The Benefits Of Camel Milk For Children With Autism, An Essay.

Explain why the subject you are proposing is relevant to the degree programme you are studying. Why is it an interesting and relevant topic? Is it a current/topical issue? Is there a need to explore the topic
further? Do you have any personal interest/motivation?

What is known already about the subject that you are proposing? What are the key studies that have
been done in the area? Show that you are up-to-date with the latest knowledge in the area. This can
include research in closely allied areas to your own topic if the research in your own topic is sparse. If
there is a lot of existing research in the area then you will need to be highly selective in what you choose to discuss. You should try to evaluate the work you are reviewing, not just list what has been done.

Based on the key research presented in part (3) what aspect of knowledge/research do you feel is
lacking? Are there questions that remain unanswered? Have you identified a gap in knowledge? Are
there situations that you think the existing knowledge could be tested in a better or different way?
Justify the need to undertake more research in the chosen area.

Having identified a gap in knowledge, as discussed in part (4), what specific aims do you have? Please
summarise in around 3 bullet points.

How will you achieve the aims set out in part (5)? Outline the methods that you will use. What
information will you collect? How will your investigation take place? Provide details of sampling/collection/analysis of data. Will your work be literature based only? Do you intend to do
laboratory experiments? Will you undertake a survey/field work? Will you use a questionnaire?

Do you foresee any ethical issues arising from your research proposal? If not, say why not. If so, what
are they and how might you address them? 

Introduction and relevance

Empirical studies reveal that autism may not necessarily be a mental or genetic disability but simply a biomedical disorder which is not only treatable but also manageable. Autism can be defined as a neurodevelopment disorder which starts from childhood and may become a lifelong disability if no measures are taken at an early stage (Anderson, 2012). Autistic individual tend to exhibit difficulties in communication and interaction with others on the social fonts. Their reception to the world and social reaction towards people is always different hence they experience a number of difficulties coping with others on a normal day to day life. According to studies conducted in the US and India, the number of individuals with autism continues to rise as days go by (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In the past, one out of three hundred people had autism; however, this ratio has greatly reduced such that in the current world, one out of sixty people is autistic.

The rising cases of autism give enough reason for research to be conducted in a bid to find a long lasting solution.  Among the many medical solutions proposed to counter autism, research reveal that camel milk has a number of beneficial values for children with autism. This research analyses the benefits of camel milk to autistic children (Dumont-Mathieu, 2005). Through extensive literature review and a combination of both qualitative and quantitative approaches, the research objectives shall seek to answer the research question: can camel milk cur autism?

The day to day life of an individual is always characterized by a number of events. These include interactions and communication between people. For an effective flow in activities and behavior within a societal set up, there is an inevitable need for good communication and proper social interactions (Joppe, 2000). Individual with autism however experience difficulties fitting in the normal routine of life as they are barely able to catch up with the demand of life’s normal routines. Autism affects individual interest as well as behavior. Additionally, they hear, feel and see various aspects of life differently compared to the normal people’s point of view. It is because of the difficulties associated with autism that medical researchers have tirelessly sought for strategies to counter this condition. According to Kira (2014) in his article; Autism Spectrum Disorder, most medical conclusions have indicated that there is no cure autism. The author however states that the latest advancements in the field of medicine with the support of technology has allowed widespread research hence deducing some unexpected medical solutions. The article outlines a research study carried out among children in Europe who exhibited autistic chracteristcs (Myers, 2007).  While feeding them with camel milk on a daily basis, the children were subjected to autism evaluation checklist in order to establish any improvements in their individual behaviors and interaction with the environment. The study concludes that there was a remarkable relationship noted between camel milk and reduction in autism associated characteristics.

According to the 2016 annual report released by the National Centre for Special Children, the number of children with autism continues to escalate. The figure compared to what it was in the past few decades indicate that the number of autistic children has been increasing so alarmingly that containing this condition in the near future might be a major challenge for the medical fraternity (Peacock, 2009). The report however hints at possible solutions already identified with regard to the matter which are only awaiting scrutiny and implementation. As stated in the report, recent research carried on children with autism revealed that camel milk comprises a number of antibiotic components which when consumed plays a crucial role in improving the immunity of individuals. The study which specifically targeted the children with autism equally revealed that those who were consistently fed on camel milk over a given period of time did not only exhibit tremendous improvements in their immunity systems but also showed great adjustments in their communication abilities and social interactions with the surrounding (Persico, 2013). A review of literature comprising research previously conducted on the benefits of camel milk also highlights the fact that it has medicinal value. The incompetence of this research outcome, however, no exact medical condition is highlighted to e curable through camel milk. Volkmar (2009) outlines that autism should never be treated as a condition out of this world but as a medical issue which can be managed and contained while lasting solutions are being established.  Consequently, vast studies with regard to this topic reveal the hopes for a possible solution to autism as a health or medical issue. The studies also establish a direct correlation between camel milk and its ability to cure or at least manage autism.

