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 is able to help everyone. Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism might exhibit a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling. Due to autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when presented descriptively and with select examples. Moreover, signs and symptoms of Autism may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Children with Autism symptoms moreover vary a good deal in their mental abilities together with their communicative skills.
Severity of Symptoms
According to 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. Clinical accounts suggest 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 may 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 frequently used. Children with autism might have various behaviors and abilities due to the severity of their symptoms.
Diagnosis
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 established by the presence or absence of a collection 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 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. He or she can help to determine whether the symptoms are caused by autism, a connected disorder, or another condition.
Some children exhibited symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, for instance less frequent use of words or babbling. Additional autistic children who behaved typically at age 1, appeared to regress and exhibited typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Children with autism might display mild, moderate or substantial symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior). Because the symptoms of autism can differ vastly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will help everyone.
Though autistic symptoms in children ought to lessen with age, autism is a lifetime 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 associated 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 listing of signs and symptoms mentioned in numerous resources for autism includes those presented below. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Some typical autism symptoms are given 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 might be experiencing from the disorder. Doctors look for particular 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)
Further symptoms of autism include difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication. There might be symptoms not related to autism, and this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of symptoms.
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 intelligence are normal 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.
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 core symptoms of autism. Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being explored as a way to diminish certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics look to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms often occurring among autism patients. Professionals agree that early intervention is important in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children do not "outgrow" autism but symptoms may moderate as the child develops and receives treatment. Some children in treatment programs lose enough of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in a standard classroom. In 1996, a young boy with autism was supplied secretin for an endoscopy and exhibited improvements in some 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 shown promise for improving symptoms of autism in particular children.
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