Expressive Language and the Impact of Zinc/Copper Ratio
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Authors
Strauss, Gabrielle
Issue Date
2018
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Zinc , Copper , Autism
Alternative Title
Abstract
The interaction between genes and the environment such as mineral and trace elements are now regarded as the most probable explanation of autism (Yasuda, Yoshida, Yasuda, & Tsutsui, 2013). Weismer, Lord, and Esler (2010) identified children associated with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and autism have exhibited substantial language delays compared to children of their chronological age. Language delays were found to profoundly impact both receptive and expressive language. The participant in this study was a three year-old female who was previously diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For the experiment, the child was administered articulation and language standard evaluations in order to create expressive language goals. The participant’s clinician created language goals and skilled speech therapy initiated. The participant was administered a 50mg zinc supplement nine weeks into therapy to measure the effects of this trace element on expressive language. The results were inconclusive in that the participant exhibited improved language abilities with and without zinc. Continuous research is warranted to gain better understanding of the effects of zinc supplementation on expressive language in children associated with ASD.