Medical facts on allergies, symptoms and diseases!
Autism
Autism is a developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates
and interacts with other people. People with autism cannot relate to others in
a meaningful way. They also have trouble making sense of the world at large.
As a result, their ability to develop friendships is impaired. They also have a
limited capacity to understand other people's feelings.
Autism is often also associated with learning disabilities.
Reality to an autistic person is a confusing, interacting mass of events, people,
places, sounds and sights.
There seems to be no clear boundaries, order or meaning to anything.
A large part of life is spent just trying to work out the pattern behind everything.
What are the symptoms?
There are three major areas which cause people with autism serious problems:
- Social interaction - difficulty with social relationships
- Social communication - difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication
- Imagination - difficulty in the development of play and imagination
Autism is also associated with repetitive behaviour and a refusal to change routine.
Diagnosis
Properly diagnosing autism is very important, since confusion may result from
inappropriate and ineffective treatment.
Autism can be difficult to diagnose as it is a complex condition and symptoms
are variable. Although the characteristics of autism are generally evident in the first few
years of life, the condition can go undetected for many years especially in those
who are at the more able end of the spectrum where the signs are more subtle.
However, people with autism do tend to exhibit tell-tale behavioural signs.
These can include tapping parts of the body, rocking, teeth grinding and
repetitive grunting. Deafness is often the first suspected diagnosis,
since autistic children may not respond normally to sounds.
There have been large increases in diagnosed autism, for reasons that are heavily
debated by researchers in psychology and related fields within the scientific
community. Some believe this increase is largely due to changed diagnostic criteria
and/or societal factors, while others think the reason is environmental.
Occasionally, an autistic child has an outstanding skill, such as an incredible
rote memory or musical ability. Such children may be referred to as "autistic savants."
What causes autism?
Nobody really knows what causes autism.
However, it is thought that genetic factors are likely to play a crucial role.
Research has also linked the condition with a variety of conditions affecting
brain development which occur before, during, or very soon after birth.
There are physical bases for autism's development including genetic, infectious,
and traumatic factors. Viral infection during the first trimester of pregnancy,
rubella being one of the best studied culprits, is a suspected cause of autism.
Autism affects males four times more often than females, and there is probably a
genetic basis for the disease.
Contrary to previous notions, autism is not induced by parents.
What is the treatment?
There is a broad array of autism therapies, but the efficacy of each varies
dramatically from person to person. Progress toward development of medical and
behavior modification remedies, for the more debilitating affects of autism,
has been hindered significantly by widespread disagreements over such things
as the nature and causes of autistic spectrum disorders, and by a relative
paucity of efficacious therapies thus far recognized by medical authorities.
Appropriate early intervention is important. Once the diagnosis has been made,
the parents, specialists, and physicians should discuss what is best for the child.
Parents are encouraged to take care of the child at home.
Special education classes are available for autistic children. Structured,
behaviorally-based programs, geared to the patient's developmental level
have shown some promise.
Most behavioral treatment programs include:
- Clear instructions to the child
- Prompting to perform specific behaviors
- Immediate praise and rewards for performing those behaviors
- A gradual increase in the complexity of reinforced behaviors
- Definite distinctions of when and when not to perform the learned behaviors
Parents should be educated in behavioral techniques so they can participate in
all aspects of the child's treatment and care. The more specialized instruction
and behavior therapy the child receives, the more likely it is that the condition
will improve.
Medication is only administered to treat specific symptoms such as seizures,
hyperactivity, extreme mood changes, or self-injurious behaviors.
The autistic child requires much of the parents' attention, often affecting the
other children in the family. Counseling and support may be helpful for the parents.
The outlook for each child depends on his or her intelligence and language ability.
Some people with autism become independent adults. A majority can be taught to
live in community-based homes, although they may require supervision throughout
adulthood.
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