Severity of Symptoms
Based on the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), persons with autism have normal life expectancies and can lead average or near-normal lives, depending on the severity of their symptoms. Clinical accounts hint that that conditions resembling autism don't 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, especially in mildly affected persons or in individuals with multiple handicaps. 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.
Diagnosis
Just your doctor can give out 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. 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 at least two from social impairment, and one each from communication impairment and behavior impairment. Diagnosis of autism may 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 verified by the occurrence or absence of a collection of behavioral symptoms using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
A few children exhibited symptoms of autism in their first-year birthday video, for example 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. Because the symptoms of autism can differ greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which will assist everyone. Children with autism may exhibit mild, moderate or severe symptoms in three areas (social, communication and behavior).
Though autistic symptoms in children could lessen with age, autism is a lifetime disorder. Doctors use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe persons with mild symptoms, severe symptoms, or symptoms that fall anywhere in between. 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.
Autism Signs and Symptoms
The symptoms and characteristics of autism can display in a multiplicity of combinations, from mild to substantial. Some typical autism symptoms are presented and the intent is to offer a better understanding of the autistic disorder. It is valuable to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child might be dealing with from the disorder. Doctors look for certain symptoms in communication and social impairments to diagnose autism. The diagnostic listing of symptoms and behaviors characteristic 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 account when evaluating children. The listing of signs and symptoms mentioned 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)
Further symptoms of autism include problems 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.
Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
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. 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.
Variability of Autism Symptoms
Autism is sometimes coupled with retardation, which makes the majority of teaching techniques ineffective. While the symptoms of autism may vary greatly from person to person, there is no one 'best' treatment which could help everyone. Due to autism's variety, its symptoms seem best understood when presented descriptively and with select 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 and also their communicative skills. Autism symptoms can range from mild to severe and differ in intensity from symptom to symptom. Children with autism can exhibit a wide range of symptoms, which range in severity from mild to disabling.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment
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 supplied secretin for an endoscopy and showed improvements in particular of his symptoms of autism. Some 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 appear to be promising agents to treat behavioral symptoms often cropping up among autism patients. There are a multitude of 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 demonstrated promise for improving symptoms of autism in specific children. Authorities think that early intervention is significant in addressing the symptoms characteristic of autism. Children don't "outgrow" autism but symptoms may diminish as the child develops and receives treatment.
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