Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes the majority of teaching techniques ineffective. While the symptoms of autism can vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which would 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. Because of autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when given 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 and also their communicative skills.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of autism might be hard, because 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 minimally two from social impairment, and one each from communication impairment and behavior impairment. Only your doctor can submit 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.
Children with autism may 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' care which will benefit everyone. A few children showed symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, such as less frequent use of words or babbling. Additional autistic children who behaved normally at age 1, appeared to regress and suggested typical symptoms of autism by age 2.
Severity of Symptoms
Based on data from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), people 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 diverse behaviors and abilities due to the severity of their symptoms. Clinical accounts hint that that conditions resembling autism do not differ just in terms of severity, but also in pattern of symptoms. As it varies widely in its severity and symptoms, autism may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected individuals or in those with multiple handicaps.
Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
Cognitive symptoms and social symptoms need to be looked at together as central 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 aptitude are typical 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.
Doctors use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe persons with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between. Even though autistic symptoms in children could lessen with age, autism is a lifelong 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
It is valuable to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child might be dealing with from the disorder. Doctors look for particular symptoms in communication and social impairments to diagnose autism. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to substantial. Some typical autism symptoms are presented and the intent is to provide a better understanding of the autistic disorder. 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 list of signs and symptoms mentioned in numerous 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)
Other 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 an exhaustive list of symptoms.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Professionals believe that early intervention is fundamental in addressing the symptoms associated with autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may decrease as the child develops and receives care. 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. Over the years, a variety of interventions have shown promise for improving symptoms of autism in certain children. Some children in treatment programs eliminate enough of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in a regular 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. 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 frequently cropping up among autism patients.
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