Interesting Essay Questions About Queen Elizabeth I Example For Students

Interesting Essay Questions About Queen Elizabeth I Queen Elizabeth I Were Queen Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great effective rulers? Were their reignscharacterized as good or not so well? Disregarding the opinion of those who reignedconcurrently or historians today, these two ruled their country in a time of turmoil anduncertainty! The world and the people within it were undergoing a major transition. Newlands were being discovered as well as major role-playing continents and countries werechanging status. Some losing power while others gained it. Queen Elizabeth I andCatherine the Great ruled their country to the extent in which they were able and theirsubjects allowed them to. Queen Elizabeth I of England was a remarkable ruler. Elizabethwas born in 1533 to Henry VIII of England and took the throne in 1588 at the age oftwenty-five and reigned until 1603 when she passed away (Sowards, 28). Elizabeth wasthe last of the Tudor Dynasty (Upshur, 465). Due to her fathers uncontrollablehap-hazardous rule, Elizabeth, at only the age of twenty-five, was already faced withdilemma within England. Henry VIII wanted a male to take over his throne so when he felthis time was running out, Henry VIII needed to divorce his Queen at that time but theCatholic Church doesnt allow this. He separated from the church and brought Englandwith him. He turned England into a protestant nation. Needless to say people wereconfused and had to make huge adjustments. At the beginning of Elizabeths reign therewas confusion. She was a firm Catholic however she made a compromise between the tworeligions. Queen Elizabeths decision was due largely from the consent of her people(Upshur, 465). However, Elizabeth knew that two religions would cause problems. Asreestablished, the Anglican Church was protestant in its Theology, but much of its ritualand ecclesiastical organization remained Catholic in form(Upshur, 465). Elizabethbelieved that loyalty of her people would bring them together as well as the country. Thepeople were not forced by the state but by their own consciences. The people of Englandsaw Queen Elizabeth as compassionate as well as decisive. By allowing the people todecide, Queen Elizabeth gained their trust and loyalty unlike her father before her. QueenElizabeth did not force the people but allowed them to decide on their own and for theirvoices to be the deciding factor. In fact, The greatest achievement in English history, thebreaking the bonds of Rome, and the establishment of spiritual independence, wascompleted without bloodshed under Elizabeths auspices, and Elizabeth may have theglory of the work(Sowards, 37). The people of England were in no need of a governmentthat was more concerned about it more than it was for the people. Elizabeth was Queenbut she established good ties with parliament. England did not need the rule of a monarchythat controlled strictly, took the peoples wealth, and taxed. By taxing the peopleparliament could control the people (Upshur, 464). However, this was the exact oppositeof what Queen Elizabeth did. She was wealthy, however, she allowed the people ofEngland to have the opportunity to gain wealth. Without alienating public opinion, QueenElizabeth gained what she wanted. Queen Elizabeths policies coincided with the interestsof the people (Upshur, 465). Queen Elizabeth was active in foreign policy. The people ofEngland, her subjects, began to see new materials due to her intervention in foreign policy.Furthermore, they began to obtain wealth. Elizabeth began trade with India and granted acharter to the English East India Company (Upshur, 465). This opened the path for tradeas well as the ideas for others to strive to achieve goals, and to set higher standards. Thisgave some morale to the people of England. She also established relations with the rulersof Russia and authorized the formation of the Muscovy company, the first in westernEurope to trade with Russia (Upshur, 465). Queen Elizabeth was under the normal stressof any ruler of that time. .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 , .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 .postImageUrl , .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 , .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37:hover , .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37:visited , .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37:active { border:0!important; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37:active , .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37 .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf0dd8c2a3fd475464f1aad8e981f6e37:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Atomic Bomb in World War II Essay Or was she? For thirty years she was perpetually a mark forassassination, and her spirits were never affected, and she was never frightened intocruelty (Sowards, 36). Elizabeth, opposite of past rulers, was trying to live downEnglands reputation as being a nation of war. Elizabeth negotiated as opposed to initiatingwar (Sowards, 32). The Elizabethan Age was peaceful. The people of England may havebeen used to traditional fighting, however, Elizabeth kept peace. Queen Elizabeth had adesire for peace. She managed the nation of England well to sustain a peaceful life whileother countries fought wars, lost, and fell into succession. Queen Elizabeth was a peacefulruler, however, she did engage in on act of warfare. She is most famous for her dramaticvictory over the Spanish Armada during the summer of 1588 (Sowards, 25). Englishhostility to Spain was growing for a number of reasons: sympathy for the beleagueredFrench Huguenots and the peasants of Holland locked in their own desperate struggle withPhillip; the undeclared sea war with Spain that English privateers and pirates had alreadybeen carrying on for a generation(Sowards, 26). There was no ground war and thepeople of England never became unrested. Queen Elizabeth was patient and did not jumpinto war with Spain. She fought on her own terms (Sowards, 38). This was a sign of asmart ruler. This led to National importance for England. England became supreme on theseas. English commerce increased to the Old World and colonies were formed in the NewWorld(Sowards, 33). Queen Elizabeth I was liked by her subjects because she was aneffective ruler. She brought effective government to the people through parliament. Sheopened the opportunity for trade as well as the opportunity to gain wealth. QueenElizabeth I also set the precedent that all nations are not as powerful as they may appearby defeating the Spanish Armada. This enabled other smaller countries to set sail in theseas to gain wealth and explore new territory.

