Variability of Autism Symptoms
Because of autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when given descriptively and with particular examples. Moreover, 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 differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism may exhibit 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. Due to the fact that the symptoms of autism could vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which is able to help everyone.
Though autistic symptoms in children could lessen with age, autism is a lifelong 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
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 establish a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into account when evaluating children. The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in a large number of sources for autism includes those given below. The symptoms and aspects of autism can display in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to considerable. 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 might be suffering 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 may be symptoms not related to autism, and this is certainly not intended to be a complete list of symptoms.
Severity of Symptoms
Based on 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. Clinical accounts suggest that conditions resembling autism do not differ just in terms of severity, but also in pattern of symptoms. Because it varies widely in its severity and symptoms, autism could go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected persons or in individuals with multiple handicaps.
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 verified 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 minimally two from social impairment, and one each from communication impairment and behavior impairment. Only your doctor can provide 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 connected 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 exhibited symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, such as less frequent use of words or babbling. Other autistic children who behaved typically at age 1, appeared to regress 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 at 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 condition of autism where language and intelligence are typical 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.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Experts think that early intervention is important in addressing the symptoms associated with autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may decrease as the child develops and receives care. Over the years, a variety of interventions have shown promise for improving symptoms of autism in some children. 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 given 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. Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are being explored as a way to relieve certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics appear to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms often cropping up among autism patients. There are many 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.
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