Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes most teaching techniques ineffective. Due to the fact that the symptoms of autism may vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which would help everyone. Because of autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when presented descriptively and with particular 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 together with their communicative skills. Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism can display a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling.
Diagnosis
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 substantiated by the occurrence or absence of a collection of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Only your doctor can submit a sufficient amount of 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 a different condition. 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.
Because the symptoms of autism can vary vastly from person to person, there is no one 'best' care which will assist everyone. Some children showed symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, such as less frequent use of words or babbling. Other autistic children who behaved normally at age 1, appeared to go back and suggested typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Children with autism might exhibit mild, moderate or substantial symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior).
Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
Cognitive symptoms and social symptoms need to be looked through 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 form of autism where language and intelligence are ordinary 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
Clinical accounts hint that that conditions resembling autism don't 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. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), people with autism have normal life expectancies and can lead average 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 frequently used. Children with autism could have different behaviors and abilities because of the severity of their symptoms.
Although autistic symptoms in children ought to lessen with age, autism is a lifetime disorder. Doctors use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe persons with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between. 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.
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 account when evaluating children. The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in numerous sources for autism includes those presented below. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to severe. Some typical autism symptoms are presented and the intent is to create a better understanding of the autistic disorder. It is valuable to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child may be experiencing from the disorder. Doctors look for specific 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)
Additional symptoms of autism include difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication. There might be symptoms not related to autism, and this is certainly not intended to be a complete list of symptoms.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
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 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 relieve certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics appear to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms frequently cropping up among autism patients. There are a multitude of 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. Authorities agree that early intervention is fundamental in addressing the symptoms associated with autism. Children do not "outgrow" autism but symptoms may lessen as the child develops and receives treatment. Over the years, a variety of interventions have shown promise for improving symptoms of autism in some children.
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