 (2013) and ICD-11 (2022) diagnostic manuals were adopted, ASD was found under the diagnostic category pervasive developmental disorder . The previous system relied on
2725-508: A trend of increasing prevalence over time. This increasing prevalence has reinforced the myth perpetuated by anti-vaccine activists that autism is caused by vaccines . Boys are also significantly far more frequently diagnosed than girls. There is no known cure for autism, and the necessity of finding one is disputed amongst advocates. Early intervention services based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) aim to teach children self-care, social and communicative skills. Guidelines from
2834-536: A week with electronic media”. Research in 2007 has drawn a correlation between the declining number of National Park visits in the U.S. and increasing consumption of electronic media by children. The media has accelerated the trend for children's nature disconnection by deemphasizing views of nature, as in Disney films. The age at which children are considered responsible for their society-bound actions (e. g. marriage, voting, etc.) has also changed over time, and this
2943-496: A young age. Even though play is considered to be the most important to optimal child development, the environment affects their play and therefore their development. Poor children confront widespread environmental inequities as they experience less social support, and their parents are less responsive and more authoritarian. Children from low income families are less likely to have access to books and computers which would enhance their development. Children's street culture refers to
3052-406: Is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive, restricted, and inflexible patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as well as difficulties in social interaction and social communication. Autism generally affects a person's ability to understand and connect with others, as well as their adaptability to everyday situations, with its severity and support needs varying widely across
3161-726: Is a pattern of restricted and repetitive behaviors, activities, and interests. In order to be diagnosed with ASD under the DSM-5-TR, a person must have at least two of the following behaviors: Autistic people can display many forms of repetitive or restricted behavior, which the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) categorizes as follows. Self-injurious behaviors are relatively common in autistic people, and can include head-banging, self-cutting, self-biting, and hair-pulling. Some of these can result in serious injury or death. Following are theories about
3270-734: Is acquired during childhood. Autistic people display atypical nonverbal behaviors or show differences in nonverbal communication . They may make infrequent eye contact , even when called by name, or avoid it altogether. This may be due to the high amount of sensory input received when making eye contact. Autistic people often recognize fewer emotions and their meaning from others' facial expressions, and may not respond with facial expressions expected by their non-autistic peers. Temple Grandin , an autistic woman involved in autism activism, described her inability to understand neurotypicals ' social communication as leaving her feeling "like an anthropologist on Mars". Autistic people struggle to understand
3379-661: Is bidirectional, research on communication difficulties has since also begun to study non-autistic behavior, with researcher Catherine Crompton writing in 2020 that non-autistic people "struggle to identify autistic mental states, identify autistic facial expressions, overestimate autistic egocentricity, and are less willing to socially interact with autistic people. Thus, although non-autistic people are generally characterised as socially skilled, these skills may not be functional, or effectively applied, when interacting with autistic people." Any previously observed communication deficits of autistic people may thus have been constructed through
Kodomo - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-402: Is commonly defined as ages 9–12, ending with the major onset of puberty, with markers such as menarche , spermarche , and the peak of height velocity occurring. These changes usually occur between ages 11 and 14. It may also be defined as the 2-year period before the major onset of puberty. Preadolescence can bring its own challenges and anxieties. Preadolescent children have a different view of
3597-489: Is controlled by adults, children acquiesce to adult rules and concerns and lose some of the benefits play offers them. This is especially true in developing creativity, leadership, and group skills. Play is considered to be very important to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights as a right of every child. Children who are being raised in
3706-590: Is heritable. After an older child is diagnosed with ASD, 7% to 20% of subsequent children are likely to be as well. If parents have one autistic child, they have a 2% to 8% chance of having a second child who is autistic. If the autistic child is an identical twin, the other will be affected 36% to 95% of the time. A fraternal twin is affected up to 31% of the time. The large number of autistic people with unaffected family members may result from spontaneous structural variation , such as deletions , duplications or inversions in genetic material during meiosis . Hence,