Architectural Framing System Commonly Knownâ€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about the Architectural Framing Systems? Answer: Introducation The Architectural Framing system commonly known as AFS walls is a polymer based structure which comprises of fibre cement sheets which are made up of sand, cellulose fibres (wood fibres) and cement. These walls are welded together with galvanized steel stud frames on both sides. The major functioning of galvanized steel and reinforced fibre cement sheets with their mechanical properties helps to boost the robustness and strengths of these walls. The physical properties of these wall included high resistance power against heat and wire and they also exceed the requirement specified in the Building Code of Australia (BCA) (AFS, 2017). The presence of fibre cement sheets prevents these walls to get damaged with the flow of water through their unique water block technology, as the exposure to water can cause oxidation and corrosion which may affect the internal structure of the building. The major uses of these walls are in the construction of multi-floored buildings; it is one time solution for a permanent formwork for concrete walls. The components of these walls fit effectively with one another to create a strong structure for the buildings. AFS walls are known for their utmost efficiency and are very low maintenance (AFS, 2015). There are very light weight and their installation process is not much complex. The formwork also have holes which allows easy and quick flow for cement and allow space for fixing steel and other materials. The size and thickness structure of these panels are customized according to the requirement of the engineers or architectures and the structure that is being built. This is known as deep structure which involves incorporating a deep beam in the existing wall structure and eliminating the transfer structure in the slab. These structures are not only efficient but also financially feasible. Being cost effective does not qualify them for being fit in all types of structures and that is why there are only suggested by engineers for certain structures only. However they are dynamic and can be used in many areas such as walls of the basement and retaining walls because these walls can accommodate large amount of backfills. The properties of AFS wall structures ensure durability of over 50 years and they are also termite resistance which increases their life more. The fibre cement component within these walls is suitable for different type of climate be it summers or raining season. As mentioned above that AFS walls are polymer based. The polymer is of different types and it includes variety of shellac, wool, amber, silk and rubber. The mechanical properties of galvanized steel studded frames and fibre cement make these walls strong, durable, hard wearing and high resistance. The chemical properties of these walls include water resistance power which will prevent oxidation and corrosion and will help them increase the life of the structure. This determines how the components of wall react to different chemicals and other components such as water. The biological properties of cements sheets reinforced in these walls are that they prevent degradation, rotting and insects will not affect the life of struct ure (EASL, 2007) References AFS, 2017, The brand behind the name, Retrieved from https://afswall.com.au/ on 4 May 2017. AFS, 2015, Properties, Retrieved from https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=1cad=rjauact=8ved=0ahUKEwjA_caU5tjTAhWLvI8KHZqMDMMQFgglMAAurl=http%3A%2F%2Fafswall.com.au%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F02%2FAFS_Designer_Section_C_Properties.pdfusg=AFQjCNGxhaMopFW360Wf-OHo_MHCrmMPuw on 4 May 2017. ESAL, 2007, FIBER CEMENT CORRUGATED SHEETS, Retrieved from https://www.eyal-zipuim.co.il/uploadimages/cementtiles2.pdf on 4 May 2017.

Fibonacci Essays - Fibonacci Numbers, Fibonacci, Numerals

Fibonacci Leonardo da Pisa, or more commonly known as Fibonacci , was born in Pisa, Italy in 1175. He was the son of Guilielmo Bonacci, a secretary of the Republic of Pisa. His father was only a secretary, so he was often sent to do work in Pisan trading colonies. He did this for many years until 1192. In 1192, Bonacci got a permanent job as the director of the Pisan trading colony in Bugia, Algeria. Sometime after 1192, Bonacci brought Fibonacci with him to Bugia. Bonnaci expected Fibbonacci to become a merchant and so arranged for him in instruction of calculational techniques. One of the major themes in this involved the Hindu-Arabic numerals which had not yet been introduced into Europe. Eventually, Bonacci enlisted his son's help in carrying out business for the Pisan republic and sent him on trips to Egypt, Syria, Greece, Sicily, and Provence. Fibonacci took this grand opportunity offered by his father, to study and learn the mathematical techniques employed in these various regions. Around 1200, Fibonacci returned to Pisa where, for at least the next twenty-five years, he worked on his own mathematical compositions. The five works produced by him in this period which have survived are: the Liber Abbaci; the Practica geometriae ; an undated letter to Theodorus, the imperial philosopher to the court of the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick II; Flos , a collection of solutions to problems posed in the presence of Frederick II; and the Liber quadratorum , a number-theoretic book concerned with the simultaneous solution of equations quadratic in two or more variables. The most famous of these works is Liber Abbaci. The Liber Abbaci is Latin for ?The Book of Calculations?. This book was designed for the Latin-speaking-European-world to accept the decimal number system. The first chapter of Part 1 begins: These are the nine figures of the Indians: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. With these nine figures, and with this sign 0 which in Arabic is called zephirum, any number can be written, as will be demonstrated. He also introduced a series in Liber Abacci. It is the Fibonacci sequence, named in his honor. The series begins with 0 and 1. After that, he added the last two numbers to get the next (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987,...) He discovered it as a solution to. In 1225 Fibonacci took part in a tournament at Pisa ordered by the emperor himself, Frederick II. It went as follows: Beginning with a single pair of rabbits, if every month each productive pair bears a new pair, which becomes productive when they are 1 month old, how many rabbits will there be after n months? After 1228, virtually nothing is known of Leonardo's life, except that by decree the Republic of Pisa awarded the 'serious and learned Master Leonardo Bigollo' (discretus et sapiens) a yearly salarium of 'libre XX denariorem' in addition to the usual allowances . This stipend rewarded Fibonacci for his pro bono advising to the Republic on matters involving accounting and related mathematical matters. Fibonacci died some in 1250, presumably in Pisa. Mathematics

