Autism Symptoms and the Way Ahead

A child would show some typical signs of development at different stages of growth. But many parents express their worries on the fact that they are not observing proper behavioral patterns in their children. These problematic areas might include inability to express social skills and failing to communicate thoughts and feelings to others. Some children might even be noticed to be showing some stereotypical behavior in the form of flapping or toe walking. These are typical signs of autism, a complex disorder, which affects the way an individual communicates with the world around him.

What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of a child's life and hits roughly one in 160 individuals. Males have a greater probability of being diagnosed with autism than females. The condition also referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD, is characterized by an individual's difficulty in communication and social interactions along with the expression of unusual behavior and body movements. An autistic child typically shows lack of interest in other people and performs repetitive behaviors. Autism is believed to be caused due to neurological or genetic defects. But the definite causes have not yet been found out and there is no known cure as well. People with autism find the world to be a very confusing place. And others around him find it very difficult to interpret his behavior.

Developmental Areas Affected due to Autism

• Communication: Language problem is very common among people with Autism. They cannot express their needs, wants, opinions, ideas and experiences properly. These individuals face difficulties in the construction of meaningful sentences with the proper use of grammar and vocabulary. They cannot understand the meaning of body language. They can even misinterpret the meanings of words and can find it really hard to understand the feelings and emotions of other people around them.
• Social Interaction: Social interaction forms a very essential part of our lives. And autistic individuals find difficulties in their social skills. Lack of interest in social communication makes these individuals to stay aloof from any sort of social interactions. Interpretation of non-verbal communications like eye-contact, facial expressions and gestures is a problem area to them. These individuals find it difficult to make or maintain friendships because of their lack of interest in the emotions and feelings of others. Some autistic individuals totally get isolated from any sort of social interaction, while others struggle to initiate or maintain a social behavior.
• Behavior: There are certain typical behaviors which are shown by autistic individuals. These include:
  1. Body Movements: These movements are stereotypical in nature and typically involve activities like flapping, toe-walking and hand biting.
  2. Rituals and Routines: Autistic individuals stick firmly to the routine and any change in the routine can cause stress and anxiety in them.
  3. Language: These individuals show abnormal patterns in the use of language.
  4. Sensory Sensitivities: These people show a tendency to react violently to certain colors, smells, textures, sounds and tastes.
  5. Obsessions: Autistic individuals show obsessive behaviors with their favorite topics, people, places and activities.
  6. Tantrums: These people find it very difficult to convey their emotions to others and they might resort to using tantrums to communicate their conditions of extreme anxiety, anger, stress, frustration and confusion.

Different Forms of Supports Available

Although there is no known cure, but still certain education programs can improve the communication skills of autistic individuals. The common forms of help include:

• Assessment: This is the step normally performed by a team consisting of specialists from various disciplines. The assessment team would consist of a pediatrician, a psychiatrist and a speech pathologist. A proper assessment might not be possible until the child reaches three years of age. Research has shown that an early intervention would go a long way to develop appropriate skills in an autistic individual.
• Educational Support: The educational needs vary with the severity of the disorder. Some individuals might require specialized programs while mainstream programs and services might be found to be suitable for others. The level of functioning of the individual would decide the type of education program that he requires.
• Family Support: The parents and the siblings of an autistic child also need some type of support and training to take proper care of the child and to understand his needs and wants. Counseling is also necessary for the parents, who might react in a variety of ways like showing anger, guilt and frustration after the diagnosis. Parents who are taking care of an autistic child might also express feelings of stress, confusion and anxiety. Parents might require tips on child care, social skills and living skills. Joining a support group can help parents come out with feasible solutions to their problems. There are numerous support groups which can even train up siblings of autistic children to help them to easily go along with their autistic brothers/ sisters by overcoming stress and embarrassment.

Autism is a difficult concept to understand and there is no known cause or cure! But early intervention can lead to the development of communication as well as social skills in autistic children. But the real support should come from the family members. Parents should try to make life normal for the special child and for others in the family. Patience counts!

Source: Lifemojo