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 at least two from social impairment, and one each from communication impairment and behavior impairment. Diagnosis of autism might 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 verified by the occurrence or absence of a cluster of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Only your doctor can provide a sufficient amount of 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 connected disorder, or a different condition.
Because the symptoms of autism could differ vastly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will benefit everyone. Children with autism might exhibit mild, moderate or severe symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior). 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 go back and exhibited typical symptoms of autism by age 2.
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 different behaviors and abilities because of the severity of their symptoms. Clinical accounts suggest that conditions resembling autism don't differ 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 could go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected persons or in those with multiple handicaps. Based on data from 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.
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 intelligence 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.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes most teaching techniques ineffective. While the symptoms of autism can vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will help everyone. 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 select examples. In addition, signs and symptoms of Autism could 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.
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. Doctors use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe individuals with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between. Notwithstanding autistic symptoms in children could lessen with age, autism is a lifetime disorder.
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 particular symptoms in communication and social impairments to diagnose autism. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can display in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to considerable. Some typical autism symptoms are given and the intent is to provide a better understanding of the autistic disorder. The diagnostic catalog of symptoms and behaviors characteristic with autism is long, and each affected person expresses his or her own combination of these behaviors.
These symptoms alone don't establish a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into consideration when evaluating children. The catalog of signs and symptoms stated in numerous resources for autism includes those presented 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 difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication. There may be symptoms not related to autism, and this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of symptoms.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Over the years, a variety of interventions have shown promise for improving symptoms of autism in specific children. Authorities are in agreement that early intervention is fundamental in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may lessen as the child develops and receives care. 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. 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 core symptoms of autism. Some children in treatment programs eliminate sufficient of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in a standard 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.
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