The Diligent A Voyage Through the Worlds of the Slave Trade by Robert Harms

The Diligent A Voyage Through the Worlds of the Slave Trade by Robert Harms The issue of the slave trade is one of the most controversial ones because this question is not only associated with the problem of slavery, but it is also based on the problem of morality which is related to the discussion of slaves as objects of trade. In his book The Diligent: A Voyage through the Worlds of the Slave Trade, Robert Harms presents the records of Robert Durand who was the first lieutenant of The Diligent, the French slaving ship.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"The Diligent: A Voyage Through the Worlds of the Slave Trade† by Robert Harms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The French people joined the Atlantic slave trade later than the other European countries such as Britain and Portugal, but the French successes were significant, and the slave trade became the characteristic feature France’s development in the 18th century. Thus, the historic significance of the book is in the fac t that it provides the discussion of the role of slave trade in France during the 18th century. However, it is more important to concentrate on the aspect of morality to understand the French public’s attitude to the problem of slavery in the 18th century. Robert Durand does not demonstrate any signs of uncertainty in relation to the morality of the slave trade, and his position corresponds with the position of the French people regarding the nature of the slave trade, but it is possible to condemn Durand for his attitude because reflecting the public’s visions, he violates the universe moral norms and supports cruelty and violence. Robert Durand’s accounts show that the lieutenant does not feel any qualms about the idea of the slave trade in spite of its brutal nature. According to Harms, Durand was writing â€Å"about selling people exactly as he would have written about selling barrels of wine or loads of wheat. He gave no indication that he felt any sense o f shame or moral ambivalence about his mission†1. Durand’s â€Å"businesslike† and â€Å"matter-of-fact† tone can surprise not only the author who analyzes the accounts but also the readers because this tone is not appropriate to discuss the important moral issue of the slave trade in France of the 18th century2. Furthermore, the young lieutenant does not demonstrate the unique attitude to the problem. Instead, Durand’s accounts represent the attitudes of the majority in relation to the issue of the slave trade because the French public paid more attention to the problems of war, to the issue of famine, and to the economic questions associated with inflation and taxes than to such moral issues as the slave trade in the 18th century. In his work, Harms intends to explain Durand’s position while stating that â€Å"the talk focused on issues of access, profits, tariffs, and bonuses†3. Thus, Durand’s approach to discussing the quest ion was typical for the period, and it was even the â€Å"part of a general mind-set in the seaports of early eighteenth-century Brittany†4.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From this perspective, it is almost impossible to state clearly whether the French public supported or not the idea of the slave trade because the actual public discussion of the problem was not observed within different social classes. However, the reference to the social tendencies cannot be used to justify the approach of Durand to discussing the problem of the slave trade. The fact that Durand focused more on recording the factual details of the trade operations and prices and on counting the profits supports the idea that the aspects of morality were widely violated in the French society. It is possible to condemn Durand for his actions because his activities are significantly associ ated with a lot of moral aspects, and Durand could reject the development of the slave trade as any other person in the French society. Nevertheless, many people chose to ignore the issue of the slave trade, and they discussed it only from the perspective of its profitability rather than morality. Slave traders chose their path consciously because the business was risky and problematic. That is why, Durand made his choice without thinking about the moral implications of his actions. In spite of the fact that Durand was one of many people who did not focus on the slave trade as the social problem, this fact cannot be referred to while discussing the problem of condemning Durand’s actions. The slave trade was the business characterized by a lot of problems and contradictions associated with the concepts of the slaves’ freedom and use of their work in France. The records and accounts written by Robert Durand demonstrate his focus on the slave trade as on the profitable bu siness rather than on the moral issue. This approach or attitude is also reflected in the general public’s visions of the question which were typical for the French society in the 18th century. However, in spite of the fact that the moral aspect of the slave trade was not actively discussed in the society, Durand’s attitudes and actions cannot be justified because the man violated simple moral norms and promoted the brutal practice of trading people. Thus, the book by Robert Harms is the important source to research the problem of the slave trade in France as the moral issue with references to the historic significance of the phenomenon. Bibliography Harms, Robert. The Diligent: A Voyage Through the Worlds of the Slave Trade. USA: Basic Books, 2002.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"The Diligent: A Voyage Through the Worlds of the Slave Trade† by Robert Harms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Footnotes 1 Robert Harms, The Diligent: A Voyage Through the Worlds of the Slave Trade (USA: Basic Books, 2002), 5. 2 Ibid., 5. 3 Ibid., 5. 4 Ibid., 5.

