Diagnosis
Just 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 connected disorder, or another condition. 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 minimally two from social impairment, and one each from communication impairment and behavior impairment. Diagnosis of autism could 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 substantiated by the presence or absence of a collection of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Children with autism may display mild, moderate or severe symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior). Some 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 regress and suggested typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Because the symptoms of autism might vary vastly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will assist everyone.
Severity of Symptoms
Clinical accounts suggest that conditions resembling autism do not 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 individuals or in those with multiple handicaps. 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 might have various behaviors and abilities due to the severity of their symptoms.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Because of autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when given descriptively and with specific examples. Furthermore, 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 is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes the majority of teaching techniques ineffective. While the symptoms of autism can vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which is able to help everyone. 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 and Asperger's Syndrome
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. 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.
Given that 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. Physicians use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe persons with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
It is essential to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child might be suffering from the disorder. Doctors look for specific symptoms in communication and social impairments to diagnose autism. The symptoms and aspects of autism can display in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to severe. Some typical autism symptoms are given and the intent is to create a better understanding of the autistic disorder. The diagnostic list 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 establish a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into consideration when evaluating children. The listing of signs and symptoms stated in diverse sources 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)
More symptoms of autism include difficulty 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.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Professionals believe that early intervention is important in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may decrease as the child develops and receives care. 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 central symptoms of autism. Some children in treatment programs lose enough of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in a standard classroom. In 1996, a young boy with autism was given secretin for an endoscopy and showed improvements in a few of his symptoms of autism. A few have noted the improvement of autism symptoms to treatment with vancomycin. Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being explored as a way to diminish certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics seem to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms frequently arising among autism patients. Over the years, a variety of interventions have demonstrated promise for improving symptoms of autism in specific children.
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