Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
Asperger's syndrome is a condition 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 core features of both autism and Asperger's syndrome. Asperger syndrome and autism are quite similar in behavioral symptoms.
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. Though autistic symptoms in children ought to lessen with age, autism is a lifelong disorder. Doctors 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 might be suffering 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 long, 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 consideration when evaluating children. The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in diverse sources for autism includes those given below. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to extensive. Some typical autism symptoms are presented and the intent is to create 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)
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 an exhaustive list of symptoms.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism might exhibit a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling. Due to autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when given 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 also vary a good deal in their mental abilities along 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 could help everyone.
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 diverse behaviors and abilities because of the severity of their symptoms. Based on data from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), persons with autism have normal life expectancies and can lead typical or near-normal lives, depending on 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 may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected persons or in those with multiple handicaps.
Diagnosis
Only your doctor can give out adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed autism symptoms. He or she can help to determine whether the symptoms are caused by autism, a related disorder, or a different condition. Diagnosis of autism may be hard, because the condition varies widely in terms of its symptoms and degree of severity. The diagnosis of autism is confirmed 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.
A few children exhibited symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, for instance less frequent use of words or babbling. Additional autistic children who behaved normally at age 1, appeared to go back and suggested typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Children with autism may display mild, moderate or extensive symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior). Because the symptoms of autism might vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' care which will benefit everyone.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Authorities are in agreement that early intervention is crucial in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may moderate as the child develops and receives 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 frequently arising among autism patients. Some children in treatment programs lose sufficient of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in a regular 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. Some have noted the improvement of autism symptoms to treatment with vancomycin. 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. Over the years, a variety of interventions have shown promise for improving symptoms of autism in certain children.
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