A Personal Manifesto on Success and Happiness Research Paper

A Personal Manifesto on Success and Happiness - Research Paper Example As the paper declares work as a noun defines an activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. Another conception of the word work is that it is an activity as a means of earning income or employment. From these two concepts of work can be drawn different perceptions. Work as merely an act of doing something productive and work as an activity that generates income such as employment. The latter concept of work suits the definition that is widely known by most people. Having a job, an employment, running a business, all these are confined in the context of work that has an end goal of making money, salary, income or profit. According to the report findings the history of work is far rooted in the history of mankind. How work is viewed today is a byproduct of human experiences along the path of historical milestones of men. The concept of work can be traced back even into the realms of the Bible. God said to Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread, till thou return to the ground". Even in the beginning according to the Bible, God assigned the allegedly first ever work to Adam. Work then can be described as some activities that need sweating in order to eat. In that sense it would tilling the soil and planting and growing plants to bear fruits to eat. Work then spells really hard work and is contrasted with leisure as Adam Smith puts it as toil and trouble. Thus leisure is a different story from work that is why according to the bible God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work. (Genesis 3:19 as cited by Dupre and Gagnier). If to rely alon e from the following context it can be concluded that God wants people to work really hard during work days and set a separate day for leisure which is somewhat deviated from the modern context of work that can go along with play—having fun while working all at the same time. People of yesteryears works comparatively different than modern people does work. The work they knew then was more on physical exertion. Tracing back the first humans, they did not work in the way that we understand it today. Primitively like before, our ancestors spent much of their time searching for food and shelter, a short-term and endlessly repeated process that was necessary for survival (The Readers Digest Australia). This repeated process lead to the definition of work division wherein some are hunters and others are gatherers and basically women do the cooking for the whole group to survive and move on. Work in this essence brings definition to food and survival. The idea of the working day is a product of

Measuring Construction Industry Performance Essay

Measuring Construction Industry Performance - Essay Example Revenues from constructed buildings are not keeping pace with escalating cost of equipments, transportation and other economic factors. The prices of related construction items are quietly unrelated to the expenditure put in constructing, transporting materials, processing and selling. Floods and droughts have made the established businessmen to become debtors though they have borrowed money and invested the same in equipment and land. There are delays in getting government funds, which are in adequate to meet these types of natural calamities. Though there are private insurance companies to cover insurance of these investments from weather-related catastrophes they are not that much helpful. The small players who solely depend on their investments are the losers of these natural calamities. Like any other traders or businessmen, investors can ensure long term growth and stability through proper planning in changing market conditions during the periods of floods, drought and in price downsizing and also taking the help of key performance indicators (KPI) or benchmarking so that they may not depend on the assistance and support of government. Sharon McClements et al (2002) concluded that the Construction Best Practice Programme, have developed a benchmarking gateway known as KPI zone. In construction fi In construction field, many problems are attributed to UK consumer's refusal to recognise and pay for value added to the products produced by the small investors. Because of this, the investors are not able recover their investments and expenses through sales which tends them to expect government subsidies to support them. The investors are not in a position to bear the smallest price increase in power tariff. There are two types of economic nationalism. The first protection in trade is represented in establishing a system of rates and tariffs in favour of domestic production and discourages foreign imports. This kind of protection is desired to encourage establishment of industrial base in UK by saving small and infant industries against the competition of larger and well-established firms in abroad. The second economic protectionism is a post world war -II phenomenon that is related to the proprietorship as UK businesses by foreign traders and investors. Multinational companies have been set up after world war-II due to immense investments of foreigners in UK business. Multinational companies thought that they could evade tariff restrictors in UK by introducing their own branches plants and subsidiaries, which allowed them to go to markets, mobilize resources and capital and get favours with UK government. These kinds of investments have created to the economic nationalism due to expansion of multinational companies. The foreign owned companies could not take central position over economic decisions from their head office from outside UK. The economists in UK are compelled to demand for bringing out a legislation to oversee the activities and restrain the growth of foreign ownership in UK economy. UK is one of the members of many international groups; one amongst them is G-8, the eight largest industrial democracies. The G-8 countries heads of governments

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Causes, Diagnosis and Support

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Causes, Diagnosis and Support Autism Spectrum disorders Introduction Autism awareness in todays society has moved from the shadow of shame and unknown to the forefront of research and education as an increasing number of children and people with Autism Spectrum disorders gain attention in every aspect of their everyday lives. This paper will attempt to explore the many faces of autism: identification, possible causes, treatment, societal reaction/interaction, the learning/teaching cooperative, and expectations for the future regarding this disorder in an ever evolving and expanding society. What is Autism? How does it manifest? Are there specific characteristics inherent to the disorder? How was it discovered? Who gets it? How is it diagnosed? When? Has the cause been identified? Is it hereditary, environmental or societal? Is there a cure? What kind of treatment is available, and how has it changed since discovery of the disorder? Do autistic children face specific learning challenges? What teaching methods best reach autistic children? Are some methods more effective than others? Autism is very broad, far-reaching and involved, but herein I expect to go from a brief discussion of the broad topic to the specific: How does autism affect the learning/teaching relationship between children and teachers? What is Autism? Autism was first thought to be mental retardation or insanity. In 1943, Leo Kanner noticed that these children did not fit the pattern of emotionally disturbed children and instead recorded patterns of being slow learners. Hans Asperger, making similar discoveries, discovered what has come to be known as Aspergers Syndrome often used to label autistic people that can talk. Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger, working completely independent of one another, recognized autism for what it was: a developmental disorder that interferes with a childs communication, social and interaction behavior. (Carew, 2009) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). It is a bio-neurological developmental disability usually appearing before the age of three, best known for impairing a childs ability to communicate and interact. Life-long disabilities significantly impact several areas of development: communication impairments, social difficulty, sensory processing deficits and a need for solid routines within their lives. Characteristics of Autism manifests in a myriad of ways: delay in verbal development, a need to finish what they begin, a rather h3 resistance to change in daily routine, lack of spontaneity, distress at being touched and the ability to show any kind of emotion, as well as an inability to process and respond to humor. There are five subcategories associated with ASD, each with its own distinctive and unique features: Autistic Disorder, Aspergers Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), Retts Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Treatment within each subcategory is as diverse and varied as the individual being treated, depending on the individuals personality, unique symptoms and manifestation of autism. How is it Diagnosed? To help determine the difference between autism and mental retardation, a qualified professional will examine and score children who are suspected of having autism through a questionnaire based on direct observation by professionals and reports given by parents, family members, and teachers. This test is known as CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) and was developed by Eirc Shopler, Robert Reichier and Barbara Rochen Reiner. (Schopler, Reichler, DeVellis, Daly, 1980) CARS was published in 1980, but the development began a lot earlier, in 1966. A Study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center determined an accuracy rating of 98% in diagnosing children and showed encouraging results in diagnosing adolescents as well. CARS incorporates the criteria of Leo Kanner (1943) and Creak (1964), and characteristic symptoms of childhood autism. (Schopler et al., 1980) The test focuses on 15 categories of behaviors, characteristics, and abilities and how the expected development is different than the actual development if autistic symptoms are present. The categories are: Relating to people, imitation, emotional response, body use, object use, adaptation to change, visual response, listening response, taste, smell and touch response and use, fear or nervousness, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, activity level, level and consistency of intellectual response, and general impressions. A child can score on a scale of one to four. Scoring a one meets a normal range for a childs age and scoring a four means the child is severely abnormal. (Secor, 2009) Who Gets It? Although it is unclear how much of the surge reflects better diagnosis, recent data suggests a 10-fold increase in autism rates over the past decade. The journal, Pediatrics, released on October 5, 2009, reported one percent of U.S. children ages 3-17 have an Autism Spectrum disorder, a prevalence of 1 in 91. This is a dramatic increase from the 2007 report by the Center for Disease Control reported 1 in 150 children diagnosed with Autism. Boys are diagnosed four times more often than girls. There has been no connection established regarding socio-economic status, race or religion in identifying autistic individuals. (Kogan, 2009) Cause of Autism All over the world, researchers are working to find just what causes Autism. However no direct, specific cause of Autism has been determined, to date. The pressure to identify a cause is a top priority among researchers and it appears, due to the various levels of severity and combinations of symptoms, there may be multiple causes and scientific evidence suggests both genetic and/or environmental factors. Because of intense research, there are several specific claims that have been disproven. Bruno Bettelheim, a once well-renowned child psychologist, blamed autism on parents, specifically mothers, claiming they did not properly bond with their children. There is no evidence to support that claim. Due in large part to Dr. Bernard Rimland, who has an autistic son, founded the Autism Society of America and the Autism Research institute. Dr. Rimland was instrumental in helping to determine autism as a biological disorder not a causal effect, ie., neglect, isolation, cold, indifferent or bad parenting. He disproved the theory by defining ASDs as biological disorders, not emotional illnesses in his book, Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior (Rimland, 1964). However, Dr Rimland is a proponent of another high profile controversial claim suggesting vaccinations given to children during babyhood may be a cause of the disorder. Despite Dr Rimlands advocacy and beliefs, this claim has little or no scientific backing. In fact, in a timely ruling Friday, March 12, 2010, the so-called vaccine court, a special branch of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, found that the mercury-containing vaccine preservative thimerosal is not to blame for autism, and concluded the last of three cases on theories related to a vaccine-autism relationship. A 2009 ruling rejected a theory that thimerasol can cause autism when combined with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which perhaps was based on a discredited medical journal article published in 1998 by British physician, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, linking a particular type of autism and bowel disease to the measles vaccine. The 2009 ruling predicated the dropping of a second case based on a theory that certain vaccines alone cause autism. Interestingly, in this third case, the court found that none of the expert witnesses who argued mercury can have a variety of effects on the brain, offered opinions on the cause of autism in any of the three specific cases argued. (Schmid, 2010)(emphasis added) Two studies conducted by researchers at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia link specific genes to autism. One study pinpoints a gene region that may account for as many as 15 percent of autism cases, while another study identifies missing or duplicated stretches of DNA along two crucial gene pathways. Significantly, both studies detected genes implicated in the development of brain circuitry in early childhood. (Wang, 2009) A specific connection between fragile x (FXS) and autism has also been found. Dr. Don Bailey , director of the Frank Porter Graham Institute, and colleagues found that in young boys with FXS, 25% met the criteria for autism using the (CARS). Their profile of behaviors was very similar to that of children with autism but without fragile X. Consequently, they also found that children with autism and FXS together, had a lower IQ than children with either FXS alone or autism alone. (Bailey, Jr., Hatton, et