HSOC 052 The Autism Epidemic: From cells to society *NEW*
Offered:Fall 2009
Mandell TR 3-4:30
Freshman Seminar
The CDC estimates that 1 in 150 children have autism. Three decades ago, this number was 1 in 5,000. The communities in which these children are identified in ever increasing numbers are ill prepared to meet their needs. Scientists have struggled to understand the causes of this disorder, its treatment, and why it appears to be rapidly increasing. Families, policy makers, schools and the healthcare system have argued bitterly in the press and in the courts about the best way to care for these children and the best ways to pay for this care.
In this class, we will use autism as a case study to understand how psychiatric and developmental disorders of childhood come to be defined over time, their biological and environmental causes identified, and treatments developed. We will also discuss the identification and care of these children in the broader context of the American education and healthcare systems. By the end of this course, it is expected that
students will:
--Be familiar with the presentation, epidemiology, causes and treatment of autism;
--Understand the strategies involved in advancing science in these areas;
--Understand the organization, financing and delivery of care to children with autism in the United States;
--Be able to critically evaluate related research;
--Make specific, practical suggestions about the next stages of autism research and ways to improve care.
