Behavioral Treatment for Autism
Among the most effective forms of treatment for autism are those that have a behavioral therapy component. Behavioral programs are designed to reward appropriate behavior while ignoring or delivering a negative consequence for inappropriate behavior. These programs seem to have a high rate of success, particularly when they are started when a child is still young – many programs suggest beginning before the age of three.
Like the parents of children with other disorders that present with behavioral symptoms (notably ADHD), parents of autistic children may find that their parenting skills are challenged by the extremes of behavior that an autistic child can present. Temper tantrums, self injurious behaviors, aggression and agitation can train’ a parent into giving the autistic child what he wants (which is often to be left alone) rather than teaching the child a more appropriate way of getting what he wants.
Instituting a consistent program of behavioral modification can work wonders in dealing with many of the behaviors associated with autism – and will certainly help the child in developing in a more socially appropriate direction. The components of a behavioral program may include:
A structured daily routine
Autistic children respond best when they have a regular routine and know what to expect. They don′t deal well with inconsistency or change. Establish a daily routine and stick to it as much as possible.
Behavior control
In controlling tantrums and other behavioral issues, there are three prioriries:
- Dangerous behaviors should be dealt with first. Any behavior that could be dangerous for the child or others around them must be stopped immediately and firmly, without anger.
- Sitting skills are something that most children acquire naturally, but that children with autistic disorders often need to be taught. The best way to teach sitting skills is to reward appropriate sitting and attending while ignoring or instituting a negative consequence for inappropriate behaviors.
- Bizarre, stereotypical or repetitive behaviors like finger flapping and rocking are among the most obvious and distracting symptoms of autism. They respond well to a firm stop′ command and redirection to another activity that isn’t conducive to continuing the behavior you want to eliminate.
Communication with a child who has autism should be simple and direct. Use short, clear sentences to speak to the child, and avoid going into explanations or using too many words. Come here now is easy to process and understand. Come here so that I can fix your pants and tuck in your shirt because you need to look nice may get completely lost in confusion to the child.
Applied Behavioral Analysis is one of the most popular forms of behavioral modification used with autistic children. It involves breaking down tasks into individual components and rewarding a child for successfully completing each step of the task. ABA is widely touted as being a scientifically proven’ effective treatment that may allow an autistic child to reach normal’ functioning. The reported success rate is close to 47%.
There is considerable controversy surrounding the effectiveness of ABA. There’s no doubt that in some cases it works extremely well, however it is not the only behavioral approach to treating autism, and it is not a cure for autism. Like any other behavioral tool, it can be an effective means of training a person with autism to recognize and respond to social and behavioral cues more appropriately.
The Use of Secretin to Treat Autism
One of the currently controversial treatments for autism is the use of the neurotransmitter secretin. Since the mid-90s, there have been numerous anecdotal reports that treatment with secretin results in amazing and immediate improvements in many autistic children and adults. Secretin is found in the gastrointestinal tract, where it helps the body to digest food better. It is used to help doctors diagnose and treat stomach and digestive problems, and is approved by the FDA for that purpose.
So how did a protein that’s used by the body in the digestive process end up being touted as an effective treatment for autism?
First, you need to know that many children with disorders in the autism spectrum also have digestive and intestinal disorders, and research has shown that a lot of those have deficiencies of secretin and other proteins used in digestion. In 1998, doctors from Maryland published an article in the Journal of the Association for Academic Minority Physicians about three children with autistic spectrum disorders. Within five weeks of receiving intravenous infusions of secretin to help regulate their digestion, all three showed
a dramatic improvement in their behavior, manifested by improved eye contact, alertness, and expansion of expressive language.
By October of 1998, the National Institutes of Health had posted their position on the use of secretin to treat autism – which essentially said that it does not have an official position. Specifically, the letter states that any use other than for gastro-intestinal treatment is considered an off-label’ use, for which there have been no safety or efficacy (effectiveness) studies.
It goes on to state, however, that there has been one small safety study that seems to suggest that a single dose treatment of secretin is safe, in that it has no unwanted side effects, and invites researchers to submit applications for funding research.
Then in November of 2001, the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reported that further studies with double-blind placebos had shown that secretin has no effect on autism, and that the improvements in children who were given secretin were no better than in those who were given a placebo.
That wasn’t the last word, however. All over the country, parents of children with autism spectrum disorders are still reporting significant improvements in speech, behavior and attention in children who are given secretin. Because so little is know about the causes of autism, there is a possibility that there is a specific sub-group of children with autism who may benefit from the use of secretin. Currently, it is not a recommended treatment for autism in general. Those who advocate its use suggest that it be used in the specific sub-group of children who might benefit from its approved use – to treat gastrointestinal disorder.
