Dispositivo inovador promete facilitar diagnóstico de autismo
Um grupo de pesquisadores norte-americanos desenvolveu um novo dispositivo chamado EarliPoint, que utiliza tecnologia de rastreamento ocular para facilitar o diagnóstico de autismo em crianças. O dispositivo, de propriedade da empresa EarliTec, já foi aprovado pela FDA (Food and Drug Administration), a agência reguladora americana, para uso em crianças entre 16 e 30 meses de idade. Ele pode ser operado por profissionais de saúde habilitados em qualquer local que tenha conexão à internet, com um treinamento que leva menos de uma hora.(...)
자폐증은 생애초기에 발생된다. 선천성이 매우 강하다. 그럼에도 불구하고, 소외지역과 소수집단 등 열악한 환경에서 더욱 어려움과 고립을 겪는다.
비록 과학이 그곳/ 그 문제를 위해 있지만, 그 사회에 영향을 미치지 못한다면, 그 문제와 관련된 과학은 없는 것이다.
생애초기 아기의 시선 추적을 통해 아이가 살고 있는 세상을 과학적으로 분석하고자 했다. 보편적인 아기들은 사람을 더 따라보고, 자폐증상이 있는 아기들은 회전문과 같은 것에 시선이 더 따른다.
과학자들은 생존적으로 사람과 사회적으로 상호작용하는 것이 필요하며, 일반적인 사람은 사람과 사물에 대한 세상이 구분되는데, 자폐증인 아이들은 이런 사람과 사물의 경계구분이 어렵다는 실험을 통한 결론을 내린다. 그리고 시선 추적을 통해 생후 2개월경부터 시선의 차이가 유의미하게 구분된다는 것이 현재 밝혀진 바이다.
이런 과학적 사실을 토대로 아미 클린 박사는, 자폐증 자체를 낫게 하자는 의미가 아니라, 조기 중재를 통해 사회적 고립이나, 지적/언어적 제한을 최소화하고, 잘 할 수 있는 능력을 의미있게 발달하도록 지원하고, 가족을 지지하고, 참여를 지원하고자 실무에 이 기술의 가치를 두고자 하였다.
The first two videos in the Yale Autism Seminar on iTunes U, including lectures by Fred Volkmar and Ami Klin.
Two TEDtalks, one by Ami Klin and the other by Temple Grandin (an individual who has autism and is also an activist).
The Reason
A while ago, I was watching the news, and heard a segment dedicated to a new technology that could be used to help autistic children. I was very interested in the piece, but a couple minutes in realized something crucial -- I could not effectively define autism! So today, I set out to change that.
What was Learned
I found that the more I researched the topic, the easier it became to understand. Here are the key concepts:
Autism is primarily a social disorder. It comes in a variety of degrees, so is sometimes referred to as a "spectrum" of disorders, ranging from least severe to most.
It begins presenting itself very early on in life, and, if caught at this time, can be "cured" through hours of sessions and therapy. This is not to say that an individual can be certifiably cured of Autism -- it just means that, with treatment, an individual can usually regain the skills that he/she needs to lead an active and functioning life.
The big difference between people with Autism and the unaffected population is how they perceive the world. Most people are born with an innate desire to want to be around other people, to hear human voices, look into other humans' eyes, etc. Autistic individuals are born with this instinct as well -- but somewhere early in development, they lose it, and instead tend to feel more comfortable in the world of things instead of people.
Reactions and Conclusions
I think much is to be benefited from the creation of an actual spectrum that could be used to diagnose individuals (i.e. 1=least severe, 5=moderate, etc). This is a condition that needs to be researched quite a bit more. I also wonder if there is any sort of connection between individuals who are self-proclaimed introverts and autistic individuals. To me, autism seems almost like a shyness that is so extreme, it is downright debilitating. (Of course, this is just an oversimplification, and I am not in ANY WAY claiming that autism is something that can be overcome with just a bit more effort.) Overall, a very fascinating subject. Hearing Temple Grandin's talk was especially intriguing -- I might even watch the biopic about her ("Temple Grandin" with actress Clare Danes) this Friday.
