Has your child recently been diagnosed with Autism?
Autism is a developmental disorder. Two unusual behaviors noticed in any patient with Autism are Shortfall in communication and difficulty making social interaction, and repetitive or restricted behavior. One leading single-gene cause of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the known cause of inherited intellectual disability is Fragile X Syndrome (FXS).
This article will help you identify the symptoms associated with Autism and help you better diagnose and manage your child.
Have a look.
Know About Autism
Autism affects your child’s development mainly in two areas:
- Social interaction and social communication,
- Repetitive and restricted patterns of interests and behavior.
Your child may have Autism from birth. However, you may not notice it until the social demands surpass your child’s limitations.
Many children are diagnosed with Autism every year in the United States.
Symptoms of Autism
You may notice the following symptoms in your child:
Social interaction and social communication
- The disinclination towards the display of affection like hugging and cuddling.
- They might prefer staying alone.
- If the child is young, they might fail to respond to their name.
- If the child is old, they might have difficulty communicating, eye contact, reading body language, and difficulty understanding emotions and social relationships.
- Change in pattern or tone of speech.
Repetitive or restricted behavior:
- Getting upset with small changes in the daily routine.
- If the child is young, they might order toys instead of playing with them.
- If the child is old, they might show interest in specific subjects.
Risk Factors
Various risk factors can lead to Autism in your child. Watch out for the most common ones:
- Low birth weight.
- Exposure to valproate when your child is young.
- Parental age.
As soon as you observe any of these factors, you must consult your Pediatrician.
Note: There is a common myth that vaccination can cause Autism. However, studies performed by the CBC have revealed that there is no relationship between vaccination and Autism.
Diagnosis
You may notice impairing symptoms in the early developmental stages (around two years) of your child. You can notice the symptoms completely with the social and physical development of the child.
For diagnosing social interaction and communication, your physician will look at the following:
- A shortfall in social reciprocity, nonverbal communication (body language)
- Difficulty in participating and understanding age-related relationships.
For diagnosing repetitive and restrictive behavior, your physician will look for common actions and movements, as well as sensory problems.
The diagnosing criteria include the physician specifying the severity of the symptoms on a three-tiered scale, indicating the amount of support that the child will need.
Treatment
Children with Autism can be treated with various techniques like a well-constructed educational program and proper behavioral therapy. Let’s have a look at some of the commonly used treatment therapies:
Training
You can also consider neurodiversity awareness training to help understand how neurodevelopmental disorders impact individuals. It may also help with learning to recognise when somebody is struggling and techniques to help manage their condition.
Psychotherapeutic
Applied Behavior Analysis
Were you aware that Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is one of the most widely used therapies for patients with Autism? It helps children in developing the required skills and decreases unwanted behavior that could harm them. It has proven to be beneficial to children with mild to moderate Autism. Many studies have proved the success of this therapy.
Occupational therapy (OT)
This therapy helps children develop skills necessary to perform various daily life activities like sensory comprehending skills, motor skills, etc.
Many parents have tried using “Social Stories” and have found it helpful. Social Stories help prepare the child for social situations. The stories include narration, stories from a child’s view, and more.
Pharmacological
There is no specific medication for the main symptoms of Autism. You can treat the associated symptoms like hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression with medications.
Final Word
Autism is a challenging condition but can be managed if diagnosed early and if the symptoms are well controlled. You can also consider taking expert help to curb the autism issue in your kid. Hidden talents ABA specializes in taking care of children with Autism.
Hope these will help!