Speech Development and Autism
Speech delay is one of the hallmarks of autistic disorders. Many parents are concerned about whether their autistic child will learn to speak at all. The Autism Research Institute offers an analysis of their data that involves over 30,000 cases of autism, with regard to the development of speech.
- 9% of autistic childrenadults never develop speech
- Of those who do, 43% begin to talk by one year of age
- 35% begin to talk during their second year or before age 2
- 22% begin to talk in their third year or later
- 12% were still totally non-verbal by the age of five
This seems to fit the traditional wisdom that children who do not develop speech and language skills by the age of five are not likely to ever develop them, but it is not a tried and true fact.
In fact, it is apparent that with appropriate intervention and teaching, most autistic children can learn to talk to some extent. But what is appropriate intervention and teaching?
There are several approved methods for helping autistic children to acquire language. These include:
* Using sign language. Simultaneous communication’ or signed speech’ has been shown to be helpful in teaching children spoken language. Parents and caretakers can learn a few simple signs, like drink’, bathroom’, hug’ and other words, and sign them as they speak the words.
* PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) was originally developed to allow non-verbal children a means of communication using pictures and symbols on a board. Like signed speech, PECS can be helpful in teaching spoken language as well.
* Applied Behavior Analysis can be used to teach a child to communicate using spoken language by rewarding attempts and fading reinforcement as the child acquires language
* Encouraging the child to sing along with a tape. Many autistic children are particularly drawn to music and may sing even if they don’t speak.
* Swinging, rocking or other rhythmic, stimulating movements while teaching speech seem to help children with autism to acquire speech
* There are some nutritionalmedical therapies that have been associated with dramatic improvements in speech. These include vitamin B6, magnesium and a casein and gluten free diet.
These are not the only methods that may produce results. Traditional speech therapy can be useful, as can less traditional methods as shown in this personal case history.
In 1981, I worked with an 11 year old boy who was multiply diagnosed with autism and mental retardation, as well as a number of other disorders. At 11, he had no speech at all, though he did have some receptive language. His history indicated that at least one of his primary caretakers felt that Alan did use language to communicate in some circumstances, but there was no data to back it up. Alan did, however, enjoy music, and when he believed that no one was listening would sing along with songs on the radio. Most of those involved in his treatment believed that he was merely repeating sounds that he heard.
In working with Alan, two particular instances made me certain that he did have language and was somehow blocked in his attempts to use it to communicate. In the first, I was working with him on accomplishing a task that he did not want to do. As I persisted he became more and more visibly agitated, finally screaming out in frustration Leave me alone!’ The moment the words were out, he clapped his hand over his mouth and stared at me as if he was terrified.
Shortly after that, I was working with him on a name recognition task. His mood was silly, and I played into it, teasing him by pointing to the card that was NOT his name and saying his name. After about ten minutes of this game, during which he got more and more giggly and silly, he suddenly gave me a very sly look, picked up the card with his name on it and held it out, chanting, Alan. AlanAlanAlanAlanAlan.
From there, his acquisition of usable speech was remarkably rapid. Within six months he had a vocabulary of over 100 words, which he used in many situations.
How Does Autism Affect People Who Have It?
Reading the official criteria for autism and listening to doctors and psychologists may leave you completely boggled as to how any of this relates to your child or to everyday people. We don’t want to know that children with autism show marked deficiencies in communication skills’. What in the world does THAT mean?
Here are some answers to questions you might have about autism, in simple terms without all the official terminology.
1. What is autism?
Autism is a developmental disability that makes it hard for people to understand what they see, hear or sense. This can cause problems with the way that they relate to other people, in the way that they communicate and in the way that they behave. People with autism have to learn normal speech and communication and appropriate ways of relating to the things around them.
2. What are the characteristics of autism?
The characteristics and the severity differs from person to person, but usually include:
- Delayed language development
- Peculiar speech patterns
- Using words without any attachment to their usual meanings
- Unusual metaphors
- Monotone speech
- Delays in understanding social relationships. The autistic child doesn’t understand how to relate to other people, how to get their attention, or how to communicate with them effectively.