3815-420: Is lowered activity in the fusiform face area of the brain, which is associated with impaired perception of people versus objects. It has been proposed to classify autism using genetics as well as behavior. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be classified into two categories: "syndromic autism" and "non-syndromic autism". Syndromic autism refers to cases where ASD is one of the characteristics associated with
3924-522: Is more likely with other co-existing diagnoses. Others have relatively low support needs; they may have more typical speech-language and intellectual skills but atypical social/conversation skills, narrowly focused interests , and wordy, pedantic communication. They may still require significant support in some areas of their lives. The spectrum model should not be understood as a continuum running from mild to severe, but instead means that autism can present very differently in each person. How it presents in
4033-590: Is natural, the rate of PTSD occurs in anywhere from 3 to 87 percent of affected children. However, rates of PTSD for children living in chronic conflict conditions varies from 15 to 50 percent. Child protection (also called child welfare) is the safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. It involves identifying signs of potential harm. This includes responding to allegations or suspicions of abuse, providing support and services to protect children, and holding those who have harmed them accountable. The primary goal of child protection
4142-455: Is often seen as an integral part of coming of age . It is usually thought of as an experience or period in a child's life that widens their awareness of evil, pain or the world around them. This theme is demonstrated in the novels To Kill a Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies . The fictional character Peter Pan was the embodiment of a childhood that never ends. Children's health includes
4251-711: Is possible to identify general factors, but much more difficult to pinpoint specific ones. Given the current state of knowledge, prediction can only be of a global nature and so requires the use of general markers. Research into causes has been hampered by the inability to identify biologically meaningful subgroups within the autistic population and by the traditional boundaries between the disciplines of psychiatry , psychology , neurology and pediatrics . Newer technologies such as fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging can help identify biologically relevant phenotypes (observable traits) that can be viewed on brain scans , to help further neurogenetic studies of autism; one example
4360-548: Is reflected in the way they are treated in courts of law. In Roman times, children were regarded as not culpable for crimes, a position later adopted by the Church. In the 19th century, children younger than seven years old were believed incapable of crime. Children from the age of seven forward were considered responsible for their actions. Therefore, they could face criminal charges, be sent to adult prison, and be punished like adults by whipping, branding or hanging. However, courts at
4469-422: Is responsible for the hydrolysis of ATP to adenosine diphosphate (ADP). CHD8 encodes a DNA helicase that functions as a repressor of transcription, remodeling chromatin structure by altering the position of nucleosomes. CHD8 negatively regulates Wnt signaling . Wnt signaling is important in the vertebrate early development and morphogenesis. It is believed that CHD8 also recruits the linker histone H1 and causes
Kodomo - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-726: Is the current version of the DSM. It is the predominant mental health diagnostic system used in the United States and Canada, and is often used in Anglophone countries. Its fifth edition, DSM-5 , released in May 2013, was the first to define ASD as a single diagnosis, which is still the case in the DSM-5-TR. ASD encompasses previous diagnoses, including the four traditional diagnoses of autism— classic autism , Asperger syndrome , childhood disintegrative disorder , and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)—and
4687-428: Is the time when children begin to understand responsibility and are beginning to be shaped by their peers and parents. Chores and more responsible decisions come at this time, as do social comparison and social play. During social play, children learn from and teach each other, often through observation. Preadolescence is a stage of human development following early childhood and preceding adolescence . Preadolescence
4796-447: Is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them. Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other children or adult caregivers. Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. However, when play
4905-471: Is to ensure that all children are safe and free from harm or danger. Child protection also works to prevent future harm by creating policies and systems that identify and respond to risks before they lead to harm. In order to achieve these goals, research suggests that child protection services should be provided in a holistic way. This means taking into account the social, economic, cultural, psychological, and environmental factors that can contribute to
5014-399: Is unclear whether ASD is explained more by rare mutations with major effects, or by rare multi-gene interactions of common genetic variants. Complexity arises due to interactions among multiple genes, the environment, and epigenetic factors which do not change DNA sequencing but are heritable and influence gene expression . Many genes have been associated with autism through sequencing