al., 2001) Methods of Treatment Since 1943, many ways have been developed to help the autistic child. Then, the famous Sigmund Freud discovered that parents who did not attempt to communicate with an autistic child saw no progress, while a close parent/child relationship seemed to cause the child to thrive and move forward. Although it lingered well into the 50s and 60s, Freuds theory lacked two critical bits information: first, oftentimes the parent didnt try to interact with the child due to the Autistic behavior; and second, in some cases it was a genetically inherited personality. For a time, children were removed from their home to see if they would recover although there was no clear-cut evidence of any value in future use of this method. Due to research and study, it was found that facilitated communication could teach the child to communicate with the world; for example an autistic child could be taught to manage and control his emotions; a parent could help a child desensitize from the over sensitivity to sound. Today, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Occupational Therapy (OT), Pivotal Response Training (PRT), Physical Therapy (PT), Sensory Integration Therapy, Floortime, and medications, all have a place in accepted scientific treatment. Alternative methods are also sometimes used. These can include Dietary intervention, Vitamins and Minerals, Social Skills Groups, Music and Art Therapy, and even Dolphin Therapy. One of the most tried and true methods utilized today, Applied Behavior Therapy (ABA) is usually accompanied by Physical Therapy and Occupational therapy. As with any treatment there are good and bad points associated with each. ABA was developed by Dr. Ivar Lovaas and contains the B.F. Skinners theories on operant conditioning. This treatment includes rewards which may include toys or treats, for acceptable behavior. There is no punishment for wrong or incorrect behavior, however. There are a myriad of steps involved, and a fairly rigid structure to this method. ABA is very time-consuming and has shown many positive results. According to some ongoing research, diet may be fueling Autism. There is convincing empirical evidence that special diets help autistic individuals. Karl Reichelt of Oslo has been a pioneer in this area for decades, showing the highly significant effects of removing gluten, gliadin and casein from the diets of autistic children. There are now about forty research studies in Norway, the U.K., Italy, and the United States supporting this finding. Special diets are, most often, hard to implement. Eighteen research reports have been published since 1965, by scientists in six countries showing that about half of all autistic children and adults improve significantly when given large amounts of B6. Unlike drugs, B6 is a safe, natural substance that the brain requires. This vitamin, along with the mineral magnesium, is used in the production of serotonin. In a comprehensive review of the neurochemistry of autism, published in 1990, Dr. Edwin Cook wrote, The most consistent finding has been that over 25% of autistic children and adolescents are hyperserotonemic. However, after 29 years of investigation, the mechanism of hyperserotonemia has not been determined. (Genetics, autism and priorities, 1997) Teaching Methods Autistic children all have specific learning challenges; however, the method of approach depends entirely on the child. When teaching an autistic child, environmental considerations, a set schedule and routine for the student and a visual structure the student can see clearly to enable them to understand what is expected of them, and when it is expected of them. No one method is necessarily better than another. Many of the various methods utilize the same basic principles needed to help focus and teach a child with autism. An effective instructional strategy is one that incorporates structure, a communication system, sensory accommodations, individualized programming, inclusion, social integration and access to the general curriculum. It is important to find research-based methodology that has proven effective through application and data collection. This helps enhance the effectiveness and accountability of the program. There are also different teaching approaches enabling students with this disorder to learn and function as well as any other student in the classroom. No one approach has proven more effective. However, Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) (Shopler, E 1997) incorporates several methodologies and techniques into one program. Developed in the 1970s at the University of North Carolinas School of Medicine, the philosophy behind TEACCH was: the environment should be changed to meet the needs of the students, not the students changed to meet the needs of the environment. Techniques are developed to meet the specific communication, social and coping needs of the student. The goal is to help students with ASDs learn functional skills so they can live productively and reach their full potential at school and home, and later in their community and working lives. TEACCH stresses the need for elements of behavioral and cognitive interventions, direct teaching of social skills, the need for structure, and the use of visual cues to show tasks to be done in work or play areas. Another stand alone method of teaching, also one of the components within TEACCH, Structure-Positive-Empathetic-Low Arousal- Links (SPELL), emphasizes a clear routine and an atmosphere that helps maximize positive relationships and reduce anxiety while teaching children with ASD. This can be accomplished by trying to anticipate the experiences, settings, or problems the children may consider threatening. This methodology has been integrated into most of the centers run by the National Autistic Society. Basic strategies need to be implemented inside a classroom to help transition students with ASD. These include: A clear structure and daily routine Use of clear and unambiguous language (not a lot of humor or irony) Make clear which behaviors are unacceptable Address the child individually Provide a warning if there is an impending change in routine or activity switch Know the students ticks and what abnormal behavior might be Specific teaching using photographs, video recording, how feeling are expressed and communicated so they can be recognized. Regular opportunity for simple conversations to help increase the use of how and why questions Use charts to record behavioral progress reinforcement How Does Autism Affect the Learning/Teaching Relationship Between Children and Teachers? Any teacher can get very frustrated with children in general, and if a disability is added to the equation, it can make for a difficult learning and teaching experience for both parties involved. It is important to remember what the student is going through and having to deal with. Patience truly is a virtue for the teacher, combined with empathy, understanding, encouragement and compassion. Within any teaching strategy, to work and develop a method of structured teaching, there must be an understanding of the unique features and characteristics of the autistic child. A teacher must organize the childs environment so the child is able to focus on relevant information and not be distracted by irrelevant things. The teacher must also develop appropriate activities to engage the student and not frustrate them. The instructor must also help the student understand what is expected of them so they