- Avoidance of eye contact
- Resistance to being cuddled or picked up
- Tuning out the world around him
- Inability to understand others feelings
- Inability to make friends or develop friendships
- Doesn’t play cooperatively with other children
- May not respond to words or other sounds at all
- May be very distressed by everyday noises
- May show a sensitivity to sensations such as heat, cold or pain or
- May seem not to react at all to heat, cold or pain
- May do some things extremely well in relation to overall functioning, for example may have a marked ability to memorize facts, or to do math while most other functions are normal or below normal. Only about 20% of autistic people have average or above average intelligence, but many are high functioning in one or two areas.
- May perform repetitive motions such as hand flicking or twisting, rocking in place or slapping himself
- May focus on routine and repetition such as having exactly the same schedule every day or putting on their clothing in the same order. The distinguishing feature between these routines and normal’ routines is that the person with autism will become very distressed if the routine varies or is interrupted.
3. How does autism affect behavior?
People with autism may be extremely hyperactive or passive in relating to other people. They have severe language problems, and trouble socializing with other people as well.
4. Are the behavior problems of people with autism severe?
It depends on the person. Autism ranges from very mild – so mild that most people wouldn’t even notice anything odd unless they spent a lot of time with the person, to debilitating. In its mildest form, autism appears to be a learning disability. Usually, though, even people who have mild autism are handicapped because they have so much trouble communicating and relating to other people. When autism is severe, the behavior patterns can become violent, aggressive or self injurious. Some of the most severe effects of autism resemble catatonia.
5. Can autism occur with other conditions?
Yes. Autism may occur with mental retardation, epilepsy and other conditions. The more conditions that are present, the more handicapped the person is likely to be.
6. What′s the difference between autism and mental retardation?
People who are mentally retarded develop evenly, though the development is delayed. People with autism show a marked delay in social and communication skills such as speech, but may develop normally in other areas. Often, though, their difficulties in communicating and assigning importance to things will result in increasing delays as they get older.
7. Are there treatments for people with autism?
Yes, if autism is diagnosed and treatment is started early, people with autism can learn how to relate to others and how to understand the world around them through a variety of methods.
8. Can people with autism get jobs and their own apartments?
Yes, many people with autism hold jobs in all sorts of fields, and maintain their own apartments. It depends on how severe their autism is, and what kind of support they need to function in the community.
Knowing the behavior of autistic individuals
Autism is a developmental disorder under the umbrella term Pervasive Developmental Disorder as indicated by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV of Mental Disorders, which is the standard used.
Autism, which is sometimes also referred to Childhood Autism, Early Infantile Autism, or Kanner’s Autism, is caused by some neurological malfunction that causes marked delays in the development in the areas of communication and social interaction. Although there is a wide range or degrees of pervasiveness, the behavioral patterns are essentially the same. Still, there are certain things that are only manifested by people diagnosed with mild autism and those who are diagnosed with severe cases.
Although the onset of autism is often placed during the third year of life, some experts believe that even at younger ages, they already manifest marked behavioral patterns. Research says that babies with autism are either those that are very good and are often silent and those who are extremely fussy and always agitated.
As they grow, they show marked delays in speech and in interacting with their fellows. Still some parents of autistic children report that behavioral patterns and development before the third year of life seems normal and that the problem only starts on the third year.
It is however important that diagnosis be done early in life. If one can confirm the presence of autism before age three, it’s better because the sooner one knows what the problem is, the sooner can one provide the solution. Treatments may also be more effective when done early in life when the child is still developing.
To help parents recognized autism, here are some early indicators.
Tendency to be deaf or not be aware that a person is talking to them
They are either extremely silent or extremely fussy
They avoid eye-contact with other people
They do not appear to be aware of what is happening in their surroundings
They do not adapt to change easily and may display physical and behavioral resistance when faced with an unfamiliar situation
They do not communicate the way they should be at their age
They may repeat words or phrases over and over again without appearing to notice that they are doing so
They have high tolerance for pain
They have wither extremely sensitive sensory skills or extreme lack of them
They have difficulty interacting with other people
They do not imitate others
They appear to be perfectionist and displays unusually intense focus on one task
They show firm attachments to objects
Here are other indicators that may be seen in older children
There are marked abnormalities, usually complete lack of, facial expressions
They do not engage in sensory and make-believe play
Their body movements are extremely limited and can stay in one place for long periods of time.
There is also limited use of body gestures.
They fail to develop any kind of social relationship that are appropriate to their developmental level.
They do not speak to other people or share their feelings and thoughts with others.
There is marked delay in the development of speech and that there is no attempts to even use alternative modes of communication such as hand signals and gestures.
For those who can speak, they display a marked impairment in initiating and sustaining their communication with other people
There is great preoccupation to certain activities, accompanied by really great and infallible concentration and focus.
