Archive for the 'autism' Category

Autism is a grave brain disorder, which begins in infancy and results in poor development of communication and socio interaction skills. Identify this disorder in childhood with their behavior such as avoiding mother or caregivers, do not like to be cuddled, avoids eye contact, and refuses to be in groups, difficulty to adjust to the surroundings, lack of creativity and other repetitive and typecast behaviors.

Every autistic child is unique and so is their behavior and progress. Some autistic children cannot view people and objects while some even have destructive behavior like self wounding like banging their head. They cannot adjust to new surroundings and never accept change. Some autistic children have excellent IQ and excel in math, music and arts but all autistic children have low demonstrative aptitude.

Autism has two functioning levels. They are hyper-active function and hypo-active function. Some autistic children are very spontaneous and hard to be controlled and some are very silent and inactive. But the significant symptoms of autism are poor social and communication skills, nor response to sound and smile, avoiding parents or caregivers, no eye contact, lack of proper speech, repetitive actions like clapping the hands or rocking of the body. They are also highly insensitive to the surroundings and show interest in a particular toy.

An autistic child does not have creative skills unlike a normal child even while playing or with playthings. They do not have any fear and do not react when others are in trouble. They lack clear skills and have no sympathy or concern for others.

What triggers autism and ASD ia still a mystery. Although it is a faulty genetic disorder the exact genes are yet unknown. It is a hereditary disorder so parents with one autistic child have more chances of having another autistic child. Another noted feature of autism is that it affects mostly boys than girls.

Signs of autism must be detected in time so that proper intervention at the right time can alter the further deterioration of the behavioral problems and help in the enhancement of the behavior modifications. Autistic children need more love and care from the parents than the normal children for their betterment.

An autistic child in the family means strain on the parents or the caregivers. It is very necessary to take care of oneself along with the family and also to look after and educate oneself about the autistic child. The best method to deal with the autistic child or adult is to seek the help of the autism support group. They help the parents to interact with the expert therapists on daily basis. This way they exchange ideas and learn a lot about autism. An autism support group should participate in five important tasks to function efficiently and help the parents of the autistic child.

Partnership and Complete Support

People are brought together to start partnerships and promote communication with the people involved by the autism support group. The support group helps people to grow and learn about the instructive prospects and complement the requirements of the autistic child/adult with the wants of the parents and caregivers. The aim of the support group should be such that they provide a complete conventional training to suit the needs of the autistic children/adult.

Optimistic and Educational Support

The support group should provide an optimistic environment both to the autistic present and also to their caregivers and parents so that they can express their thoughts freely without any shame or guilt. The parents of the autistic children interact without any difficulty with the encouragement of the support group.

The support group provides proper education and awareness about autism which helps the parents and the caregivers to manage and support their autistic children. They impart complete knowledge about autism its signs and symptoms, behavioral problems, and remedial therapies which in turn assist the parents and caregivers with autistic dependant relative.

Promotion

Finally it is duty of the support group to speak up for the autistic people as a whole see to it that their needs complied with. It so happens that while bringing about awareness in the society the autistic people are neglected and so this is a very important aspect of the autism support group that they meet the requirement of the autistic people.

Some Early Signs and Symptoms of Autism – Don’t Ignore

An ailment related to brain which begins from infancy and shows symptoms by three of age and continue throughout adulthood is called Autism. This disorder affects the progress of brain and shows indications as given under –

Inability to learn from the environment he/she is in
Poor communication and speech skills
Indifferent behavior towards parents and problem relating to other people as they do not have the sense of feeling for them
Very little attention
No social communication
No creative or inventive participation during play
Repetitive activities and also rocking of the body
Does not accept change and reacts in outbursts

Autistic people cannot see things in others point of view which is possible by normal human beings above the age of five. All these autistic characteristics persist in adulthood but the condition of acuteness differ from person to person.

Some autistic adults excel in studies and go to extent of acquiring degrees and can also live on their own. But some people do not learn the daily and normal skills and are affected with other mental problems.

Autism is a permanent brain disorder due to an unidentified cause. Although it is neurological disarray it has nothing to do with mental illness. Research says it may be the result of some chemical or viral contact during pregnancy or could even be genetic.

The amazing fact is that some autistic people are extremely proficient in mental and mathematical problems while some become experts in artistic field like music and drawing.