do not have any disruptions to their routine or be inadvertently thrust outside of their comfort zone. Despite a teachers best efforts to reduce the stress, anxiety and frustration of the environment, behavioral challenges will still arise, depending on the characteristics of the autistic child. Conclusion Autistic Spectrum Disorder has come out of the shadows and gained notoriety in todays society through the actions of celebrities, organizations, and parents of autistic children as awareness of this increasingly prevalent disorder increases exponentially with research, education and mainstreaming. Since it was identified just a little over a half century ago, ASD has gained attention and momentum and tremendous strides in identification, possible causes, treatment, societal reaction/interaction, the learning/teaching cooperative, have provided lofty expectations for the future. While teaching students with ASD is challenging, it can also be hugely rewarding. Teaching methods like TEACCH, which encompass the basic principles and techniques found to be most effective and least upsetting for the autistic child: consistency in a passive environment, an unvaried schedule and basic repetitive routine enable teachers to help the autistic student learn and progress within a safety zone geared toward their own individual learning style. Although there is no cure, there have been significant strides in identifying, developing and implementing new treatments every day. Children with ASD are often able to lead full, happy, and productive lives, interacting with society on their own terms. One can only hope that the strides of today will be not only matched but outpaced in the future as ASD becomes not a mysterious disorder of unknown origin, but a minor affliction overcome by millions, unidentifiable and without stigma in the mainstream world. Bibliography Carew, Betty. (2009, January 28). The History of autism. Retrieved from http://healthmad.com/children/the-history-of-autism/ Kogan, Michael, et al. (2009). Prevalence of parent-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder among children in the US, 2007. Pediatrics, 10.1542(1522) Schopler, E, Reichler, RJ, DeVellis, RF, Daly, K. (1980). Toward Objective classification of childhood autism: childhood autism rating scale (cars). J Autism Dev Disorder, 10(1), 91-103. Secor, M.L. (2009, january 6). Child autism rating scale. Retrieved from http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Childhood_Autism_Rating_Scale Rimland, Bernard. (1964). Infantile autism: the syndrome and its implications for a neural theory of behavior. New York: Prentice Hall. Schmid, Randolph. (2010, march 12). Court says thimerosal did not cause autism. Associated Press, Wang, Kai, et al. (2009). common genetic variants on 5p14.1 associate with autism spectrum disorders. Nature, 459(528-533), Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v459/n7246/full/nature07999.html Bailey, D. B., Jr., D. D. Hatton, et al. (2001). Autistic behavior, fmr1 protein, and developmental trajectories in young males with fragile x syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders , 31(2), 165-174. Genetics, autism and priorities. (1997). Autism Research Review International, 11(2), Retrieved from http://autism.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/YazTi=1sdn=autismcdn=healthtm=27f=00tt=14bt=1bts=1zu=http%3A//www.autism.com/ari/faq/faq_diets.htm Exkorn, Karen Siff. (2005). The autism sourcebook everything you need to know about diagnosis, treatment, coping, and healing. New York, NY: HarperCollins. Shopler, E (1997) Implementation of TEACCH philosophy. In D. Cohen and F. Volkmar (eds). Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. New York: Wiley. Autism Spectrum disorders Introduction Autism awareness in todays society has moved from the shadow of shame and unknown to the forefront of research and education as an increasing number of children and people with Autism Spectrum disorders gain attention in every aspect of their everyday lives. This paper will attempt to explore the many faces of autism: identification, possible causes, treatment, societal reaction/interaction, the learning/teaching cooperative, and expectations for the future regarding this disorder in an ever evolving and expanding society. What is Autism? How does it manifest? Are there specific characteristics inherent to the disorder? How was it discovered? Who gets it? How is it diagnosed? When? Has the cause been identified? Is it hereditary, environmental or societal? Is there a cure? What kind of treatment is available, and how has it changed since discovery of the disorder? Do autistic children face specific learning challenges? What teaching methods best reach autistic children? Are some methods more effective than others? Autism is very broad, far-reaching and involved, but herein I expect to go from a brief discussion of the broad topic to the specific: How does autism affect the learning/teaching relationship between children and teachers? What is Autism? Autism was first thought to be mental retardation or insanity. In 1943, Leo Kanner noticed that these children did not fit the pattern of emotionally disturbed children and instead recorded patterns of being slow learners. Hans Asperger, making similar discoveries, discovered what has come to be known as Aspergers Syndrome often used to label autistic people that can talk. Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger, working completely independent of one another, recognized autism for what it was: a developmental disorder that interferes with a childs communication, social and interaction behavior. (Carew, 2009) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). It is a bio-neurological developmental disability usually appearing before the age of three, best known for impairing a childs ability to communicate and interact. Life-long disabilities significantly impact several areas of development: communication impairments, social difficulty, sensory processing deficits and a need for solid routines within their lives. Characteristics of Autism manifests in a myriad of ways: delay in verbal development, a need to finish what they begin, a rather h3 resistance to change in daily routine, lack of spontaneity, distress at being touched and the ability to show any kind of emotion, as well as an inability to process and respond to humor. There are five subcategories associated with ASD, each with its own distinctive and unique features: Autistic Disorder, Aspergers Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), Retts Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Treatment within each subcategory is as diverse and varied as the individual being treated, depending on the individuals personality, unique symptoms and manifestation of autism. How is it Diagnosed? To help determine the difference between autism and mental retardation, a qualified professional will examine and score children who are suspected of having autism through a questionnaire based on direct observation by professionals and reports given by parents, family members, and teachers. This test is known as CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) and was developed by Eirc Shopler, Robert Reichier and Barbara Rochen Reiner. (Schopler, Reichler, DeVellis, Daly, 1980) CARS was published in 1980, but the development began a lot earlier, in 1966. A Study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center determined an accuracy rating of 98% in