5123-786: The Centres for Disease Control (CDC), NICE and European Society for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry endorse the use of ABA as it reduces symptoms that impair daily functioning and quality of life, although NICE acknowledges that ABA does not meet the highest level of evidence-quality. Additionally, some in the autism rights movement oppose its application due to a perception that it emphasises normalisation. Speech and occupational therapy , as well as augmentative and alternative modes of communication , are effective adjunctive therapies . At present, no medication has been shown to reduce "core symptoms" of ASD. However, some atypical antipsychotics can alleviate comorbid irritability, though with
5232-493: The Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders published a systematic review of 21 studies investigating associations between ASD, problematic internet use, and gaming disorder where the majority of the studies found positive associations between the disorders. Exactly what causes autism remains unknown. It was long mostly presumed that there is a common cause at the genetic, cognitive, and neural levels for
5341-531: The tabula rasa , which considered the mind at birth to be a "blank slate". A corollary of this doctrine was that the mind of the child was born blank, and that it was the duty of the parents to imbue the child with correct notions. During the early period of capitalism , the rise of a large, commercial middle class, mainly in the Protestant countries of the Dutch Republic and England , brought about
5450-883: The underlying spectrum . For example, some are nonverbal , while others have proficient spoken language. A formal diagnosis of ASD according to either the DSM-5 or the ICD-11 criteria requires not merely the presence of ASD symptoms, but symptoms that cause significant impairment in multiple domains of functioning, in addition to being atypical or excessive for the individual's age and sociocultural context. Common signs of ASD include difficulty with social interaction and verbal and nonverbal communication , along with perseverative interests , stereotypic body movements , rigid routines, and hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input . The World Health Organization (WHO), UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and American Psychological Association classify autism as
5559-554: The 1600s, the concept of childhood began to emerge in Europe, however other historians like Nicholas Orme have challenged this view and argued that childhood has been seen as a separate stage since at least the medieval period. Adults saw children as separate beings, innocent and in need of protection and training by the adults around them. The English philosopher John Locke was particularly influential in defining this new attitude towards children, especially with regard to his theory of
SECTION 50
#17328022689745668-499: The 20th century, Philippe Ariès , a French historian specializing in medieval history , suggested that childhood was not a natural phenomenon, but a creation of society in his 1960 book Centuries of Childhood . In 1961 he published a study of paintings, gravestones, furniture, and school records, finding that before the 17th century, children were represented as mini-adults. In 1966, the American philosopher George Boas published
5777-478: The Central African Republic having the highest average rate at 27.9%. Before contraception became widely available in the 20th century, women had little choice other than abstinence or having often many children. In fact, current population growth concerns have only become possible with drastically reduced child mortality and sustained fertility. In 2017 the global total fertility rate
5886-452: The DSM-5, the DSM separated social deficits and communication deficits into two domains. Further, the DSM-5 changed to an onset age in the early developmental period, with a note that symptoms may manifest later when social demands exceed capabilities, rather than the previous, more restricted three years of age. These changes remain in the DSM-5-TR. For many autistic people, characteristics first appear during infancy or childhood and follow
5995-929: The Rights of the Child protects the fundamental rights of children. Play is essential to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children. It offers children opportunities for physical (running, jumping, climbing, etc.), intellectual (social skills, community norms, ethics and general knowledge) and emotional development (empathy, compassion, and friendships). Unstructured play encourages creativity and imagination. Playing and interacting with other children, as well as some adults, provides opportunities for friendships, social interactions, conflicts and resolutions. However, adults tend to (often mistakenly) assume that virtually all children's social activities can be understood as "play" and, furthermore, that children's play activities do not involve much skill or effort. It
6104-666: The age of 18 in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by South Asia at 30%. Lower levels were found in Latin America and Caribbean (25%), the Middle East and North Africa (18%), and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (11%), while rates in Western Europe and North America were minimal. Child marriage is more prevalent with girls, but also involves boys. A 2018 study in the journal Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies found that, worldwide, 4.5% of males are married before age 18, with
