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 might have various behaviors and abilities because of the severity of their symptoms. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), people 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 do not 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 may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected persons or in individuals with multiple handicaps.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
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. Because of autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when presented descriptively and with particular examples. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Autism might 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 is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes most teaching techniques ineffective. Because the symptoms of autism may vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which would help everyone.
Given that autistic symptoms in children may lessen with age, autism is a lifetime disorder. 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. Physicians use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe people with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
It is fundamental to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child may be suffering from the disorder. Doctors look for certain 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 extensive. Some typical autism symptoms are given and the intent is to offer a better understanding of the autistic disorder. 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 establish a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into account when evaluating children. The catalog of signs and symptoms cited in numerous sources 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 problems with verbal and nonverbal communication. There could be symptoms not related to autism, and this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of symptoms.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of autism may 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 established by the presence or absence of a cluster 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 at least 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. Your physician can help to determine whether the symptoms are caused by autism, a linked disorder, or a different condition.
Because the symptoms of autism might differ greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' care which will help everyone. A few children showed symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, for example less frequent use of words or babbling. Additional autistic children who behaved typically at age 1, appeared to go back and exhibited typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Children with autism might display mild, moderate or extensive symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior).
Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
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. 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 quite similar in behavioral symptoms.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Over the years, a variety of interventions have demonstrated promise for improving symptoms of autism in some children. 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. Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being investigated as a way to diminish certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics look to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms often occurring among autism patients. Some children in treatment programs lose 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 some of his symptoms of autism. A few have noted the improvement of autism symptoms to treatment with vancomycin. Authorities agree that early intervention is vital in addressing the symptoms associated with autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may lessen as the child develops and receives care.
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