Give a speech in front of classmates. Hug a best friend after a hard day. Change the daily routine at school. These are just a few examples of activities that most children with autism consider their worst nightmare. Even though an autistic child can be, and probably is, bright, they find themselves trapped inside. Autism spectrum disorder, universally known as autism, is a condition that causes the child to face mental, physical and emotional challenges. “A lot of new brain research is lifting the veil” on autism and revealing its effects on child health. mind (Cray and Wallis 43). Neuroscientist Eric Courchesne of San Diego Children's Hospital revealed that "even though autistic children are born with ordinary-sized brains, they experience rapid expansion by the age of two" (Cray and Wallis 45). Much of this growth is due to excess white matter, the nerve fibers that connect different areas of the brain. The abundance of white matter led doctors to believe that autism was a problem related to brain function. Marcel Just, director of the Carnegie Mellon Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, wrote that “there is a lack of synchronization” between different areas of the brain (Cray and Wallis 46). Local areas of the brain, such as the frontal lobes and amygdala, are overly connected, while links between more distant regions, such as the right and left hemispheres, are poorly connected. The amygdala is an area of ​​the autistic brain that is enlarged. The amygdala's job is to evaluate threats in the environment or in emotional and social behavior. It could be expanded due to the fact that autistic children maintain high levels of anxiety when having to interact with other people. Ano...... middle of paper ...... heir advantage. Works Cited Aitken, Kenneth; Papoudi, Despina; Robarts, Jacqueline. Autistic children: diagnosis and interventions to meet their needs. 2nd ed. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley, 1998. Google Scholar. Internet. September 27, 2013. Cowley, Geoffrey; Undergrowth, Anne; Murr, Andrew; Springen, Karen; Sennott, Sarah. “Girls, boys and autism”. News week. Flight. 142 Number 10, p42-50. 8 p.m. September 8, 2003. Professional and Career Collection. Internet. September 26, 2013. “Deep pressure, weighted vests and blankets.” » Special Needs.com. Lackland Company, sdWeb. November 16, 2013.Smalls, F. Romall. “Write from the heart. » School news. Edition 5/6. Flight. 78 Number 21. 1p. April 12, 2010. Middle Search Plus. Internet. September 27, 2013. Wallis, Claudia; Cray, Dan. “Inside the autistic mind”. Time. Flight. 167 Issue 20, p42-48. 7 p.m., May 15, 2006. Middle Search Plus. Web September 26. 2013.