Autism
“Autism or autism” is one of the disorders belonging to a group of developmental disorders called in medical language “disorders of the autism spectrum.” It appears in infancy, most often before the child reaches the age of three years.
Although the severity and symptoms of autism vary 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 the number of diagnosed cases of this disorder is constantly increasing.
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Although there is no cure for the disease yet, intensive treatment and early diagnosis can make a noticeable and serious change in the lives of children with this disorder.
The main difficulties that people with autism suffer from:
Children with autism also almost certainly suffer from difficulties in three basic developmental areas:
1- Mutual social relations.
2- Language.
3- Behavior.
As children grow older towards adulthood, some of them may become more capable and willing to mix and integrate into the surrounding social environment, and it is possible for them to show fewer behavioral disorders than those that characterize autistic patients, and some of them may even succeed in living a normal life or lifestyle soon. Of the normal and natural.
On the other hand, others continue to have difficulties in language skills and in mutual social relationships, to the point that their adulthood makes their behavioral problems worse.
Some children are slow in learning new information and skills, while others have a normal IQ, or even higher than other normal people. These children learn quickly, but they suffer from communication problems in applying things they have learned in their daily lives and in adapting to different situations.
A very small portion of children with autism are self-educated and have unique exceptional skills, particularly concentrated in a specific field, such as: art, mathematics, or music.
Because the signs and symptoms of autism vary from patient to patient, two different children with the same medical diagnosis are likely to behave in very different ways and to have completely different skills.
However, severe 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 normally during the first months or years of their lives, but suddenly become withdrawn, hostile, or lose the language skills they have acquired up to that point.
Although every child suffers from the symptoms of autism, and shows his own characteristics and patterns, the following symptoms are the most common for this type of disorder:
1- Disorder in social skills
The patient's symptoms appear as follows:
. He does not respond to his name being called.
. Do not make too much direct eye contact.
. It seems that he does not hear his interlocutor.
. He refuses hugs or shrinks into himself.
. He seems to be unaware of the feelings and feelings of others
. He seems to like to play alone, and expects his own person in his world.
2- Problems with language skills
The following are the most important symptoms of language skills difficulties:
. He begins speaking at a later age compared to other children.
. He loses the ability to say certain words or sentences that he previously knew.
. He makes eye contact when he wants something specific.
. He speaks in a strange voice or with different tones and rhythms, or he speaks using a singing voice, or in a voice that resembles the voice 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- Behavioral problems
. Performs repetitive movements such as: rocking, or rotating in circles. Or waving hands.
. He develops habits and rituals that he always repeats.
. He loses his tranquility when any change occurs, even the simplest or smallest, in these customs or rituals.
. Be always in motion.
. He becomes astonished and amazed by certain parts of objects, such as: the rotation of a wheel in a toy car.
. He is extremely sensitive to light, sound, or touch, but he is unable to feel pain.
. Young children experience difficulties when they are asked to share their experiences with others.
- Causes and risk factors for 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 autistic disorders, and the fact that there is no correspondence between two autistic conditions, that is, between two autistic children, it is likely that there are many factors that cause autism.
Causes of autism:
1- Genetic disorders
Researchers have discovered the presence of several genes that are likely to play a role in causing autism, some of which make the child more susceptible to developing the disorder, while others affect brain growth and development and the way brain cells communicate with each other.
Any genetic defect in and of itself may be responsible for a number of cases of autism, but in a comprehensive view it appears that genes in general have a very central and even decisive influence on autism disorder, and some genetic disorders may be transmitted genetically, while others may appear spontaneously.
2- Environmental factors:
A large portion of health problems are the result of genetic and environmental factors combined, and this may be true in the case of autism.
Recently, researchers are examining the possibility that a viral infection or environmental pollution may be a catalyst for the emergence and emergence of autism.
3- Other factors:
There are other factors that have been subject to recent research and study, including:
Problems during childbirth, and the role of the immune system in everything related to autism.
Some researchers believe that damage to the amygdala, a part of the brain that acts as a detector of danger situations, is one of the factors that trigger the onset of autism.
Complications of autism:
. Inability to succeed in studies.
. Social isolation.
. Inability to live independently.
. Stress .
. Abuse and dealing with them violently.
- Diagnosis of the disease:
. See the child by a specialist doctor.
. Conversing with parents about the child’s social skills, linguistic abilities, and behavior, and about how and to what extent these factors change and develop over time.
. Subjecting the child to several examinations and tests to evaluate his speech and linguistic abilities and examine some psychological aspects.
Although the initial symptoms of autism appear before the age of 18 months, the final diagnosis is sometimes only made when the child reaches the age of two or three years, when a defect in development appears, a delay in acquiring language skills, or a defect in mutual social relationships.
Early diagnosis is very important, because early intervention, especially before the child reaches the age of three years, is a very important element in achieving the best possibilities and opportunities for improving the condition.
- Treatment of autism:
To this day, there is no single treatment available that is equally suitable for all people with autism. In fact, the variety of treatments available for people with autism that can be adopted at home or at school is astonishingly diverse and numerous.
. Behavioral therapy
. Speech and language pathology treatments
. Educational and educational therapy
. Drug treatment