6213-435: The age of majority. In Singapore , for example, a child is legally defined as someone under the age of 14 under the "Children and Young Persons Act" whereas the age of majority is 21. In U.S. Immigration Law, a child refers to anyone who is under the age of 21. Some English definitions of the word child include the fetus (sometimes termed the unborn ). In many cultures, a child is considered an adult after undergoing
6322-547: The beginning of adulthood varies by country and by function, and even within a single nation-state or culture there may be different ages at which an individual is considered to be mature enough to be entrusted by society with certain tasks. During the European Renaissance , artistic depictions of children increased dramatically, which did not have much effect on the social attitude toward children, however. The French historian Philippe Ariès argued that during
6431-539: The book The Cult of Childhood . Since then, historians have increasingly researched childhood in past times. In 2006, Hugh Cunningham published the book Invention of Childhood , looking at British childhood from the year 1000, the Middle Ages , to what he refers to as the Post War Period of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Childhood evolves and changes as lifestyles change and adult expectations alter. In
6540-516: The caregiver. In the second and third years, autistic children may have less frequent and less diverse babbling, consonants, words, and word combinations; their gestures are less often integrated with words. Autistic children are less likely to make requests or share experiences and more likely to simply repeat others' words ( echolalia ). The CDC estimated in 2015 that around 40% of autistic children do not speak at all. Autistic adults' verbal communication skills largely depend on when and how well speech
6649-417: The cause of self-injurious behavior in children with developmental delay, including autistic children: The suicide rate for verbal autistics is nine times that of the general population. Studies have supported the common belief that autistic people become exhausted or burnt out in some situations. Autistic people may have symptoms that do not contribute to the official diagnosis, but that can affect
SECTION 60
#17328022689746758-697: The centrality of children found that Italy was more child-centric and the Netherlands less child-centric, with other countries, such as Austria, Great Britain, Ireland and West Germany falling in between. In 2013, child marriage rates of female children under the age of 18 reached 75% in Niger, 68% in Central African Republic and Chad, 66% in Bangladesh, and 47% in India . According to a 2019 UNICEF report on child marriage, 37% of females were married before
6867-546: The child becomes less dependent on parental assistance for basic needs, early childhood continues approximately until the age of 5 or 6. However, according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children , early childhood also includes infancy. At this stage children are learning through observing, experimenting and communicating with others. Adults supervise and support the development process of
6976-499: The child's imagination. Lewis Carroll 's fantasy Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , published in 1865 in England, was a landmark in the genre; regarded as the first "English masterpiece written for children", its publication opened the "First Golden Age" of children's literature. The latter half of the 19th century saw the introduction of compulsory state schooling of children across Europe, which decisively removed children from
7085-467: The child, which then will lead to the child's autonomy. Also during this stage, a strong emotional bond is created between the child and the care providers. The children also start preschool and kindergarten at this age: and hence their social lives. Middle childhood begins at around age 7, and ends at around age 9 or 10. Together, early and middle childhood are called formative years. In this middle period, children develop socially and mentally. They are at
7194-461: The contrary, other scientists argue that ASD impairs functioning in many ways that are inherent to the disorder itself and unrelated to society. The neurodiversity perspective has led to significant controversy among those who are autistic and advocates, practitioners, and charities. The precise causes of autism are unknown in most individual cases. Research shows that the disorder is highly heritable and polygenic, and neurobiological risks from
7303-690: The cumulative culture created by young children and is sometimes referred to as their secret world . It is most common in children between the ages of seven and twelve. It is strongest in urban working class industrial districts where children are traditionally free to play out in the streets for long periods without supervision. It is invented and largely sustained by children themselves with little adult interference. Young children's street culture usually takes place on quiet backstreets and pavements, and along routes that venture out into local parks , playgrounds , scrub and wasteland, and to local shops. It often imposes imaginative status on certain sections of