Key research

From the deliberations of the key research above, it is evident that there is still need for more sophisticated approaches in order to find a tangible solution to the problem in question. While the discovery that camel milk may have numerous health benefits, there still lacks any scientific evidence pointing towards a similar direction. In order to improve the research approaches on this area, it would be necessary to subject camel milk to a number of medical examinations as well as analyses in order to deduce the specific components which may be of benefit to individuals with autism (Persico, 2006). These components can then be incorporated in other forms of already established medicine and drugs. The other existing gap as revealed by the research is the fact that the prior studies were conducted while the children got other forms of medical care. As a result, it would be inaccurate to wholly attribute the improvements in conditions to the intake of camel milk. The research processes therefore needs to be conducted such that during the period of examination, the subjects will not be registered to any other form of medication (Wong, 2004). Consequently, it would possible to deduce a clear correlation between the intake of camel milk and its impacts on autism. Prior research conducted on this topic only covered specific locations especially those areas with adequate supply of camel milk. This therefore implies that those areas experiencing low supply of this commodity are unlikely to benefit from the findings especially in areas characterized by low development and poor infrastructure (Zachor, 2006).  The research procedure therefore needs to be adjusted and improved so that the findings will not only benefit a certain community but the whole world. To achieve this, the components with medicinal value in camel milk could be deduced and used to manufacture drugs which can then be distributed with ease to the rest of the world (Waltz, 2013).

• To establish the specific relationship between camel milk and its influence on autism
• To use autistic children as subjects in establishing any improvements in behavior in response to a daily intake of camel milk.
• To identify the specific components of camel milk with medicinal value.

The study shall involve the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods.   A thorough review of relevant literature on autism and health benefits of camel milk shall be conducted. Based on their depth of coverage, total of about 20 sources shall be sampled from which various concepts shall be drawn. The concepts shall be analyzed to deduce consistency, relevance as well as validity of the data obtained (Schmitz, 2008). On the other hand, the research process shall also comprise the approach of medical examinations and surveys in order to obtain data with respect to the research question. The process shall involve a sample size of 50 children with severe autism.  The sample shall be divided into two portion based on the ages and gender of the subjects. This would help establish any specific effects of gender on the outcome of research. The 50 children will be subjected to a daily intake of about 500ml of camel milk. During this period, a concurrent evaluation shall be conducted. The evaluation shall be done using an autism evaluation checklist with about 80 items testing on communication, social and behavioral skills. The evaluation shall be conducted against a total of 100 marks (Stefanatos, 2008). Any indications in improvements on the skills being tested shall be recorded over a period of 5 months. The outcomes shall be used to obtain a trend graph whose variables shall be number of days against the recorded percentage improvement in tested skills. In order to back up this data, the children’s’ parents will be subjected to oral interviews and questionnaires. Through these tools, their responses on the children’s’ changes in behavior over the period of study shall be established. The data in both cases shall subsequently be analyzed to establish the link between camel milk intake and alterations in autistic behaviors.

There are no ethical issues expected to arise during the research process. To enhance the confidentiality and privacy of the subjects, the questionnaires shall not include their names and addresses. In addition, the responses shall not be shared with third parties but shall solely be used for the research process.

Conclusion:

The rising cases of autism in the global arena only act as a wakeup call to the medical fraternity. There is need for a long lasting solution to this problem. The possible benefits of camel milk could of a welcome idea from which more extensive research could be built in order to come up with tacit counter methods to the challenges associated with autism.

References:

Anderson C. (2012) ‘Occurrence and family impact of elopement in children with autism spectrum disorders’. Pediatrics, 130(5). pp. 870-877.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013) Neurodevelopmental disorders. In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed., pp. 31-86. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Dumont-Mathieu, T. (2005) ‘Screening for autism in young children: The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and other measures’. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 11(3): 253-262.

Joppe, M. (2000) The research process. London: Sage publications.

Myers, D. (2007) Exploring social psychology. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Peacock, G. (2009) ‘Autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence and vaccines’. Pediatric Annals, 38(1), pp. 22-25.

Persico, A. (2013). ‘Autism genetics’ Behavioural Brain Research. 25(1), pp. 95–112.

Persico, A. (2006) ‘Searching for ways out of the autism maze: genetic, epigenetic and environmental clues’.  Trends Neurosci. 29 (7), pp. 349–5.

Schmitz,  C.(2008). ‘The neuropathology of autism: where do we stand?’. Neuropathology 34 (1), pp. 4–11. 

Kira, C (2014) Autism spectrum disorder: the complete guide to understanding autism. New York: Perigee.

Stefanatos, G. (2008) ‘Regression in autistic spectrum disorders’. Neuropsychology, 18 (4), PP. 305–19.

Volkmar, F. (2009) ‘Autism and autism spectrum disorders: Diagnostic issues for the coming decade’ Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, pp. 108-115.

Waltz, M. (2013). Autism: A Social and Medical History. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Wong, V. (2004) ‘A modified screening tool for autism (Checklist for Autism in Toddlers [CHAT-23]) for Chinese children’. Pediatrics, 114(2), pp. 166-176.

Zachor, D. (2006) Autism: In Current Pediatric Therapy. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.