There is no permanent cure or medicine for autism even today but with proper rehabilitation and training these autistic children can enhance their skill socially and can attend normal schools and also participate in social events. There are two types of autism classified according to the brain circuit system. They are Asperger’s syndrome and developmental delay syndromes.

While assessing an autistic person the symptoms of sensory integration dysfunction are looked into by the therapist. In this test the child shows signs of low response or over sensitivity to touch, sight, movements or sounds. Their awkward body movements, alertness, poor concentration, sudden outburst of physical or verbal behavior, difficult in accepting changes or learning something new also shows the autistic behavior of the child while assessment. They also have the difficulty in hearing to some while others may be too loud for them.

Autism varies from child to child and a parent is shocked when the doctor says that their child is autistic. They would like to take a second or third opinion to clear the doubt. There are some indications and symptoms which indicate autism and when you see such in your child rush immediately to the doctor to verify it who can be of help in guiding you.

This brain disorder occurs before three years of age and at times even earlier. The first symptoms of autism are delayed or failure in speech. The next one is that the child stays aloof and never joins in a group while play or other circumstances. Both physically and intellectual assessment along with the family history evaluation when done will help in diagnosing autism in a child. Your regular pediatrician can help you in this matter as they will be able to spot an unusual behavior in the child.

Further check the auditory sensations to see if the child hears properly. Sometimes the delay in speech could be the fault in hearing. These tests are of two types. One is done to see the how much sound the child can hear and respond and the other evaluates the sound the brain can respond to. So the second type needs drugs to sedate the child and then take the tests. Usually only the first test is done and the doctor also asks to take the Fragile X syndrome test which generally affects an autistic child. Samples of urine and blood are taken to test the metabolism rater and also the DNA.

Lastly the doctor may suggest MRI or CAT scan to look into the problem and and diagnose autism through these tests. Although second opinion is good it is better to consult the same doctor so that the child and the doctor can have a better rapport which can help in tests and treatments easily. Any abnormal behavior spotted by the parent when immediately reported to the doctor can help them by therapies and behavior modification programs. The earlier the child is diagnosed with autism the sooner the behavior alteration programs works. This can help the child to adapt to the society and can have better prospect in life.

When the parents find out that their child is autistic they go any extent to look after and safe guard them. They look for places where their children can live in peace but it is better to set up programs for your child which can provide them with activities which in turn can manage their behavior problems socially.

Autism when detected in the child study closely the signs and indications of the autism which can help you to provide proper program and support. Join the group of people who have autistic children and exchange ideas and information which can help the parent in dealing with the child.

Choose a program that deals correctly with the social anxiety of your child. Every autistic child is unique and the same program cannot benefit every child. It depends on the behavior of the child and the skills displayed by them. An early intervention always helps the parent to modify the behavior of the autistic child which in turn can improve their social anxiety.

Playtime is a very good program for autistic children as this helps in the interaction with other kids and they can also befriend them. This participation in the play not only let them have fun but also makes them get over social anxiety. A board game played according to the age of the child helps the child to mingle and play together with other children.

Autistic children cannot understand the feeling of others which hampers their social interactivity. Picture cards of characters with facial expressions and attitude can help them in understanding the body language and feelings of others with practice.

The parents should sit and work with the child giving them opportunities to manage socially. Autistic children do not react to change very easily and sometimes may be indifferent and walk off but it is the responsibility of the parent to choose the program of their interest.

Finally autistic children learn only through patience from the parent and practice from their end. Never force the child to do an activity. Try to explain the situation slowly and patiently instead of giving them surprises. When planning a family dinner with the child or making your child play with other children make sure that the child is comfortable and enjoys the situation.

Autistic children learn with time as their ability is pretty slow but it is on the part of the parent to have endurance and provide them with ample opportunities which can help them manage social anxiety.

Autism is neurological brain disorder which develops in infancy and continues till adulthood. The sings of autism are obvious by the age of three leading to poor communication skills and also poor social interactivity. Some autistic children have high functioning autism while some have low functioning autism. Depending on the functioning level the parents can chose therapies and educational program to modify the behavior of the child.

Medications

There has been no permanent cure for autism till date but there are some medicines available which can improve the behavior problem of the autistic child.