7412-513: The current disorder-focused spectrum model deconstruct autism into at least two separate phenomena: (1) a non-pathological spectrum of behavioral traits in the population, and (2) the neuropathological burden of rare genetic mutations and environmental risk factors potentially leading to neurodevelopmental and psychological disorders, (3) governed by an individual's cognitive ability to compensate. The World Health Organization 's International Classification of Diseases (11th revision), ICD-11 ,
7521-400: The development of the autism spectrum, but it cannot be guaranteed that they are determinants for the development. ASD may be under-diagnosed in women and girls due to an assumption that it is primarily a male condition, but genetic phenomena such as imprinting and X linkage have the ability to raise the frequency and severity of conditions in males, and theories have been put forward for
7630-499: The developmental period of infancy and puberty. Legally, the term child may refer to anyone below the age of majority or some other age limit. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines child as, "A human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier." This is ratified by 192 of 194 member countries. The term child may also refer to someone below another legally defined age limit unconnected to
7739-415: The divergence between high-minded romantic ideals of childhood and the reality of the growing magnitude of child exploitation in the workplace, became increasingly apparent. By the late 18th century, British children were specially employed in factories and mines and as chimney sweeps , often working long hours in dangerous jobs for low pay. As the century wore on, the contradiction between the conditions on
7848-449: The educational level of women, ranging from 5–8 children in women without education to less than 2 in women with 12 or more years of education. Emergencies and conflicts pose detrimental risks to the health , safety, and well-being of children. There are many different kinds of conflicts and emergencies, e.g. wars and natural disasters . As of 2010 approximately 13 million children are displaced by armed conflicts and violence around
7957-449: The environment are also relevant. Autism frequently co-occurs with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy and intellectual disability , and research indicates that autistic people have significantly higher rates of LGBTQ+ identities and feelings than the general population. Disagreements persist about what should be included as part of the diagnosis, whether there are meaningful subtypes or stages of autism, and
8066-518: The exploitation of children at the workplace The modern attitude to children emerged by the late 19th century; the Victorian middle and upper classes emphasized the role of the family and the sanctity of the child – an attitude that has remained dominant in Western societies ever since. The genre of children's literature took off, with a proliferation of humorous, child-oriented books attuned to
8175-693: The exposure starts at a younger age. In April 2021, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders published a systematic review of 12 studies of video game addiction in ASD subjects that found that children, adolescents, and adults with ASD are at greater risk of video game addiction than those without ASD, and that the data from the studies suggested that internal and external factors (sex, attention and oppositional behavior problems, social aspects, access and time spent playing video games, parental rules, and game genre) were significant predictors of video game addiction in ASD subjects. In March 2022,
8284-418: The flawed, human side of authority figures). Alongside that, they may begin to develop a sense of self - identity , and to have increased feelings of independence : 'may feel an individual, no longer "just one of the family."' Adolescence is usually determined to be between the onset of puberty and legal adulthood: mostly corresponding to the teenage years (13–19). However, puberty usually begins before
8393-562: The genomes of affected people and their parents. But most of the mutations that increase autism risk have not been identified. Typically, autism cannot be traced to a Mendelian (single-gene) mutation or to a single chromosome abnormality , and none of the genetic syndromes associated with ASD have been shown to selectively cause ASD. Numerous genes have been found, with only small effects attributable to any particular gene. Most loci individually explain less than 1% of cases of autism. As of 2018 , it appeared that between 74% and 93% of ASD risk
8502-838: The global level, Article 13 of the United Nations ' 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) recognizes the right of everyone to an education. Education is compulsory in most places up to a certain age, but attendance at school may not be, with alternative options such as home-schooling or e-learning being recognized as valid forms of education in certain jurisdictions. Children in some countries (especially in parts of Africa and Asia) are often kept out of school, or attend only for short periods. Data from UNICEF indicate that in 2011, 57 million children were out of school; and more than 20% of African children have never attended primary school or have left without completing primary education. According to
