What is autism, symptoms, causes and risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and alternative treatments

Autism

Autism is a disorder of a group of developmental disorders called in the medical language "Autism Spectrum Disorders - ASD" that appears in infancy, before the child reaches three years of age, most often.

Although the severity and symptoms of autism differ from one case to another, all autism disorders affect the child's ability to communicate with those around him and develop mutual relationships with them.

Estimates show that 6 out of every 1,000 children in the United States suffer from autism and that the number of diagnosed cases of this disorder is constantly increasing.

It is not known, until now, whether this increase is the result of more effective detection and reporting of cases, or is it an actual and real increase in the number of people with autism.

Or the result of these two factors together.

Although there is no cure for autism, yet, intensive and early treatment can make a significant and significant change in the lives of children with this disorder. Try to notice your child

Autism symptoms

Children with autism suffer from difficulties in three basic developmental areas, which are:

Mutual social relations

The language

the behavior.

Because the symptoms of autism differ from one patient to another, it is likely that two different children, with the same medical diagnosis, will behave in very different ways and that they each have completely different skills.

However, high-risk cases of autism are characterized, in most cases, by an absolute inability to communicate or to establish mutual relationships with other people.

Symptoms of autism appear in most children, in infancy, while other children may grow up and develop completely naturally during the first months or years of their lives, but they suddenly become closed in on themselves, hostile or lose the language skills they have acquired up to that moment.

Although every child suffers from the symptoms of autism, he shows patterns and patterns of his own, but the following features are most common:

1- Social skills

He does not respond to his name calling

Not a lot of direct eye contact

Often he does not seem to hear his speaker

Refuses to hug or shrinks to himself

It seems that he is not aware of the feelings and feelings of others

He seems to like to play alone, expects his own in his world.

2- Language skills

Speech (pronouncing words) begins at a later age, compared to other children

He loses the ability to say certain words or phrases that he previously knew

He makes eye contact when he wants something

He speaks in a strange voice or in different tones and rhythms, he speaks using a lyrical, terry voice, or in a voice similar to that of a robot

He cannot initiate a conversation or continue an existing conversation

He may repeat words, phrases or terms, but he does not know how to use them.

3- Behavior

Performs repetitive movements such as, rocking, spinning in circles or waving your hands

Develops habits and rituals that he always repeats

He loses serenity with any change, even the slightest or smallest change, in these customs or rituals

Always in motion

He is astonished and astonished by certain parts of an object, such as a spinning wheel in a toy car

Extremely sensitive to light, sound or touch, but unable to sense pain.

Young children experience difficulties when asked to share their experiences with others. When reading a story to them, for example, they cannot point their finger at the pictures in the book.

This social skill, which develops at a very young age, is essential for developing language and social skills at a later stage of development.

As children advance into adulthood, part of them may become more capable and ready to mix and integrate into the surrounding social environment, and they may show fewer behavioral disorders than those that characterize autism, so that some of them succeed in leading a normal life or lifestyle. Close to normal and natural.

On the other hand, others continue to have difficulties in language skills and in mutual social relations, so that their attainment increases, only, their behavioral problems worse and worse.

Department of kids, slow to learn new information and skills. Others have a normal IQ, or even higher than normal people. These children learn quickly, but have trouble communicating, in applying the things they learned in their daily lives and in adapting themselves to changing social situations and situations.

A very small portion of children with autism are self-educated and possess unique exceptional skills, particularly focused in a specific field such as art, mathematics or music.

Causes and risk factors of autism

There is no single factor known to be a definitive cause of autism.

But taking into account the complexity of the disease, the extent of autism disorders, and the fact of the mismatch between two autism states, that is, between two autistic children, it is likely that there are many factors for the causes of autism.

Genetic disorders:

 Researchers have discovered several genes likely to play a role in causing autism, some of which make the child more susceptible to the disorder, while others affect the growth and development of the brain and the way brain cells communicate with each other.

Any genetic defect may, in and of itself and alone, be responsible for a number of cases of autism, but it seems, in a holistic view, that genes, in general, have a very central, even decisive, effect on the disorder of autism. Some genetic disorders may be transmitted genetically (inherited) while others may appear spontaneously (spontaneous). 

