What Is Autism? - Cure Feelings

Here, You will know all about autism. we have done a detailed study on autism. Autism and ASD are the same things. to know about “what is ASD” or “what is autism” have a look below.

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD)?

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a condition linked to brain development that affects how a person perceives and socializes with other people, causing social interaction and communication problems. A wide range of conditions is characterized by social skills, repetitious behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication challenges. According to a study, autism affects an estimated 1 in 50 children worldwide.

The disorder also includes limited and repetitious habits of behavior. The term “spectrum” in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms.

Some individuals still use the word “Asperger’s syndrome,” which is generally believed to be at the mild end of autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder begins in early preadolescence and eventually causes trouble performing in society — socially, in school, and at the job.

Symptoms or Signs of Autism: what is autism?

Some kids show signs of autism spectrum disorder in earlier infancy, such as less eye contact, lack of reaction to their name, or dispassion with caretakers. Other children may generally grow for the first few months or years of life but then suddenly become withdrawn or aggressive or lose language skills they’ve already acquired. you can notice at the age of two years. Each child with autism spectrum disorder is likely to have a unique habit or pattern of behavior and severity — from low to high-functioning.

Some children with autism spectrum disorder have problems in learning, and some have signs of lower-than-average intelligence. Other children with the condition have average to high intelligence — they learn quickly yet have trouble communicating and devoting what they know in everyday life and adjusting to social situations.

Because of each child’s unique set of symptoms, severity can sometimes be challenging. It’s generally based on the level of impairments and how they impact the ability to perform.

There are some common possible signs that are noticeable in autistic people.

Comunication and Social Intraction:

Let’s start with the birth of a child with autism.

The problem in maintaining eye contact can be seen in the beginning, although it’s a general condition in all kids.

And By nine months, you can see autistic kids do not respond to their names and don’t express their emotions like surprise and anger.

And By the 12 months, they do not engage in basic interactive games and don’t use hand gestures, like hand-waving.

By 15 to 24 months, it is observed that autistic people have lesser interest in others, such as not pointing or looking. And not noticing when others appear sad or hurt. As they interact with others, autistic kids might have complication sharing their emotions and interests or find it hard to maintain back-and-forth conversations. Nonverbal communication, like maintaining eye contact or body language, might also remain challenging.

Besides, autistic children might have difficulty communicating their feelings or understanding those of others starting at 36 months. They might have trouble talking or limited speaking skills as they grow up.

Other autistic kids might grow their language skills at a variable speed. If there’s a particular topic that’s very interesting to them, for example, they might develop a robust vocabulary for talking about that one topic. But they might have a problem speaking about other things.

As autistic children begin speaking, they might also speak extraordinarily, ranging from high-pitched and “sing-songy” to robotic or flat.

They might also show signs of hyperlexia, which involves reading beyond their age expectations. People on the autism spectrum might learn to read earlier than their neurotypical peers, sometimes as early as age 2. But they tend not to apprehend what they’re reading.

And these challenges with communication can persist throughout adulthood.

Repetitious Habits of Behavior or Activities:

Autism also includes signs related to body indications and behaviors as follows:

repetitious movements, like rocking, fluttering their arms, circling, or running back and forth.
devotion to rigorous routines, like those around bedtime or getting to an academy
repeating words or phrases, they hear somebody say over and over again
easily upset over petty changes
concentrating intently on parts of objects, like the wheel of a toy truck or the hair of a doll
uncommon reactions to sensory input, like sounds, smells, and tastes.
compulsive interests
unusual abilities, like musical talent or memory capabilities.

Other Symptoms:

Some autistic individuals might experience other symptoms, including:

delayed movement, speech, or cognitive skills
seizures
gastrointestinal symptoms, like constipation or diarrhea
extreme worry or focus
uncommon grades of fear (either higher or lower than desired)
hyperactive, inattentive, or impulsive behaviors
surprising emotional reactions
irregular eating routines or preferences
distinctive sleep patterns

How to Diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders?

What age is autism diagnosed? The diagnosis involves:

Interviewing the parent/caregiver.
Monitoring and interacting with the child in a structured form.
Sometimes conducting additional tests to rule out other disorders.

In some fuzzy cases, the diagnosis of autism may be deferred. Still, otherwise, an early diagnosis can enormously improve a child’s functioning by providing the family early access to supporting resources in the community.

The first stage is pursuing an evaluation. Most parents start with their pediatrician, who is checking on developmental landmarks. If your child is under three years old, you can get an assessment through your local early intervention system like a nearby clinic. If your child is over the age of 3, you can get an evaluation through your local particular learning school or authorized centers by a regulator. Contact them and request an assessment.

Cause of Autism

The precise cause of ASD is unknown, and the most current study indicates that there’s no single cause.

These can be the possible causes of autism:

low birth weight is one of the suspected factors.
Metabolic imbalances.
having an immediate family member who’s autistic
certain genetic mutations
fragile X syndrome and other genetic disorders
being born to more aging parents
exposure to heavy metals and environmental toxins
mother’s history of viral infections
fetal exposure to the drugs valproic acid or thalidomide (Thalomid)

According to the trusted autism institute, genetics and environment may determine whether a person develops ASD.

However, multiple sources have concluded that vaccines do not cause ASD.

Treatment of Autism

Since there is no “cure” available for autism as of now, there are still several adequate interventions that can improve kids with autism.

The applied behavioral analysis involves a systematic study of the child’s functional challenges, which helps to create a structured behavioral plan to improve their adaptive skills and decrease inappropriate behavior.

Social skills training:

Done in a group or individual setting, this intervention helps kids with autism enhance their ability to navigate social situations.

Speech Therapy:

Speech therapy can improve the child’s speech habits and learning of language.

Occupational therapy:

It addresses adaptive skills deficits with activities of daily living and problems with handwriting.

Parent Management Training:

guardians learn effective patterns to respond to inappropriate behavior and encourage appropriate behavior in their kids.

Special education services:

You may join a special education program, which accommodates their social communication deficits, repetitive and restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors; kids with autism can achieve their fullest potential academically. This contains special day classes for very young juveniles to address language, social, and life skills.

Treat co-occurring conditions:

people with autism experience insomnia, anxiety, and depression more often than peers without autism, and they also more usually have ADHD. Kids with autism may have an intellectual disability, which needs to be managed. The consequence of these conditions can be reduced with the appropriate services.

Medicinal treatment :

A child psychiatrist can assess for co-morbid depression, anxiety, and impulsivity. Suppose proper medications can be helpful. For instance, medications such as aripiprazole and risperidone, approved medications, can reduce autism-related irritability.

Several complementary and alternative interventions such as special diets and supplements have been tried by parents/guardians seeking ways to help their kid with autism function better. And still, compelling evidence has not been discovered to advise any such specific interventions. Investigation into these interventions continues, and the parents interested in them should discuss them with their child’s doctor.

Closing Lines:

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability. The factors of the disability, little or lack of speech development, avoiding social contact or awareness, and routines of behaviors do not remain in the same range for everyone with autism. The lack of a single identified cause for autism leaves much uncovered in the field. Hypothetical causes, such as neurological and congenital, may prove to be a linkage to the true cause of the disability.

References:

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?: Center for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities: Center for Disease Control and Prevention
* In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association merged four distinct autism diagnoses into one umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They included autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome.
National Institute of Mental Health: “Autism Spectrum Disorder.”
NHS autism guide
Research Program on Autism Spectrum Disorders: This NIMH program supports research focused on the characterization, pathophysiology, treatment, and outcomes of ASD and related disorders.
Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network: This CDC-funded program collects data to better understand the population of children with ASD.