8611-464: The ground for poor children and the middle-class notion of childhood as a time of simplicity and innocence led to the first campaigns for the imposition of legal protection for children. British reformers attacked child labor from the 1830s onward, bolstered by the horrific descriptions of London street life by Charles Dickens . The campaign eventually led to the Factory Acts , which mitigated
8720-403: The ideas of John Locke and other 17th-century thinkers, Jean-Jaques Rousseau described childhood as a brief period of sanctuary before people encounter the perils and hardships of adulthood. Sir Joshua Reynolds ' extensive children portraiture demonstrated the new enlightened attitudes toward young children. His 1788 painting The Age of Innocence emphasizes the innocence and natural grace of
8829-410: The individual's age and sociocultural context. The onset of the disorder occurs during the developmental period, typically in early childhood, but symptoms may not become fully manifest until later, when social demands exceed limited capacities. Deficits are sufficiently severe to cause impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and are usually
8938-815: The interpersonal relationship difficulties between autistic people and their non-autistic counterparts and how to solve them through teaching neurotypical social skills, but newer research has also evaluated what autistic people want from friendships, such as a sense of belonging and good mental health. Children with ASD are more frequently involved in bullying situations than their non-autistic peers, and predominantly experience bullying as victims rather than perpetrators or victim-perpetrators, especially after controlling for comorbid psychopathology. Prioritizing dependability and intimacy in friendships during adolescence, coupled with lowered friendship quantity and quality, often lead to increased loneliness in autistic people. As they progress through life, autistic people observe and form
9047-407: The modern era, many adults believe that children should not have any worries or work, as life should be happy and trouble-free. Childhood is seen as a mixture of simplicity, innocence, happiness, fun, imagination, and wonder. It is thought of as a time of playing, learning, socializing, exploring, and worrying in a world without much adult interference. A "loss of innocence" is a common concept, and
9156-443: The other hand, genes controlling expression of glial and immune cells in the brain, e.g. astrocytes and microglia , respectively, are over-expressed, which correlates with increased number of glial and immune cells found in postmortem ASD brains. Some genes under investigation in ASD pathophysiology are those that affect the mTOR signaling pathway, which supports cell growth and survival. All these genetic variants contribute to
9265-577: The person or the family. In September 2018, the Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders published a systematic review of 47 studies published from 2005 to 2016 that concluded that associations between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and screen time was inconclusive. In May 2019, the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics published a systematic review of 16 studies that found that children and adolescents with ASD are exposed to more screen time than typically developing peers and that
9374-687: The physical, mental and social well-being of children. Maintaining children's health implies offering them healthy foods, insuring they get enough sleep and exercise, and protecting their safety. Children in certain parts of the world often suffer from malnutrition , which is often associated with other conditions, such diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria. Child protection, according to UNICEF, refers to "preventing and responding to violence, exploitation and abuse against children – including commercial sexual exploitation , trafficking , child labour and harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation /cutting and child marriage ". The Convention on
9483-538: The places and spaces in which children live. Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods , refers to the trend in the United States and Canada towards less time for outdoor play, resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems. With increasing use of cellphones, computers, video games and television, children have more reasons to stay inside rather than outdoors exploring. “The average American child spends 44 hours
9592-637: The posing child and soon became a public favourite. The idea of childhood as a locus of divinity, purity, and innocence is further expounded upon in William Wordsworth 's "Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood", the imagery of which he "fashioned from a complex mix of pastoral aesthetics, pantheistic views of divinity, and an idea of spiritual purity based on an Edenic notion of pastoral innocence infused with Neoplatonic notions of reincarnation". This Romantic conception of childhood, historian Margaret Reeves suggests, has
9701-438: The presence of other disorders or factors that likely contribute to the symptoms, other neurodevelopmental or mental disorders, intellectual disability, or language impairment). The symptom domains are (a) social communication and (b) restricted, repetitive behaviors, and there is the option of specifying a separate severity—the negative effect of the symptoms on the person—for each domain, rather than just overall severity. Before
