Doctors 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. Even though autistic symptoms in children could lessen with age, autism is a lifetime disorder.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
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 confirm a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into account when evaluating children. The catalog of signs and symptoms stated in numerous sources for autism includes those given below. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to extensive. Some typical autism symptoms are presented and the intent is to provide a better understanding of the autistic disorder. It is vital to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child may be dealing with from the disorder. Doctors look for certain 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 could be symptoms not related to autism, and this is not intended to be a complete list of symptoms.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of autism may be difficult, because the condition varies widely in terms of its symptoms and degree of severity. The diagnosis of autism is established by the presence or absence of a cluster of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). 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. Just your doctor can submit 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 another condition.
Because the symptoms of autism might vary vastly from person to person, there is no one 'best' care which will benefit everyone. Some children exhibited symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, for example less frequent use of words or babbling. Other autistic children who behaved normally at age 1, appeared to regress and exhibited typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Children with autism might display mild, moderate or extensive symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior).
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism might 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 particular examples. Moreover, 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 as well as 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 fairly similar in behavioral symptoms. Asperger's syndrome is a condition 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.
Severity of Symptoms
Clinical accounts hint that that conditions resembling autism do not vary 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, especially 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 various behaviors and abilities due to 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.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
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 certain of his symptoms of autism. Some have noted the improvement of autism symptoms to treatment with vancomycin. Authorities are in agreement that early intervention is fundamental in addressing the symptoms associated with autism. Children do not "outgrow" autism but symptoms may decrease as the child develops and receives care. There are many 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. Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being explored as a way to relieve certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics seem to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms frequently cropping up among autism patients. Over the years, a variety of interventions have demonstrated promise for improving symptoms of autism in particular children.
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