There is also some presence of repetitive hand gestures such as flapping of the hands or banging of the head.
What You Need to Know About Childhood Autism Symptoms
Certain features of the patient’s appearance are invariably important in diagnosis and never should escape the attention of the people around them. These signs include, in addition to the quality of his physical development and the degree of nourishment, manifestations indicative of the patient’s physical comfort and mental state, his facies, posture and, if ambulatory, his gait.
However, there are certain diseases or disorders that cannot be easily detected unless taken into broader perspectives. Such is the case of autism.
Autism, generally, affects the perception, attention, and thought of a person, though, it normally occurs at a younger age. It is categorized under the group of pervasive development disorder. This particular group is characterized by certain disorder, which manifests delays in the progress of the social skills or the ability of an individual to communicate well with other people.
Among all the known cases of autism, symptoms of childhood autism are one of the most difficult symptoms to detect. Most experts contend that childhood autism symptoms are usually confused with mere behavioral problems.
Children who experience autism disorder usually have difficulty of understanding the world around them. They are mostly perplexed with their ability to communicate well, interact with other people, and imagine things that are prevalent among normal children.
Causes of Autism
Most experts insist that there is no known precise cause of autism. Though, most often than not, genetics and heredity seem to be the underlying cause of autism in children.
In addition, certain problems like infection that are manifested during the child’s birth are found to be one of the greatest factors in childhood autism.
Other assumptions also suggest the likelihood of childhood autism like irregularity in the child’s brain developments and the inappropriate production of antibodies of the body’s immune system, where these excessive antibodies may attack the children’s brains which the leads to autism.
Symptoms of Childhood Autism
Childhood autism symptoms may range from mild to severe cases. Most experts assert that nearly 75% of autistic children are also mentally retarded. They also have difficulty in bonding emotionally with their parents.
Normally, the childhood autism symptoms are prevalent before the child’s third birthday. Then, when clearly manifested, these symptoms usually last throughout lifetime.
The childhood autism symptoms may vary from one child to another. Nevertheless, the general symptoms that may be present in an autistic child are the following:
1. The child is deficient in his or her ability to imagine things.
2. The child is having difficulty with communal interaction with other people.
3. The child has uncommon means of playing his or her toys and other objects. For example, he or she will only line them up in a certain way and keeps on repeating them monotonously.
4. The child is having difficulty to verbally communicate with other people and the inability to express himself. This includes the child’s inability to understand and use language.
5. The child is unable to express himself emotionally thus, he is having difficulty to bond with his parents and with other people.
6. Pervasiveness of recurring movements like spinning, head banging, or hand clapping.
7. The child manifests a certain fixation with an unusual object or certain parts of things.
Symptoms like these should be detected and analyzed immediately so that close observation, active therapy and, if necessary, protective measures can be instituted in time to prevent any unfortunate developments.
Moreover, the parents should be more observant with symptoms like these so that they could be informed what they should do next. Keep in mind that the child’s safety should always be in top priority.
How Is Autism Diagnosed?
It’s not unusual for parents to notice that there is something odd’ or different’ about their child long before anyone else, but most children with autism aren′t diagnosed until they are 2 to 3 years old – or much later. Autism isn’t an easy disorder to diagnose. In many cases, particularly in mild cases, there’s a broad gray area between a child who has mild autism (often simply called some autistic tendencies) and a child who simply doesn’t fit the usual behavioral and social norms. And in fact, many children who would simply have been considered a little peculiar’ are diagnosed as autistic these days.
There are currently no easy tests for diagnosing autism, though those may be on the way as researchers identify genetic markers for autism. Currently, though, there’s no blood test, no MRI, no medical way to tell if a child has autism. Instead, doctors rely on observations of a child’s behavior, communication skills and abilities and developmental level to arrive at a diagnosis.
Your doctor may suggest medical tests to rule out other disorders, though, since many of the symptoms and behaviors associated with autism are also symptoms of other disorders. One of the disorders in the autism spectrum, for instance, is Rett′s Syndrome, for which there is a medical test that is 80% accurate. Other medical problems that could account for some of the symptoms of autism are hearing loss and mental retardation.
Ideally, a child suspected of having autism should be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of specialists in neurology, psychology, developmental pediatric, speech and language pathology and other professionals who are familiar with autism.