Serotonin helps to treat patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression and also anxiety. Many autistic people use this medicine as per research. Some medicines like Lenox, Prozac and Anafranil have the ability to reverse behavior problem like repetitive behavior, irritability and aggressiveness. Studies also say that these medicines improve the eye to eye contact and also enhance social interaction. The doctor for the other signs of the autistic child prescribes another drug Ritalin. As the autistic children are highly sensitive to medicines the dosages very from person to person and any side effects noticed should be immediately reported to the doctor.

Vitamins

Different types of vitamins improve the different aspects of the autistic child. Studies say that Vitamin C helps to reduce the acuteness of the signs and symptoms whereas Vitamin B and magnesium improves the eye contact and also helps the child to pay attention. Experts feel that improper absorption of the nutrients play an important role in the severity of the autistic condition of the child. The childs doctor can determine the exact vitamin needed for your child after evaluation.

Diet

Autistic persons have sensitivity to certain foods. Weaning of those foods brings a clear change in their behavior. Studies say that some autistic people have problem in breaking the amino acids of food which have gluten and casein found in diary products. Some have sensitivity to oats, wheat and rye. Avoiding such foods shows decrease in autistic symptoms.

Behavior

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program helps to treat the behavior problem in autistic children. This helps in treating the variety of autistic behavior like the communication skills and other behavior problems with a variety of therapies. The aim of this theory is rewarding the good behavior and punishing the bad one.

The entire behavior modification program depends on the learning ability of the autistic child. A visually inclined childs program is designed in such a way that the child benefits the maximum from it.

The above mentioned are a few treatments and therapies available to treat autism. As every autistic child is unique so choose a program that suits the child according to his/her learning ability. A program benefiting one autistic child need not benefit another. So take the help of you doctor before choosing the program. He can assess the child and advise the right therapy or program to improve the behavior problem of the autistic child.

There is a variety of response from the society for autistic people just like the people with mental and physical disability. Some give full assistance while others totally ignore them. Even the caregivers, co-workers, family members who encourage and help the autistic are not fully aware of the autism in detail. So their way of handling becomes typecast which results in disgusted and other miserable conditions, Thus it is better to gain complete knowledge about autism so that handling autistic children will be easier and you can also help the other in the society.

Each and every autistic person is unique. There are sets of patterns for other types of diseases and impairments. But autism is an intricate brain disorder which has different response from different persons. There are two types of functioning levels in autism the high functioning people and the low functioning people. The high functioning people can grow up as individuals and can also pursue jobs whereas low functioning autistic people need support throughout their life. The signs of autism like impairment of speech and communication skills and other behavioral problems are present in low functioning people while high functioning people have control over their behavior through behavior modification therapies and sometimes never look like autistic people at all.

There can never an overall opinion about autism as every autistic person is unique. But the most common is the impairment in the communication skill. Although they cannot communicate they have a strong sense of feeling. Some autistic people fall in love and also get married. These relationships are very tough to be made but can be achieved with time and training.

Some autistic people exhibit exceptional qualities and function unusually. They excel in music, arts and also in math. Films portray autistic people as talented heroes but in real life such things do not happen. So it is better not expect too much from an autistic person. They behave according to their functioning level.

Never confuse autism with mental retardation but some autistic children turn out also as mentally retarded. So treat autistic people according to their disability.

Finally studies on autism say that patience and open-mindedness are the most vital message imparted to us. When one gains complete knowledge on the subject of autism his awareness on autism is better making them to handle an autistic person with more patience and skill. Take one more step to extend the knowledge to the community and society who can have a better approach to autism.

Autism is a complicated brain disorder which results in impairment of communication, social and cognitive skills. An Austrian psychiatrist created many debatable outlooks about autism in the 40s. Autistic people cannot be determined with the regular symptoms and signs. The signs vary from person to person depending on the levels and severity of the condition.

The method of analysis started by a scientist called Rutter and many other scientists are adequate to detect different types of autism. Some children have only some traits of autism and otherwise appear normal. So the debate is on whether to classify these children as autistic or not and thus came the borderline concept of autism. The patients of borderline autism indicate only some signs of Kanners syndrome through their abnormality. In olden days such borderline cases were identified as patients of psychosis or schizophrenia

The Aspergers syndrome and the Kanners syndrome show the same characteristics of autism. Persons who do not have the clear traits of autism but have certain abnormalities of autism come under the Aspergers syndrome. There is a controversy between the researchers that mild form of autism is determined as Aspegers syndrome whereas some deny it. People who do not fir under the clear features of autism where labeled borderline autism as per Asperger. It was very difficult to draw the line between the autistic people and the border line due to some common features.

