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 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.
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. There is a range of severity in autism symptoms, and for this reason the term “autism spectrum disorders” is often used. Children with autism may have numerous behaviors and abilities because of 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. Because it varies widely in its severity and symptoms, autism may go unrecognized, particularly in mildly affected individuals or in individuals with multiple handicaps.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Due to autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when presented descriptively and with particular 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 and also their communicative skills. Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes the majority of teaching techniques ineffective. While the symptoms of autism could vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which could help everyone. Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism can exhibit a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling.
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. Notwithstanding autistic symptoms in children may lessen with age, autism is a lifelong disorder. Doctors 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 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 consideration when evaluating children. The list of signs and symptoms stated in diverse resources for autism includes those given below. The symptoms and aspects 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 create a better understanding of the autistic disorder. It is vital to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child may be experiencing 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)
Further 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 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. Only your doctor can provide 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 connected disorder, or a different condition. Diagnosis of autism could be difficult, because the condition varies widely in terms of its symptoms and degree of severity. The diagnosis of autism is verified by the presence or absence of a cluster of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Some children showed 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. Because the symptoms of autism might vary vastly from person to person, there is no one 'best' care which will benefit everyone. Children with autism may exhibit mild, moderate or substantial symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior).
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
There are multiple 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 enough of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in an ordinary classroom. In 1996, a young boy with autism was supplied secretin for an endoscopy and exhibited improvements in a few 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 specific children. Experts agree that early intervention is crucial in addressing the symptoms associated with autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may decrease as the child develops and receives care. 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 often cropping up among autism patients.
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