What Is Autism?
Autism,
or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is an umbrella term that is used to
describe a group of disorders that affect the brain and, consequently, the
mental development of a person. It affects how people with the disorder behave and interact with the world. A person with the condition will have challenges socializing and communicating, with friends and family.
Its Prevalence
According to the
CDC, autism affects people of all races, social classes, education level,
family income, and lifestyle.
Additionally, autism occurs four
times more often in boys than in girls. Furthermore, parents who give birth to a
child with ASD have a 2%—18% chance of having a second child who will also have
the disorder.
What Causes Autism?
The exact cause(s) of autism is unknown. However, evidence from recent research suggests that autism may be caused by gene mutations and environmental factors such as environmental toxins and exposure to heavy metals.
Other studies suggest a child can become autistic when his mother is exposed to ozone pollution in the last three months of her pregnancy or when the child is exposed to particulate matter in the first year of life.
Risk Factors
Some
of the factors which scientists believe may increase a child’s risk of developing
autism are:
- Having a
sibling who is autistic
- When the parents
give birth to the child when they are advanced in age
- Certain genetic
conditions such as Down syndrome
- Very low
birth weight
- Oxygen deprivation
to the child’s brain as a result of birth difficulties
- When the mother is obese at the time of delivery
Types Of Autism?
The American Psychiatric
Association publishes a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM), which is used by doctors to
diagnose psychiatric disorders.
DSM-5, the most recent edition,
recognizes 5 types of ASD, which are:
1.
With
or without accompanying intellectual impairment;
2.
With
or without accompanying language impairment;
3.
Associated
with a known medical or genetic condition or environmental factor;
4.
Associated
with another neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder; or
5.
With
catatonia.
A person can be diagnosed with only
one type of the disorder or a combination of different types.
Symptoms (Characteristics) Of Autism
These
usually appear in the first three years of a baby’s life.
The group of neurodevelopmental
disorders are characterized by:
- being
unresponsive during conversations;
- impaired
communication—finding it difficult to understand what other people think
and feel;
- challenges
with sensory stimuli—overreact or underreact to noise, certain smells, light,
clothing, temperature, or touch;
- difficulty
understanding relationships;
- repetitive
stereotyped movements such as hand flapping, jumping, twirling, pacing, and
rocking;
- obsessive
attachment to objects or certain colors;
- showing
strong resistance to changes in their routines and rituals;
- habitually
ordering and reordering things.
The Best Time to Have Your Child Diagnosed
The American
Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents screen their children for
autism at the ages of 18 months and 24 months.
Tests Used To Diagnose Autism
The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers
(M-CHAT) is a common testing tool that many pediatricians use to test for
autism. It consists of 23 questions that parents have to answer.
The Autism
Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) is also another set of questions
that can help pediatricians identify whether a child is at risk of having ASD.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) gives specific criteria for diagnosing autism. The child must have persistent deficits in:
- Approaching strangers and feel awkward interacting and chatting with people
- Sharing his emotions
- Responding appropriately to social interactions
- Maintaining proper eye contact and body language
- Understanding gestures
- No facial expressions
- Making friends
The child must also exhibit these symptoms:
- Sticking to specific routines
- Becoming obsessed with unusual objects
- Abnormal interest in sensory stimuli such as light
- The symptoms inhibit social life, work, and other important areas of life
How Autistic People Behave: They Like Order
People with autism take routines
very seriously. It helps to create order
in their life, relieves their stress and makes it easier for them to learn and
enjoy the activities they engage in.
Social Aspects
Of Being Autistic
Interacting with others can be a
big problem for people with autism spectrum disorders. They normally prefer to
be alone. And when they are in the company of others, they appear aloof and
disengaged and get abstracted in their own thoughts.
Social Communication
Children with autism often are
absorbed in their own world. Furthermore, they have difficulty understanding what
others say to them. Plus, they find it hard to communicate using body language
cues such as eye contact, facial expressions, hand gestures etc.
Some of them may have limited
speaking skills, while others are nonverbal. Others may even have a large
vocabulary and may be able to express themselves very well with speech,
especially when conversing about topics they love.
Emotional Aspect Of Being Autistic
People on the autism spectrum
disorder may find it hard to understand how others feel. This may make them
appear to lack empathy.
Moreover, they find it hard to control
their emotions or express how they feel, properly. For example, an autistic
person may laugh when nothing funny has been said.
When stressed, an autistic person
may become aggressive and hit others, bite, boot things, break things, or
scratch. On the other hand, an autistic person may harm himself when under
stress.
Sensory Aspect Of Being Autistic
The senses of people affected by
this disorder take in either too little or too many stimuli from the environment around them.
For example, an autistic person
you’re talking to may ignore you as though he is deaf. At other times, that
same person may be disturbed by even the slightest of sounds or sudden noises. They
are also extremely sensitive to touch and to the feel of certain clothes
against their skin.
Attention Aspect Of Autism
People with this disorder find it
extremely difficult to pay attention to things that don’t interest them. However, they can focus for hours on things
they find interesting. For example, a person who loves books can read for hours
without getting tired or getting bored.
Autism Treatment
There is no cure for autism. However,
there are a number of therapies and treatments that can be used to alleviate
the different symptoms of the disorder. These treatments if done early can help
the autistic person live more comfortably.
Therapeutic and educational treatments
may include therapies such as:
These treatments make it easier for
autistic people to socialize and communicate better.
Some treatments may benefit some
people with autism while the treatments may not lead to any improvement in the
life of others.
Applied Behavioral Analysis
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) involves a number of interventions that teach
the person with autism how to communicate, interact in social settings,
function properly at home, master some life skills, or acquire job-related
skills.
ABA may be practiced at home or in
school. It relies on caregivers to help reinforce behaviors when the caregiver
is alone with the person with autism.
Therapies Based On ABA
There are a number of therapies
that use the principles of ABA to teach the person with autism how to interact with people, take care of themselves, communicate properly, play, and learn behavior skills. They can also help them to manage behaviors such as aggression, inattention, and screaming.
These therapies include:
- discrete trial training;
- incidental teaching;
- pivotal response treatment;
- positive behavior support;
- picture exchange communication system.
What Is The Difference Between Autism And Social
Communication Disorder (SCD)?
Autism and SCD are sometimes
confused with one another.
People diagnosed with SCD may be
disinterested in talking, unable to communicate effectively, and may have
persistent difficulties using verbal and nonverbal communication. Plus, they
have difficulties following conversations and understanding information that’s
not stated explicitly. These symptoms are also seen in some people on the
spectrum.
One major difference between the
two is that people with SCD don’t show repetitive behaviors and/or disruptive
behavior such as repeating sounds, syllables, or phrases excessively, or extreme
sensitivity to chaos and confusion.
Next Steps
Living
with, and raising, a child who has autism can be challenging. However, the good
news is that there are a lot of people who can help you to handle your child.
If you are struggling to cope with raising your child call the autisim
society on 800-3-AUTISM (800-328-8476). Their trained
Information & Referral (I&R) Specialists can give you information about
where you can get legal, treatment, and case management support. Optionally,
contact an Autism Society affiliate in your area here because they may know about the
services in your area.
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