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. Given that autistic symptoms in children may lessen with age, autism is a lifelong disorder. Doctors use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe individuals with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
It is essential to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child might be dealing with from the disorder. Doctors look for certain symptoms in communication and social impairments to diagnose autism. The symptoms and characteristics 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 create a better understanding of the autistic disorder. The diagnostic listing 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 establish a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into consideration when evaluating children. The catalog of signs and symptoms stated in numerous sources 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)
More symptoms of autism include difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication. There might be symptoms not related to autism, and this is certainly not intended to be a complete list of symptoms.
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 through together as central features of both autism and Asperger's syndrome. Asperger syndrome and autism are fairly similar in behavioral symptoms.
Diagnosis
Just your doctor can give out sufficient diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed autism symptoms. Your physician can help to determine whether the symptoms are caused by autism, a connected disorder, or a different condition. The diagnosis of Autistic Disorder consists of a total of at least 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. 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 substantiated by the occurrence or absence of a cluster of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Some children exhibited symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, for instance less frequent use of words or babbling. Other autistic children who behaved normally at age 1, appeared to regress and suggested typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Because the symptoms of autism can differ greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will benefit everyone. Children with autism may exhibit mild, moderate or substantial symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior).
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes the majority of teaching techniques ineffective. Because the symptoms of autism may 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 differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism may display a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling. Because of autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when presented descriptively and with select examples. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Autism might vary on an individual basis for each patient. Children with Autism symptoms in addition vary a good deal in their mental abilities together with their communicative skills.
Severity of Symptoms
Based on the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), persons with autism have normal life expectancies and can lead normal or near-normal lives, depending on the severity of their symptoms. There is a range of severity in autism symptoms, and for this reason the term “autism spectrum disorders” is frequently used. Children with autism may have various behaviors and abilities due to the severity of their symptoms. Clinical accounts indicate that conditions resembling autism do not differ just in terms of severity, but also in pattern of symptoms. Due to the fact that it varies widely in its severity and symptoms, autism might go unrecognized, particularly in mildly affected persons or in individuals with multiple handicaps.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being investigated as a way to relieve certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics seem to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms frequently arising among autism patients. Professionals agree that early intervention is crucial in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may moderate as the child develops and receives care. Some children in treatment programs lose enough 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 showed improvements in particular of his symptoms of autism. Some have noted the improvement of autism symptoms to treatment with vancomycin. Over the years, a variety of interventions have demonstrated promise for improving symptoms of autism in certain children. There are numerous different 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.
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