Severity of 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 could have different behaviors and abilities because of the severity of their symptoms. Clinical accounts suggest that conditions resembling autism don't 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. Based on the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), persons with autism have normal life expectancies and can lead typical or near-normal lives, depending on the severity of their symptoms.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary 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 specific examples. Moreover, signs and symptoms of Autism may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Children with Autism symptoms in addition vary a good deal in their mental abilities along with their communicative skills. 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.
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 related disorder, or a different condition. 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 confirmed 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 at least two from social impairment, and one each from communication impairment and behavior impairment.
Children with autism might display mild, moderate or severe 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' care which will benefit everyone. A few 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 suggested typical symptoms of autism by age 2.
Though autistic symptoms in children could lessen with age, autism is a lifelong 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. Doctors use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe persons 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 specific symptoms in communication and social impairments to diagnose autism. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can display in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to considerable. Some typical autism symptoms are presented and the intent is to create a better understanding of the autistic disorder. The diagnostic listing of symptoms and behaviors associated with autism is long, 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 list of signs and symptoms cited in various 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)
Additional symptoms of autism include problems with verbal and nonverbal communication. There may 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 condition of autism where language and aptitude are standard 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 core features of both autism and Asperger's syndrome. Asperger syndrome and autism are fairly similar in behavioral symptoms.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Some children in treatment programs lose sufficient of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in a regular classroom. In 1996, a young boy with autism was given secretin for an endoscopy and showed improvements in some 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 shown promise for improving symptoms of autism in particular children. Experts believe that early intervention is significant in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may lessen as the child develops and receives treatment. Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being investigated as a way to diminish certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics appear to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms often arising among autism patients. 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 core symptoms of autism.
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