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 form of autism where language and intelligence are typical 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.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of autism may be hard, 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 appearance or absence of a collection of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Only your doctor can give out a sufficient amount of 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 another 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.
Because the symptoms of autism can differ vastly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will benefit everyone. Children with autism might exhibit mild, moderate or substantial symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior). Certain children showed symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, such as less frequent use of words or babbling. Additional autistic children who behaved typically at age 1, appeared to go back and showed typical symptoms of autism by age 2.
Severity of Symptoms
Based on data from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), people with autism have normal life expectancies and can lead typical or near-normal lives, depending on the severity of their symptoms. Clinical accounts suggest 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 could go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected individuals or in those 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 could have diverse behaviors and abilities because of the severity of their symptoms.
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. Doctors use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe persons with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between. Though autistic symptoms in children ought to lessen with age, autism is a lifetime disorder.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
The diagnostic catalog 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 account when evaluating children. The catalog of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for autism includes those given below. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can display in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to substantial. 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 may be dealing with 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)
More symptoms of autism include difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication. There may be symptoms not related to autism, and this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of symptoms.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
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 presented descriptively and with specific examples. In addition, signs and symptoms of Autism could vary on an individual basis for each patient. Children with Autism symptoms in addition vary a good deal in their mental abilities as well as their communicative skills. Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes most teaching techniques ineffective. Because the symptoms of autism could vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which could help everyone.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
There are many 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. Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being investigated as a way to diminish certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics seem to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms frequently arising among autism patients. Some children in treatment programs eliminate sufficient of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in a conventional 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. Over the years, a variety of interventions have demonstrated promise for improving symptoms of autism in some children. Professionals agree that early intervention is important in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children do not "outgrow" autism but symptoms may decrease as the child develops and receives care.
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