9810-1396: The presentation varies widely: The broader autism phenotype describes people who may not have ASD but do have autistic traits , such as abnormalities in eye contact and stimming . According to the medical model, autistic people experience social communications impairments . Until 2013, deficits in social function and communication were considered two separate symptom domains. The current social communication domain criteria for autism diagnosis require people to have deficits across three social skills: social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and developing and sustaining relationships. A deficit-based view predicts that autistic–autistic interaction would be less effective than autistic–non-autistic interactions or even non-functional. But recent research has found that autistic–autistic interactions are as effective in information transfer as interactions between non-autistics are, and that communication breaks down only between autistics and non-autistics. Also contrary to social cognitive deficit interpretations, recent (2019) research recorded similar social cognitive performances in autistic and non-autistic adults, with both of them rating autistic individuals less favorably than non-autistic individuals; however, autistic individuals showed more interest in engaging with autistic people than non-autistic people did, and learning of
9919-419: The range of diagnoses that included the word "autism". Rather than distinguishing among these diagnoses, the DSM-5 and DSM-5-TR adopt a dimensional approach with one diagnostic category for disorders that fall under the autism spectrum umbrella. Within that category, the DSM-5 and the DSM include a framework that differentiates each person by dimensions of symptom severity, as well as by associated features (i.e.,
10028-917: The regulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and the regulation of X chromosome inactivation (XCI) initiation, via regulation of Xist long non-coding RNA, the master regulator of XCI, though competitive binding to Xist regulatory regions. Some ASD is associated with clearly genetic conditions, like fragile X syndrome , but only around 2% of autistic people have fragile X. Hypotheses from evolutionary psychiatry suggest that these genes persist because they are linked to human inventiveness, intelligence or systemising. Current research suggests that genes that increase susceptibility to ASD are ones that control protein synthesis in neuronal cells in response to cell needs, activity and adhesion of neuronal cells, synapse formation and remodeling, and excitatory to inhibitory neurotransmitter balance. Therefore, although up to 1,000 different genes are thought to increase
10137-772: The repression of β-catenin and p53 target genes. The importance of CHD8 can be observed in studies where CHD8-knockout mice died after 5.5 embryonic days because of widespread p53-induced apoptosis. Some studies have determined the role of CHD8 in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). CHD8 expression significantly increases during human mid-fetal development. The chromatin remodeling activity and its interaction with transcriptional regulators have shown to play an important role in ASD aetiology . The developing mammalian brain has conserved CHD8 target regions that are associated with ASD risk genes. The knockdown of CHD8 in human neural stem cells results in dysregulation of ASD risk genes that are targeted by CHD8. Recently CHD8 has been associated with
10246-452: The risk of ASD, all of them eventually affect normal neural development and connectivity between different functional areas of the brain in a similar manner that is characteristic of an ASD brain. Some of these genes are known to modulate production of the GABA neurotransmitter, the nervous system's main inhibitory neurotransmitter. These GABA-related genes are under-expressed in an ASD brain. On
10355-648: The risk of harm for individual children and their families. Collaboration across sectors and disciplines to create a comprehensive system of support and safety for children is required. It is the responsibility of individuals, organizations, and governments to ensure that children are protected from harm and their rights are respected. This includes providing a safe environment for children to grow and develop, protecting them from physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and ensuring they have access to education, healthcare, and resources to fulfill their basic needs. Autism Autism , or autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ),
10464-409: The significance of autism-associated traits in the wider population. The combination of broader criteria, increased awareness, and the potential increase of actual prevalence, has led to considerably increased estimates of autism prevalence since the 1990s. The WHO estimates about 1 in 100 children had autism between 2012 and 2021, as that was the average estimate in studies during that period, with
10573-546: The social and non-social components of ASD's symptoms, described as a triad in the classic autism criteria. But it is increasingly suspected that autism is instead a complex disorder whose core aspects have distinct causes that often cooccur. It is unlikely that ASD has a single cause; many risk factors identified in the research literature may contribute to ASD. These include genetics, prenatal and perinatal factors (meaning factors during pregnancy or very early infancy), neuroanatomical abnormalities, and environmental factors. It