You will probably be asked a lot of questions about your child’s behavior. A psychologist may sit down with you and have you fill out assessment charts and checklists to help pinpoint particular behaviors and symptoms. You may be given checklists to fill out. These are all called instruments’, and they can help your child’s doctor more accurately diagnose any problems that your child may be having. Some of the instruments used to diagnose autism include the CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale), the GARS (Gilliam Autism Rating Scale), the CHAT (Checklist for Autism in Toddlers), the BRIAC (Behavior Rating Instrument for Autistic and Other Atypical Children) and the PIA (Parent Interviews for Autism).
Your child’s diagnosis may read (or a doctor may tell you) that your child meets the criteria for autism’. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders Fourth Edition, usually called the DSM IV, contains a list of criteria for determining whether a child has autism. It consists of two lists of behaviors that a child with autism may exhibit. A child who exhibits more than six symptoms from the list, including at least two from the first list, meets the criteria for autism, as long as the symptoms began before the age of three and are not part of another syndrome or disorder that the child has.
The signs of the unexplainable ‘curse’
The brain is an infinite labyrinth. No one-despite the surmountable efforts of history and modern day’s great men-can truly decipher or describe how it ticks and how it works. Although it is considered as a powerful tool of any man who can utilize it to its maximum potential, the brain-or the mind-is not always designed for greatness.
Due to its inexplicable ticking, sometimes, the brain itself can be destructive to a person’s life. One of the cases in which the brain causes intolerable pain to the person affected and to the individuals that surround him is the Asperger’s Disorder or the Asperger’s Syndrome.
UNVEILING THE PORTENT
Together with Autism, Rett′s Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger’s Syndrome is considered as one of the five Pervasive Development Disorders or PDDs.
PDDs or the set of neurologically based disorders has been identified to show a distinctive range of delays in different developmental stages of an individual.
First described in 1940 by Hans Asperger, a Viennese pediatrician, the concept of Asperger’s Syndrome stemmed from the autistic-like behaviors of boys that have normal intelligence. Since the symptoms are like those in autism, many experts considered it as a milder form of autism.
Although they have almost the same characteristics, Asperger’s Disorder is comparably the less severe form of autism. This severity in the symptoms is mainly highlighted by the absence of language delays because children who are suffering for the illness are slightly affected when it comes to their communication skills. More often than not, these kids do have good language and cognitive skills.
The disorder-that is also distinguished by the same kind of abnormalities of correlative social interaction like in autism-also embodies a restricted, conventional, incessant repertoire of activities and interests. But, unlike people who suffer from Autism, the people who are suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome do not experience a delay in cognitive development or retardation in language. And unlike autism, most individuals are of normal general intelligence. But since they are suffering from a neurological disorder, they exude extreme clumsiness. Unlike autistic children that are perceived as indifferent, children with Asperger’s are more than willing to fit and mingle-only, they just do not know how. Since they are clueless on how to interact with others, they are seen as socially awkward individuals that do not have the grasp of social norms. Due to absence of empathy, these people usually may have limited eye contact, seemingly not attentive in a conversation, and do not know how to use gestures.
One of the common symptoms of a child who has an Asperger’s Syndrome is his or her unusual speech pattern. Since they have generally good language skills, it is quite noticeable how the child he or she uses language in various ways that usually lack inflection or doing it in some sort of a singsong. When it comes to inclination of interests, a child suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome tends to be obsessive on a particular subject.
Although the case of Asperger’s Syndrome is slightly mild compared to Autism and any other PDD, the threat might be a little underrated or underestimated. Most experts agree that there is indeed a strong inclination that the abnormalities will continue up the person’s later stage of life like in adolescence and adult life. It is also possible that that as the person suffering from the disorder get older, he or she would represent individual characteristics and occasionally disturbing psychotic episodes.
Aside from the autistic-like behaviors, it can be said that the person suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome is he or show symptoms of language impairment, social impairment marked by impaired social understanding, obvious peculiarities or behavioral oddness or mannerisms. Other symptoms of Asperger’s Disorder are social delays with non-verbal communication problems, lack of spontaneity, clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements, limited interests andor unusual preoccupations, repetitive routines or rituals and preoccupation in their own world with their own agenda
Overview of Autism
For many people, a discussion of autism brings to mind the movie Rain Man, and the character so brilliantly played by Dustin Hoffman. The movie captured much of the frustration faced by families who are dealing with an autistic child or adult, as well as shed light on the day to day realities that face a high-functioning person with autism. It also inadvertently perpetuated a number of myths associated with autism.
