Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
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. Asperger's syndrome is a form of autism where language and aptitude 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.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of Autistic Disorder consists of a total of at least 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. 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 confirmed by the presence 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. 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 normally at age 1, appeared to regress and showed typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Children with autism might display mild, moderate or extensive symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior). Because the symptoms of autism can vary vastly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will help everyone.
Physicians use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe individuals with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between. Although autistic symptoms in children could lessen with age, autism is a lifetime disorder. 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.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
The diagnostic catalog 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 substantiate a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into consideration when evaluating children. The catalog of signs and symptoms mentioned in various resources for autism includes those given below. The symptoms and aspects of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to considerable. Some typical autism symptoms are given and the intent is to offer 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)
Other 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.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Because of autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when presented descriptively and with select examples. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Autism may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Children with Autism symptoms also vary a good deal in their mental abilities together with their communicative skills. Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes the majority of 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. Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism might display a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling.
Severity of 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 could have diverse behaviors and abilities because of the severity of their symptoms. According to 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. Clinical accounts hint that 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, particularly in mildly affected individuals or in those with multiple handicaps.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Over the years, a variety of interventions have shown promise for improving symptoms of autism in some children. 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 often arising among autism patients. There are numerous different 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. 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 supplied 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. Professionals agree that early intervention is vital in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may decrease as the child develops and receives treatment.
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