10682-523: The social context and subtext of neurotypical conversational or printed situations, and form different conclusions about the content. Autistic people may not control the volume of their voice in different social settings. At least half of autistic children have atypical prosody . What may look like self-involvement or indifference to non-autistic people stems from autistic differences in recognizing how other people have their own personalities, perspectives, and interests. Most published research focuses on
10791-406: The teenage years. Although biologically a child is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty , adolescents are legally considered children, as they tend to lack adult rights and are still required to attend compulsory schooling in many cultures, though this varies. The onset of adolescence brings about various physical, psychological and behavioral changes. The end of adolescence and
10900-559: The time would consider the offender's age when deliberating sentencing. Minimum employment age and marriage age also vary. The age limit of voluntary/involuntary military service is also disputed at the international level. Education, in the general sense, refers to the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and preparing intellectually for mature life. Formal education most often takes place through schooling . A right to education has been recognized by some governments. At
11009-404: The urban realm (local buildings, kerbs, street objects, etc.). Children designate specific areas that serve as informal meeting and relaxation places (see: Sobel, 2001). An urban area that looks faceless or neglected to an adult may have deep ' spirit of place ' meanings in to children. Since the advent of indoor distractions such as video games , and television , concerns have been expressed about
11118-482: The utility or meaning of body language , social reciprocity, or social expectations, including the habitus , social cues , and some aspects of sarcasm, which to some degree may also be due to comorbid alexithymia . But recent research has increasingly questioned these findings, as the " double empathy problem " theory (2012) argues that there is a lack of mutual understanding and empathy between both non-autistic persons and autistic individuals. As communication
11227-405: The vitality – or even the survival – of children's street culture. The geographies of childhood involves how (adult) society perceives the idea of childhood, the many ways adult attitudes and behaviors affect children's lives, including the environment which surrounds children and its implications. The geographies of childhood is similar in some respects to children's geographies which examines
11336-468: The workplace into schools. The market economy of the 19th century enabled the concept of childhood as a time of fun, happiness, and imagination. Factory-made dolls and doll houses delighted the girls and organized sports and activities were played by the boys. The Boy Scouts was founded by Sir Robert Baden-Powell in 1908, which provided young boys with outdoor activities aiming at developing character, citizenship, and personal fitness qualities. In
11445-426: The world from younger children in many significant ways. Typically, theirs is a more realistic view of life than the intense, fantasy-oriented world of earliest childhood. Preadolescents have more mature, sensible, realistic thoughts and actions: 'the most "sensible" stage of development...the child is a much less emotional being now.' Preadolescents may well view human relationships differently (e.g. they may notice
11554-408: The world. Where violent conflicts are the norm, the lives of young children are significantly disrupted and their families have great difficulty in offering the sensitive and consistent care that young children need for their healthy development. Studies on the effect of emergencies and conflict on the physical and mental health of children between birth and 8 years old show that where the disaster
11663-469: Was estimated to be 2.37 children per woman, adding about 80 million people to the world population per year. In order to measure the total number of children, scientists often prefer the completed cohort fertility at age 50 years (CCF50). Although the number of children is also influenced by cultural norms , religion , peer pressure and other social factors, the CCF50 appears to be most heavily dependent on
11772-574: Was published and ICD-9 was current), including more rigorous biological assessment—in place of historical experience—and a simplification of the classification system. As of 2023, empirical and theoretical research is leading to a growing consensus among researchers that the established ASD criteria are ineffective descriptors of autism as a whole, and that alternative research approaches must be encouraged, such as going back to autism prototypes, exploring new causal models of autism, or developing transdiagnostic endophenotypes . Proposed alternatives to
11881-466: Was released in June 2018 and came into full effect as of January 2022. It describes ASD as follows: Autism spectrum disorder is characterised by persistent deficits in the ability to initiate and to sustain reciprocal social interaction and social communication, and by a range of restricted, repetitive, and inflexible patterns of behaviour, interests or activities that are clearly atypical or excessive for
#973026