Physicians use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe persons with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between. 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. Although autistic symptoms in children ought to lessen with age, autism is a lifetime disorder.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
It is essential to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child may be suffering from the disorder. Doctors look for certain symptoms in communication and social impairments to diagnose autism. The symptoms and aspects of autism can present themselves in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to substantial. 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 long, 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 mentioned in diverse 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)
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.
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 give out 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 related disorder, or a different condition. Diagnosis of autism could be difficult, due to the fact that 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 collection of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Because the symptoms of autism can differ vastly from person to person, there is no one 'best' care which will benefit everyone. Children with autism may display mild, moderate or severe symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior). Certain 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.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes most teaching techniques ineffective. Due to the fact that the symptoms of autism may vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will help everyone. Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism might exhibit a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling. Because of autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when given descriptively and with select examples. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Autism might vary on an individual basis for each patient. Children with Autism symptoms moreover vary a good deal in their mental abilities and also their communicative skills.
Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
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. Asperger's syndrome is a condition of autism where language and aptitude 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.
Severity of Symptoms
Clinical accounts hint that 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 may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected individuals or in individuals with multiple handicaps. According to 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. There is a range of severity in autism symptoms, and for this reason the term “autism spectrum disorders” is often used. Children with autism might have diverse behaviors and abilities due to the severity of their symptoms.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Over the years, a variety of interventions have demonstrated promise for improving symptoms of autism in certain children. Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being explored as a way to diminish certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics appear to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms frequently arising among autism patients. Professionals agree that early intervention is fundamental in addressing the symptoms associated with autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may moderate as the child develops and receives treatment. There are a multitude of 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 an ordinary classroom. In 1996, a young boy with autism was given secretin for an endoscopy and exhibited improvements in a few of his symptoms of autism. A few have noted the improvement of autism symptoms to treatment with vancomycin.
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