Notwithstanding autistic symptoms in children ought to lessen with age, autism is a lifetime disorder. Physicians use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe individuals with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between. It is not unique for autism to be confused with other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), such as Asperger's disorder or syndrome, or to have overlapping symptoms.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
It is vital to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child may 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 long, 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 account when evaluating children. The list of signs and symptoms stated in diverse sources for autism includes those presented below. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to substantial. Some typical autism symptoms are given and the intent is to provide 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 difficulties with verbal and nonverbal communication. There could be symptoms not related to autism, and this is certainly not intended to be a complete list of symptoms.
Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
Asperger's syndrome is a form of autism where language and intelligence are ordinary 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.
Severity of 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 could have numerous behaviors and abilities due to the severity of their symptoms. Based on data from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), people with autism have normal life expectancies and can lead normal or near-normal lives, depending on the severity of their symptoms. Clinical accounts indicate that conditions resembling autism do not vary just in terms of severity, but also in pattern of symptoms. Because it varies widely in its severity and symptoms, autism may go unrecognized, particularly in mildly affected individuals or in those with multiple handicaps.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes the majority of teaching techniques ineffective. Because the symptoms of autism can vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will help everyone. Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism might 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 given descriptively and with select examples. Moreover, 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 as well as their communicative skills.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of autism might be hard, because the condition varies widely in terms of its symptoms and degree of severity. The diagnosis of autism is verified by the occurrence or absence of a collection 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 submit 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 related disorder, or another condition.
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 typically at age 1, appeared to go back and showed typical symptoms of autism by age 2. Children with autism might display mild, moderate or severe 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' treatment which will assist everyone.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
Over the years, a variety of interventions have shown promise for improving symptoms of autism in specific children. Professionals are in agreement that early intervention is crucial in addressing the symptoms associated with autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may moderate as the child develops and receives care. Some children in treatment programs eliminate enough of their most disabling autism symptoms to function reasonably well in an ordinary classroom. In 1996, a young boy with autism was given secretin for an endoscopy and exhibited 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 investigated as a way to diminish certain autism symptoms. Atypical neuroleptics seem to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms often cropping up among autism patients. There are numerous diverse 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.
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