Child Autism Spectrum
The term 'autism spectrum' suggests that children will vary
in the pattern of difficulties they have. The term "autism" now includes a wider
spectrum of children with personality development disorders (PDD's). Autistic-like, autistic tendencies, high-or low-functioning autism, etc. are used to describe children within the autism spectrum. Some parents report that they or their autism-spectrum child have a hypersensitivity to mosquito bites.
Child Autism Diagnosis
Doctors can diagnose children with
autism according to the definition in the Diagnostic and Statistical manual
(DSM IV) that lists characteristics that are required to be present for the diagnosis.
Boys are more likely to develop autism, and many children are diagnosed before
the age of 3. Many children are not diagnosed with autism until they reach
school age. The rate of children being diagnosed with autism is currently as high
as one in 166. Autism is one of the most commonly diagnosed
developmental disabilities in children. A diagnosis for autism is based
on a child's behavior and development. According to one study, it is
possible to recognize autism in infancy. Diagnosis is complicated by the
variations found in the mental ability of children with autism. The
diagnosis of autism is unlikely to be made on the basis of one examination,
especially if the child is really young.
Some common behaviors that may be warning signs of child autism:
- Not babbled by age one year
- Not gestured, pointed or waved after a year
- Not having spoken a single word after 16 months
- Not having spoken a two-word phrase after two years
- The toddler has any loss of any language skills
Diagnosis must be made by specialists with expertise in
working with children with autism. Two national surveys of parents suggest
that over 300,000 school-age children had a diagnosis of autism in 2003-2004. There is a rising rate of diagnosis of
childhood autism. Over the past decade, for example, California has seen a
nearly 300 percent increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism.
Whereas one in every 2,500 children was diagnosed with autism before 1991,
one in 166 children now have the disease.
Autism professionals focus their clinical time on the early diagnosis of autism,
and children under 2 1/2 years are given priority in scheduling. Even though often
autism can be labeled as early as 18 months, many children won't be diagnosed until they start school.
Once a child has been diagnosed with autism, searching for treatment as soon as
possible is crucial. For example, a child who is diagnosed with high-functioning
autism today may have been thought to simply be odd or strange 30 years
ago. Some children diagnosed with
autism also experience sensitivities to sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Forty percent of children with autism wait more than three years for a basic diagnosis, according to one survey. Regardless of their reaction, families did not feel that a diagnosis of autism influenced their
interactions with their child.
Development with Child Autism
Yet, children with autism by and large show some signs of delayed development
by 18 months. A child with autism may resist cuddling, play alone,
be resistant to change, and/or have delayed speech development.
A probable link between fatty acid deficiency and childhood autism
has been discovered by scientists at the universities of Edinburgh
and Stirling. A variety of circumstances influencing brain development
before, during or after birth can contribute to a child developing autism.
In children with autism who have average intellectual ability, abnormalities
in development could occur, or be recognized only after the first year.
Child Autism Symptoms
Sometimes you may hear other
developmental disorders talked about in the same way as autism, such as
Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder.
When children have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, they have difficulties with
communication and social skills and they have particular repetitive behaviors. At birth, a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
often seems normal. A child with Autism Spectrum Disorder may not
speak much or may remain silent.
New guidelines can help identify children with autism early, which means earlier,
more effective care for the disorder. Specific behaviors associated with autism
include disordered play. A toddler with autism spectrum disorder usually ignores
other children and prefers to play alone.
Autism Treatment
Treatment intensive, appropriate early
intervention greatly improves the outlook for most young children with
autism. Your child will always have autism, but receiving treatment early
can help make a difference in your child's development. Treatment for
autism may include a combination of special education structured to meet
the child's unique educational needs and treatment with medication. The
latest research in treatment efficacy shows that children with autism
do best when intervention is early and often. There is no cure for autism, but care may help your
child to live a more normal life. It is better if treatment for your child's
autism is started early. Some children with autism
also suggested limited improvement after treatment with secretin.
Communication with Autistic Children
In addition to problems with social interaction,
imagination and communication, children with autism also have a limited
range of interests. Specialists can identify how to recognize autism in the
course of good child care during observation of play and communication.
Many children with autism do not develop enough functional and
communication skills to live independently as adults. These
communication matters make it more challenging for children with autism to
interact with others.
Educating Children with Autism
In terms of education, children with autism
respond to a highly structured special education and behavior
modification program provided by autism trained professionals.
Special education is crucial and often includes speech, occupational,
physical, and behavioral therapy within a program equipped to manage
children with autism. There are a number of laws that give your child
with autism rights to an appropriate education.
Vaccines and Child Autism
Throughout the 1990s, when thimerosal was most heavily
used, the number of children diagnosed with autism reached epidemic
proportions. A purported increase in reported autism cases coincided with
the expanded use of childhood vaccines. Good recent research has shown
however that there is no link between autism and childhood vaccinations
("shots") like the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. It is clear,
however, that autism is not caused by deficient parenting, adverse childhood
conditions, or vaccination.
Improving Autism Symptoms
Some children will take more than 3 months to improve
their autism behavior. Vitamin B12 is one supplement that is given to
augment autism behaviors which are odd when compared to a normal child.
Occupational Therapy benefits a child with autism by attempting to improve
the worth of life for the individual through successful and meaningful
experiences. Symptoms associated with autism often improve as children
start to acquire language and find out how to communicate their needs.
In some children with autism, problems improve as they mature. Frustrations
dealing with autistic children are driving a grass-roots organization effort
by parents, the National Alliance for Autism Research (www.naar.org), who are
making an effort to enhance services and options for children with autism.
Family Involvement
The chances are about 1-in-20 that a family with
one child with autism will have another. In many cases, children with
autism are unable to emotionally bond with their parents or other
family members. Your family may feel scared, confused, and anxious
because of your child's autism. Caring for a child with autism can
be a round-the-clock job that puts stress on your marriage and your
whole family. Parents often rely on talking to friends and family as a
way of dealing with their emotions, particularly other mothers having a
child with autism.
Although symptoms in children may moderate with age, autism is a lifelong disorder. Because of a suspected genetic link, siblings of a child with autism have a greater chance of being diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is not known how many children in the United States currently have autism or a related disorder. Autism is a neuro-biological disorder with which a child is born. Autism affects several areas of a child's development. Because autism is considered a spectrum disorder, children can exhibit a combination of symptoms and behaviors in any degree of severity.
