{"id":3965,"date":"2016-12-01T09:21:32","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T09:21:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beautycategory.com\/?p=3965"},"modified":"2016-12-01T09:21:32","modified_gmt":"2016-12-01T09:21:32","slug":"melania-trump-hired-a-lawyer-over-false-claims-that-her-son-has-autism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefastfashion.com\/?p=3965","title":{"rendered":"Melania Trump Hired a Lawyer Over False Claims That Her Son Has Autism"},"content":{"rendered":"
Barron and Melania Trump. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Melania Trump is not taking public claims that her 10-year-old son, Barron, has autism lightly. The future first lady recently hired a lawyer to demand that a YouTube video titled \u201cIs Barron Trump Austistic? #StopTheBullying\u201d be removed.<\/p>\n

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The video, posted in early November by a man who tells\u00a0<\/span>TMZ\u00a0<\/span>that he wanted to stop people bullying Barron over his \u201cweird behavior,\u201d lists several \u201csigns\u201d that Donald Trump\u2019s son is autistic. Among them: claims that Barron doesn\u2019t clap properly, makes \u201cstrange movements in his seat,\u201d and displays \u201cantisocial behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles J. Harder, a lawyer for the Trumps, sent a legal letter demanding that the user who\u00a0made the video delete it and issue an apology.\u00a0The letter also states that Barron is not autistic.<\/p>\n

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The video was removed on Monday afternoon, and the poster tells TMZ he will issue a retraction and apology to Melania and Barron.\u00a0Rosie O\u2019Donnell also brought attention to the video, tweeting it out last week with the message \u201cBarron Trump Autistic? If so \u2014 what an amazing opportunity to bring attention to the AUTISM epidemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to autism awareness organization\u00a0<\/span>Autism Speaks, autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are terms for a group of \u201ccomplex disorders of brain development.\u201d The disorders are characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors, and include autistic disorder, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome. \u201cASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention, and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances,\u201d the organization says. \u201cSome persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math, and art.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Autism isn\u2019t rare \u2014 according to the\u00a0<\/span>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 68 children have the disorder, and it\u2019s 4.5 times more common in boys than girls.<\/p>\n

<\/span>But Ann Neumeyer, MD, medical director of the Lurie Center for Autism at MassGeneral Hospital for Children, tells Yahoo Beauty that autism is diagnosed after an extensive evaluation conducted by a developmental pediatrician, psychologist, psychiatrist, or neurologist. \u201cIt looks at the history of a child\u2019s development of language and communication, risk factors for autism, and a physical evaluation,\u201d she says. That\u2019s typically followed by an observation of the child in which experts will watch how the child speaks and communicates, using words and body language. Meaning \u2014 it\u2019s not something that a layperson can diagnose on a whim.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>
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Features of autism, which can be mild to severe, show up in childhood, but many parents or pediatricians start to notice these differences right around 15 to 18 months of age or older,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Ashanti W. Woods, MD, attending pediatrician at Mercy Medical Center, Family Health Centers of Baltimore, tells Yahoo Beauty. \u201cWhen a child is 2\u00a0years of age and is not speaking and gets very agitated or upset with new faces or prefers to play exclusively by him- or herself, autism spectrum disorder must be considered,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

Clinical psychologist\u00a0John Mayer, author of\u00a0<\/span>Family Fit: Find Your Balance in Life<\/em>, agrees, telling Yahoo Beauty that, unfortunately, a \u201clay diagnosis\u201d of the disorder is common. \u201cI do see this diagnosis of autism thrown around by teachers and school staff people, and it can have very damaging effects on the student and their future, as well as parents,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

And, like many disorders, there is a spectrum of autism. Some people with the disorder may never speak, for example, while others have fine verbal skills. Therefore, it\u2019s not easy to diagnose.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like an armchair diagnosis of anything,\u201d Neumeyer says. \u201cThere are many things that can mimic it.\u201d She points out that children\u00a0could have a language delay, a hearing problem that causes them not to speak well, or be very shy, fearful, or hyperactive \u2014 all of which could make them look like they\u2019re autistic, but not actually have the disorder.<\/p>\n

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Woods says pediatricians are always<\/span>\u00a0evaluating children\u2019s\u00a0development, which can signal their\u00a0autism risk. \u201cDevelopment involves assessing a child\u2019s social skills, language skills, gross motor function (like walking, running), and fine motor function (such as the ability to hold a crayon),\u201d he says. If a child is not reaching his or her developmental milestones at the scheduled visits, that child is usually seen more frequently (monthly to every three months). \u201cIt is important for a child to be seen by a doctor so that if delays exist, the physician, after discussions with the parent and family, can get the child started in early developmental intervention therapy,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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