Environmental factors:

 A large part of health problems are the result of genetic factors and environmental factors, taken together. This may be true in the case of subjectivity, too. In recent times, researchers are examining the possibility that a viral infection, or environmental pollution (air pollution, in particular), for example, may be a catalyst for the emergence and emergence of autism.

Other factors: 

There are other factors, too, that have been researched and studied in recent times, including: problems during childbirth, or during the birth itself, and the role of the immune system in everything related to personality. Some researchers believe that damage (injury) to the amygdala - a part of the brain that acts as a detector of risk situations - is one of the factors that stimulate the emergence of autism.

One of the central points of contention in everything related to autism revolves around the question of whether there is any relationship between autism and part of the vaccines (Vaccines) given to children, with special emphasis on:

MMR Triple Vaccine - given against Mumps, Rubeola / Measles and Rubella (Rubella / German Measles)

Other vaccines contain thimerosal, which is a preservative that contains a trace amount of mercury.

Autism * Autism

Although most vaccines given to children today do not contain thimerosal, as of 2001, disagreement and controversy remain. Recent studies and comprehensive research have proven that there is no relationship between vaccines and autism.

Autism risk factors

Autism may appear in any child of any origin or nationality, but there are known risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing it. These factors include:

Child Gender:

Research has shown that male children are three to four times more likely to develop autism than females

Family history:

Families with an autistic child are more likely to have another child with the disease. Among the things known and common is that parents or relatives who have a child with autism suffer, themselves, from certain disorders in some developmental or developmental skills, or even from certain self-behaviors.

Other disorders:

Children with certain medical problems are more likely to have autism. These medical problems include: Fragile X Syndrome, which is an inherited syndrome that leads to a mental disorder, Tuberous sclerosis, which leads to the formation and development of tumors in the brain, and the neurological disorder known as "Tourette Syndrome" And epilepsy, which causes epileptic seizures.

Parent Age:

 Researchers tend to think that parenting at a later age may increase the likelihood of developing autism.

Very comprehensive research has shown that children born to men over the age of forty are 6 times more likely to have autism than children born to fathers under the age of thirty. The research shows that maternal age has a marginal influence on the risk of autism.

Autism diagnosis

The treating pediatrician conducts regular growth and development checks to detect developmental delays in the child.

In the event that the child's symptoms of autism appear, they can go to a doctor who specializes in treating autism, who, in cooperation with a team of other specialists, will carefully evaluate the disorder.

Since autism ranges between very many degrees of severity of the disease and the severity of its symptoms, diagnosing autism may be a complex and complex task, as there is no specific medical examination to detect an existing condition of autism.

Instead, the formal self-assessment includes seeing the child's specialist doctor, a conversation with the parents about the child's social skills, his linguistic abilities, his behavior and how and how these factors have changed and developed over time.

In order to diagnose the symptoms of autism, the doctor may request that the child be subjected to several examinations and tests aimed at assessing his verbal and linguistic abilities and examining some psychological aspects.

Although the initial symptoms of autism often appear before the age of 18 months, the final diagnosis is sometimes made when the child reaches the age of two or three years, only when a developmental defect appears, a delay in acquiring language skills. Or, a defect in mutual social relations, which is evident at this stage of life.

And early diagnosis is very important, because early intervention, as much as possible, especially before the child reaches the age of three, is a very important element in achieving the best possibilities and opportunities for improvement of the situation.

Autism treatment

There is, to this day, no single treatment available that works equally for everyone. In fact, the variety of treatments available for autistic patients that can be adopted at home or in school are surprisingly diverse and varied.

The treating physician can help find resources available in the area of ​​residence that can be helpful tools in working with the autistic child.

Autism treatment includes:

Behavioral Therapy and Speech Language Pathology

Didactic-educational treatment

Drug treatment.

Alternative treatments

Due to the fact that autism is a very difficult and intractable condition that does not have a cure, many parents resort to the solutions provided by alternative medicine.

Although some families reported that they achieved positive results after treating autism through a special diet and other alternative treatments, researchers cannot confirm or deny the efficacy of these various treatments on autistic patients.

Some very popular alternative treatments include:

Creative and innovative treatments

Their own diets.