Autism is a complex developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, although it is sometimes diagnosed
much later. It affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. Common features of autism include
impaired social interactions, impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, problems processing information from the senses,
and restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour.
As we have said in most cases the average age for an autism diagnosis is between three and four years old. However many
parents start to become concerned around 18 months old. This age coincides with some vaccinations and has caused many parents
to blame the vaccinations for autism. However research over the last few years has indicated that many autistic children show
signs of autism in their first year.
Symptoms
The first thing to look out for is that your child is hitting the normal milestones of development. These millstones are
listed in the toddlers section of mum’s home. The difficulty in detecting autism is that some children do develop slower than others so being a few weeks late reaching
one particular milestone is nothing to worry about. When a child is late over a range of these milestones then it is best
to seek medical advice.
Other symptoms to watch for in early development. Children with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and nonverbal
communication, social interactions, and pretend play. In some, aggression -- toward others or self -- may be present. Autistic
children often lack or rarely use the ’social gaze’, the process of looking at someone when giving them attention.
‘Joint Attention’, when parent and child are both giving their attention to the same object or person, is also
rarer. These early signs forewarn of the two of most notable symptoms of autism, a lack of empathy for others and a tendency
to withdraw into a world of their own. Some children with autism appear normal before age 1 or 2 and then suddenly "regress"
and lose language or social skills they had previously gained.
One of the physical symptoms of autism is the child’s patterns of movement. Clumsiness, being uncoordinated, violent
outbursts and repetitive movements are all common in autism. People with autism may perform repeated body movements, show
unusual attachments to objects or have unusual distress when routines are changed. Individuals may also experience sensitivities
in the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste. Such children, for example, will refuse to wear "itchy" clothes and
become unduly distressed if forced because of the sensitivity of their skin.
Causes
Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. The exact causes of these abnormalities
remain unknown, but this is a very active area of research. It is thought that there are probably a combination of factors
that lead to autism but there seems to be no definitive answer at the present time.
It is however known that autism affects boys 3 to 4 times more often than girls. Some parents have heard that the MMR vaccine
that children receive may cause autism. It is thought that this theory was based, on two facts. First, the incidence of autism
has increased steadily since around the same time the MMR vaccine was introduced. Second, children with the regressive form
of autism (a type of autism that develops after a period of normal development) tend to start to show symptoms around the
time the MMR vaccine is given. It is thought by the government that this is likely a coincidence due to the age of children
at the time they receive this vaccine. Several major studies have found NO connection between the vaccine and autism. Some
doctors attribute the increased incidence in autism to newer definitions of autism. The term "autism" now includes a wider
spectrum of children. For example, a child who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism today may have been thought to simply
be odd or strange 30 years ago.
Signs and tests
All children should have routine developmental exams by their paediatrician. Further testing may be needed if there is
concern on the part of the clinician or the parents. This is particularly true whenever a child fails to meet any of the following
language milestones:
- Babbling by 12 months
- Gesturing (pointing, waving bye-bye) by 12 months
- Single words by 16 months
- Two-word spontaneous phrases by 24 months (not just echoing)
- Loss of any language or social skills at any age.
A health care provider experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of autism is usually necessary for the actual diagnosis.
Because there is no biological test for autism, the diagnosis will often be based on very specific criteria laid out in a
book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV. As there are other pervasive developmental disorders and they include:
- Asperger syndrome (like autism, but with normal language development)
- Rett syndrome (very different from autism, and only occurs in females)
- Childhood disintegrative disorder( a rare condition where a child acquires skills, then loses them by age 10)
- Pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), also called atypical autism.
Treatment
All treatments must be undertaken under medical supervision and they include;
- Treatment programs - it is thought that an early, intensive, appropriate treatment program will greatly improve the outlook
for most young children with autism.
- Medicines are often used to treat behaviour or emotional problems that people with autism may have. These include hyperactivity,
impulsiveness, attention problems, irritability, mood swings, outbursts, tantrums, aggression, extreme compulsions that the
child finds it impossible to suppress, sleep difficulty, and anxiety.
- Some children with autism appear to respond to a gluten free or a casein-free diet. Gluten is found in foods containing
wheat, rye, and barley. Casein is found in milk, cheese, and other dairy products.
For more information try these sites
Autism Independent UK (SFTAH) www.autismuk.com
The National Autistic Society www.nas.org.uk