Autism is a brain disorder that affects an estimated 210,000 people in the United States – or approximately 1.5 per 1000 people. Many advocacy groups have raised the alarm that the rate of prevalence for autism has risen nearly exponentially since 1993, the first year that data for autism was submitted separately to the Department of Education. According to those figures, the prevalence of autism in the U.S. population has risen nearly 800% in ten years – a truly frightening statistic – if it′s accurate. There’s a great deal of controversy among most experts as to whether those figures are accurate or not. Many suggest that there’s a fundamental flaw in the data collection. Others point out that the diagnostic criteria for autism has loosened and that autism itself is more well-known than before, both of which could give rise to identifying case of autism that might not have been identified under the old criteria.
Autism is an umbrella term that includes a broad range of developmental delays and disorders. It typically appears in the first three years after birth, and is a lifelong condition. Decades ago, the symptoms of autism were often attributed to cold parenting’ or unloving parents’. Doctors no longer believe that there is any psychological cause for autism. Despite numerous studies, there is no known cause for autism, though it has been suggested that there may be environmental contributors.
The DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition) lays out a complex criteria for diagnosing autism in children and adults, but in general the symptoms of autism include:
- Delays (or the loss of) physical, social and language skills
- Abnormal reactions to sensation
- Speech and language delays or abnormalities while associated thinking skills may be present
- Abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and events.
Parents facing a diagnosis of autism may be overwhelmed by the amount of information that exists – and even more so by the task of sifting through it to find information that is applicable to their own child. They may find themselves still occasionally facing bias from people who believe that autism results from bad parenting despite the fact that it’s been known for years that autism is a physical disorder of the brain. They may be bewildered by the dizzying array of treatments that are offered for autistic children, or dismayed by the lack of understanding displayed by school departments and medical facilities.
The one thing to keep in mind is that while autism is not curable, autism is treatable, and that treatment is most successful when it is begun early. The earlier the diagnosis is made and treatment is begun, the more effective it is in giving children with autism the possibility of independent living.
Detecting Autism
Every parent wants the best for his or her kid, wishing only the best, good health, bright future and prosperous life to the child.
But one morning it just hit you, your child is turning 3 years old next month but still remains unresponsive to you. Your child is not as interactive as other kids would usually be. ‘Could my child be autistic?’
Any parent would be alarmed.
Autism may sound familiar to you. It is however important to first establish that this is not an infection or a contagious disease. This is actually a condition where the brain of the child has developed differently, resulting to certain ramifications that affected the system of the child and manifesting in the lack of interpersonal skills of the child.
This condition occurs to 1 child in every 700 in the population. It was found also that this is most likely to occur among the boys. The signs manifest at an early stage in a child’s life. It is necessary that you be cautious of your child’s behavior and responses.
How does one detect autism?
The signs of autism may be observed as early as 18 months to 3 years age of the kid.
If your child is experiencing difficulty in the following aspects, it would be helpful to consult a doctor or an expert:
* Looking at others – Can he or she not look at you straight to the eye when you try to communicate?
* Playing with other kids – Does he or she avoid other kids or automatically shies away?
* Imagining – Can he or she not handle make-believe games?
* Communicating – Are there words that he or she cannot say or will have to be said over and over before he or she can grasp it?
* Repetition – Are there mannerisms or motor movements that he or she keeps repeating for no apparent reason or purpose?
* Changes – Is he or she inflexible to changes? Does he or she get alarmed when you change a certain routine, like waking up while it is still dark?
Some babies can actually manifest signs of autism
* Babies that do not look in the eye can be displaying signs of autism, especially if they would rather stare at moving mechanical objects or parts of it.
* Too calm babies should also be observed. Are they able to lie for hours without crying?
* When babies do not play or do not interact with other babies.
How does one address this condition of autism?
The cause of autism is still unknown. That is why parents should not blame themselves if they feel that they had been negligent in taking care of their kids during infancy, or if a mother thinks she might not have properly taken care of herself during pregnancy.
Just as the definite cause is still unknown, there is no definite treatment to get rid of autism.
Even if the parent may not be able to free his or her child from the condition, the best option to the parents of an autistic child is to address the problem. It is best to consult an expert on this field. Know the various peculiarities of the kid. The family may have to stick to a definite lifestyle to adjust to the needs of the child. This would require extra patience also. Send the child to a special education school. If the autism of the child is relatively mild, be sure that you inform ahead the teacher or the principal of the condition.
You have a special child. The kid is special, because his or her abilities are different from the ordinary kid her age. Provide special treatment and care needed. Give your attention. Stay by his or her side.
More than anything else simply make the child feel your loving care.
