Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
Cognitive symptoms and social symptoms need to be looked through together as core features of both autism and Asperger's syndrome. Asperger syndrome and autism are fairly similar in behavioral symptoms. Asperger's syndrome is a form of autism where language and aptitude are standard 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.
Even though autistic symptoms in children may lessen with age, autism is a lifelong disorder. It is not unusual 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 diagnostic list of symptoms and behaviors characteristic with autism is extended, and each affected person expresses his or her own combination of these behaviors.
These symptoms alone don't confirm a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into consideration when evaluating children. The list of signs and symptoms stated in a large number of resources for autism includes those presented below. The symptoms and aspects of autism can present themselves in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to extensive. Some typical autism symptoms are given and the intent is to offer 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 specific symptoms in communication and social impairments to diagnose autism.
- 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)
Additional symptoms of autism include difficulties with verbal and nonverbal communication. There may be symptoms not related to autism, and this is not intended to be a complete list of symptoms.
Diagnosis
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 minimally two from social impairment, and one each from communication impairment and behavior impairment. Just your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed autism symptoms. Your doctor can help to determine whether the symptoms are caused by autism, a connected disorder, or a different condition. Diagnosis of autism may be hard, because the condition varies widely in terms of its symptoms and degree of severity. The diagnosis of autism is verified by the appearance or absence of a collection of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Because the symptoms of autism can differ greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will help everyone. Certain children showed symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, for instance less frequent use of words or babbling. Other autistic children who behaved typically at age 1, appeared to go back and showed typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Children with autism might display mild, moderate or extensive symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior).
Severity of Symptoms
Clinical accounts suggest 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 could go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected persons 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 often used. Children with autism may have diverse behaviors and abilities because of the severity of their symptoms. Based on data from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), persons with autism have normal life expectancies and can lead average or near-normal lives, depending on the severity of their symptoms.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism can display a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling. Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes most teaching techniques ineffective. While the symptoms of autism may vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which could help everyone. Due to autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when given descriptively and with select examples. Moreover, signs and symptoms of Autism could vary on an individual basis for each patient. Children with Autism symptoms also vary a good deal in their mental abilities together with their communicative skills.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Over the years, a variety of interventions have demonstrated promise for improving symptoms of autism in specific children. Authorities are in agreement that early intervention is important in addressing the symptoms associated with autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may decrease as the child develops and receives care. There are numerous diverse medications that are prescribed to treat the symptoms of autism. It has been reported that there are no well-established medications to treat central symptoms of autism. Some children in treatment programs lose sufficient of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in a conventional classroom. In 1996, a young boy with autism was given secretin for an endoscopy and exhibited improvements in particular of his symptoms of autism. Some have noted the improvement of autism symptoms to treatment with vancomycin. Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being investigated as a way to diminish certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics look to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms often arising among autism patients.
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