Variability of Autism Symptoms
Because of autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when given descriptively and with select examples. In addition, signs and symptoms of Autism might vary on an individual basis for each patient. Children with Autism symptoms also vary a good deal in their mental abilities and also their communicative skills. Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes most teaching techniques ineffective. While the symptoms of autism can vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which would help everyone. Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism may exhibit a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling.
Although autistic symptoms in children ought to lessen with age, autism is a lifelong disorder. It is not unique for autism to be confused with other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), such as Asperger's disorder or syndrome, or to have overlapping symptoms. Physicians use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe people with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
The symptoms and aspects of autism can display in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to considerable. Some typical autism symptoms are presented and the intent is to provide a better understanding of the autistic disorder. It is essential to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child might be suffering from the disorder. Doctors look for certain symptoms in communication and social impairments to diagnose autism. The diagnostic list of symptoms and behaviors associated with autism is extended, and each affected person expresses his or her own combination of these behaviors.
These symptoms alone don't substantiate a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into account when evaluating children. The catalog of signs and symptoms cited in a large number of resources for autism includes those given below.
- social interaction impairment (poor eye-to-eye gazing, lack of social reciprocity, no peer relations)
- communication impairment (can't sustain a conversation, lack of spontaneous play, delay in development of language)
- repeating/stereotyped patterns of behavior (repetitive motor habits, pre-occupation with parts of objects , preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus, repeated hand or finger flapping or twisting, complex whole body movements, preoccupation with parts of objects)
Other symptoms of autism include difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication. There may be symptoms not related to autism, and this is certainly not intended to be a complete list of symptoms.
Severity of Symptoms
Clinical accounts indicate that conditions resembling autism do not differ just in terms of severity, but also in pattern of symptoms. As it varies widely in its severity and symptoms, autism may go unrecognized, particularly in mildly affected individuals or in individuals with multiple handicaps. There is a range of severity in autism symptoms, and for this reason the term “autism spectrum disorders” is frequently used. Children with autism could have different behaviors and abilities due to the severity of their symptoms. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), persons with autism have normal life expectancies and can lead typical or near-normal lives, depending on the severity of their symptoms.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of autism might be difficult, because the condition varies widely in terms of its symptoms and degree of severity. The diagnosis of autism is substantiated by the appearance or absence of a collection of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Only your doctor can submit adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed autism symptoms. He or she can help to determine whether the symptoms are caused by autism, a related disorder, or a different condition. The diagnosis of Autistic Disorder consists of a total of at minimum six observational items from social impairment, communication impairment and behavior impairment categories outlined (see list) with at least two from social impairment, and one each from communication impairment and behavior impairment.
Children with autism might display mild, moderate or severe symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior). Because the symptoms of autism can vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will assist everyone. Some children showed symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, for instance less frequent use of words or babbling. Additional autistic children who behaved normally at age 1, appeared to regress and suggested typical symptoms of autism by age 2.
Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
Asperger's syndrome is a form of autism where language and intelligence are ordinary and autistic symptoms present later in childhood. What distinguishes Asperger's Syndrome from autism is the severity of the symptoms and the absence of language delays. Cognitive symptoms and social symptoms need to be looked at together as core features of both autism and Asperger's syndrome. Asperger syndrome and autism are quite similar in behavioral symptoms.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Some children in treatment programs eliminate sufficient of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in an ordinary classroom. In 1996, a young boy with autism was supplied secretin for an endoscopy and exhibited improvements in particular of his symptoms of autism. A few have noted the improvement of autism symptoms to treatment with vancomycin. There are multiple diverse medications that are prescribed to treat the symptoms of autism. It has been reported that there are no well-established medications to treat core symptoms of autism. Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being explored as a way to relieve certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics appear to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms often cropping up among autism patients. Experts are in agreement that early intervention is fundamental in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may diminish as the child develops and receives care. Over the years, a variety of interventions have shown promise for improving symptoms of autism in specific children.
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