Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
Asperger's syndrome is a form of autism where language and aptitude are normal 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 central features of both autism and Asperger's syndrome. Asperger syndrome and autism are quite similar in behavioral symptoms.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Due to autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when presented descriptively and with specific 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 together with their communicative skills. Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism may display 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. While the symptoms of autism may vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which would help everyone.
Diagnosis
Just your doctor can provide 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 linked 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 minimally two from social impairment, and one each from communication impairment and behavior impairment. Diagnosis of autism may be difficult, because the condition varies widely in terms of its symptoms and degree of severity. The diagnosis of autism is established by the occurrence or absence of a cluster of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
A few 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 regress and exhibited typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Children with autism may exhibit mild, moderate or substantial symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior). Because the symptoms of autism might vary vastly from person to person, there is no one 'best' care which will benefit everyone.
Notwithstanding autistic symptoms in children ought to 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. Doctors use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe individuals with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
It is vital 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 diagnostic listing of symptoms and behaviors associated with autism is extended, 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 consideration when evaluating children. The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for autism includes those given below. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to considerable. Some typical autism symptoms are given and the intent is to offer a better understanding of the autistic disorder.
- 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 might be symptoms not related to autism, and this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of symptoms.
Severity of Symptoms
According to 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. There is a range of severity in autism symptoms, and for this reason the term “autism spectrum disorders” is frequently used. Children with autism may have diverse behaviors and abilities because of the severity of their symptoms. Clinical accounts indicate that conditions resembling autism don't differ just in terms of severity, but also in pattern of symptoms. Because it varies widely in its severity and symptoms, autism may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected persons or in individuals with multiple handicaps.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being investigated as a way to relieve certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics look to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms often occurring among autism patients. 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 showed improvements in certain of his symptoms of autism. A few have noted the improvement of autism symptoms to treatment with vancomycin. Authorities think that early intervention is vital in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may lessen as the child develops and receives treatment. There are many 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 demonstrated promise for improving symptoms of autism in particular children.
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