When Aspergers theories were accepted children with mild autism came under Aspergers syndrome. Children considered suffering from Aspergers syndrome responded to external stimulus and also had high functioning level with good IQ and good communication skills. In contrast to the autistic children who hardly develop skills, the children under Aspergers syndrome when intervened show great progress in the early childhood itself. Proper medical treatments and behavior modifications can enhance the behavior and communication skills in the children with Aspergers syndrome.

With the progress in medical science patients detected with Aspergers syndrome are efficiently with therapies making them live their life on their own and become a part of the society. They are also very responsible and socially alert and do not show any signs of the neurological disorder.

When the parents have doubt about the behavior of their child being abnormal then they should cautious and probe into the matter and find out if their child is autistic. The indications are very obvious by the time the child is 12 months and early detection helps intervention which can modify the behavior of the child to a great extent. At times the symptoms of autism are very clear at the time of birth as the child does not respond to any action by their mother or caregiver.

Autism impairs the social and communication skills so it is better to intervene at the earliest. Autistic children have delayed milestones when compared to normal children. Autism also makes the child weak and they are prone to illness like insufficient respiratory, allergies and also digestive problems.

The abilities, behavior and the skills are unusual when compared to normal children. The development of their personality depends on the circumstances. An infant shows very little traits of autism as they are very faint but the parents can spot some abnormal behavior or the other as the child grows.
Parents are mostly unaware of the problem and can never make out what their child abnormal from other children. But it is better to be cautious and an early intervention always helps the autistic to respond better through therapies like behavior modifications.

One of the types of autism is the regressive autism. In this the children appear normal till a certain period of childhood and the symptoms of autism appear all of a sudden. They withdraw from the social interaction and also at the communicative level.

Symptoms of autism seen in early childhood are:

1. They do not respond to their name when called and choosy reaction to sounds of same decibel

2. Lack of concentration and do not follow the moves of the parents or caregiver.

3. Lack of replication when smiled or hands waved or making faces by the parents.

4. They cannot relate to people and also cannot understand their feelings as their skills are not clear or definite.

5. Lack of imagination or creativity like normal children and do not show interest in games with children.

Thus it is very important that parents make a note of all these abnormal behavior at the earliest. When autism is spotted in the child the parents should take the necessary steps immediately and modify the behavior problem helping the child to improve in communicative and social skills.

With the increase of autistic children the treatments and educational therapies have also increased manifold. Parents should involve their children according to the learning skill of the child. As there is a lot of awareness in the parents of autistic children they have more scope and idea to choose from. But the task of finding out and deciding the right treatment and education for the child is a big duty on the part of the parents.

When the parents find out that their child is autistic many questions probe into their mind as how the child can be educated. Every autistic child is unique, so each child should be treated and educated according to their learning ability

Autism has a variety of disorders like repetitive behaviors, poor communication and social interaction. Autistic children also have poor sensory stimulus, poor imagination and creativity, difficulty in forming relationships and most of them prefer to stay aloof.

An early intervention help the autistic to get the behavior problem modified with the help of speech therapists, occupational therapists, social skill training, adapted physical education and other applied behavior. Although most of the therapies are available in the local school, parents choose private therapists for their children.

Federal law allows children aged three years of age to join the special education classes. The facility is available for both general education and special education classes. Some parents enroll their children in general education and provide support for their special requirements whereas autistic children are usually educated in special education classes. A special education teacher instructs these special education classes, specially planned to suit the disabled children. The other services available for the autistic children are speech therapists, school nurses, school psychologists, physical and occupational therapists and also behavior modification therapists. Summer school for special day students and also community based training for older children are also available. The selection of the service depends on the ability of the child. An autistic child who has problem in speech and communication need to concentrate on speech and language development. An autistic child with Aspergers disability can also avail the services according to the level of his /her intelligence.

The services keep changing according to the priod of time and need. It is the responsibility of the parent to look in to the matter at the earliest and provide the necessary service for the child according to its learning ability. Studies say that one out of every 166 children is autistic and awareness in the society can provide a ray of hope for these children.