diagnosing children and showed encouraging results in diagnosing adolescents as well. CARS incorporates the criteria of Leo Kanner (1943) and Creak (1964), and characteristic symptoms of childhood autism. (Schopler et al., 1980) The test focuses on 15 categories of behaviors, characteristics, and abilities and how the expected development is different than the actual development if autistic symptoms are present. The categories are: Relating to people, imitation, emotional response, body use, object use, adaptation to change, visual response, listening response, taste, smell and touch response and use, fear or nervousness, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, activity level, level and consistency of intellectual response, and general impressions. A child can score on a scale of one to four. Scoring a one meets a normal range for a childs age and scoring a four means the child is severely abnormal. (Secor, 2009) Who Gets It? Although it is unclear how much of the surge reflects better diagnosis, recent data suggests a 10-fold increase in autism rates over the past decade. The journal, Pediatrics, released on October 5, 2009, reported one percent of U.S. children ages 3-17 have an Autism Spectrum disorder, a prevalence of 1 in 91. This is a dramatic increase from the 2007 report by the Center for Disease Control reported 1 in 150 children diagnosed with Autism. Boys are diagnosed four times more often than girls. There has been no connection established regarding socio-economic status, race or religion in identifying autistic individuals. (Kogan, 2009) Cause of Autism All over the world, researchers are working to find just what causes Autism. However no direct, specific cause of Autism has been determined, to date. The pressure to identify a cause is a top priority among researchers and it appears, due to the various levels of severity and combinations of symptoms, there may be multiple causes and scientific evidence suggests both genetic and/or environmental factors. Because of intense research, there are several specific claims that have been disproven. Bruno Bettelheim, a once well-renowned child psychologist, blamed autism on parents, specifically mothers, claiming they did not properly bond with their children. There is no evidence to support that claim. Due in large part to Dr. Bernard Rimland, who has an autistic son, founded the Autism Society of America and the Autism Research institute. Dr. Rimland was instrumental in helping to determine autism as a biological disorder not a causal effect, ie., neglect, isolation, cold, indifferent or bad parenting. He disproved the theory by defining ASDs as biological disorders, not emotional illnesses in his book, Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior (Rimland, 1964). However, Dr Rimland is a proponent of another high profile controversial claim suggesting vaccinations given to children during babyhood may be a cause of the disorder. Despite Dr Rimlands advocacy and beliefs, this claim has little or no scientific backing. In fact, in a timely ruling Friday, March 12, 2010, the so-called vaccine court, a special branch of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, found that the mercury-containing vaccine preservative thimerosal is not to blame for autism, and concluded the last of three cases on theories related to a vaccine-autism relationship. A 2009 ruling rejected a theory that thimerasol can cause autism when combined with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which perhaps was based on a discredited medical journal article published in 1998 by British physician, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, linking a particular type of autism and bowel disease to the measles vaccine. The 2009 ruling predicated the dropping of a second case based on a theory that certain vaccines alone cause autism. Interestingly, in this third case, the court found that none of the expert witnesses who argued mercury can have a variety of effects on the brain, offered opinions on the cause of autism in any of the three specific cases argued. (Schmid, 2010)(emphasis added) Two studies conducted by researchers at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia link specific genes to autism. One study pinpoints a gene region that may account for as many as 15 percent of autism cases, while another study identifies missing or duplicated stretches of DNA along two crucial gene pathways. Significantly, both studies detected genes implicated in the development of brain circuitry in early childhood. (Wang, 2009) A specific connection between fragile x (FXS) and autism has also been found. Dr. Don Bailey , director of the Frank Porter Graham Institute, and colleagues found that in young boys with FXS, 25% met the criteria for autism using the (CARS). Their profile of behaviors was very similar to that of children with autism but without fragile X. Consequently, they also found that children with autism and FXS together, had a lower IQ than children with either FXS alone or autism alone. (Bailey, Jr., Hatton, et al., 2001) Methods of Treatment Since 1943, many ways have been developed to help the autistic child. Then, the famous Sigmund Freud discovered that parents who did not attempt to communicate with an autistic child saw no progress, while a close parent/child relationship seemed to cause the child to thrive and move forward. Although it lingered well into the 50s and 60s, Freuds theory lacked two critical bits information: first, oftentimes the parent didnt try to interact with the child due to the Autistic behavior; and second, in some cases it was a genetically inherited personality. For a time, children were removed from their home to see if they would recover although there was no clear-cut evidence of any value in future use of this method. Due to research and study, it was found that facilitated communication could teach the child to communicate with the world; for example an autistic child could be taught to manage and control his emotions; a parent could help a child desensitize from the over sensitivity to sound. Today, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Occupational Therapy (OT), Pivotal Response Training (PRT), Physical Therapy (PT), Sensory Integration Therapy, Floortime, and medications, all have a place in accepted scientific treatment. Alternative methods are also sometimes used. These can include Dietary intervention, Vitamins and Minerals, Social Skills Groups, Music and Art Therapy, and even Dolphin Therapy. One of the most tried and true methods utilized today, Applied Behavior Therapy (ABA) is usually accompanied by Physical Therapy and Occupational therapy. As with any treatment there are good and bad points associated with each. ABA was developed by Dr. Ivar Lovaas and contains the B.F. Skinners theories on operant conditioning. This treatment includes rewards which may include toys or treats, for acceptable behavior. There is no punishment for wrong or incorrect behavior, however. There are a myriad of steps involved, and a fairly rigid structure to this method. ABA is very time-consuming and has shown many positive results. According to some ongoing research, diet may be fueling Autism. There is convincing empirical evidence that special diets help autistic individuals. Karl Reichelt of Oslo has been a pioneer in this area for decades, showing the highly significant effects of removing gluten, gliadin and casein from the diets of autistic children. There are now about forty research st