Variability of Autism Symptoms
Because of autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when presented descriptively and with specific examples. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Autism could vary on an individual basis for each patient. Children with Autism symptoms moreover vary a good deal in their mental abilities along with their communicative skills. Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism may exhibit a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling. Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes most teaching techniques ineffective. Because the symptoms of autism can vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which could help everyone.
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 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.
Though autistic symptoms in children may lessen with age, autism is a lifelong disorder. Doctors use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe individuals with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between. 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 may 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 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 substantiate a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into account when evaluating children. The list of signs and symptoms stated in diverse 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 could be symptoms not related to autism, and this is certainly not intended to be a complete list of symptoms.
Severity of Symptoms
According to 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. Clinical accounts suggest that conditions resembling autism don't vary just in terms of severity, but also in pattern of symptoms. As it varies widely in its severity and symptoms, autism could go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected persons or in those 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 different behaviors and abilities because of the severity of their symptoms.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of autism may 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 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. Only your doctor can give out sufficient 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 related disorder, or another condition.
Children with autism might exhibit mild, moderate or substantial symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior). Some children exhibited symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, such as less frequent use of words or babbling. Additional autistic children who behaved typically at age 1, appeared to go back and suggested typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Because the symptoms of autism could vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will benefit everyone.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Experts agree that early intervention is significant in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children do not "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 seem to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms frequently occurring among autism patients. 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 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. There are multiple various 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 some children.
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