Autism

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Autism Epidemic: Is There a Cause for Panic?

In recent years, media outbreaks of autism have spread around the world. Autistic features are prevalent in a variety of data, with 100 autism per 1 children in some places and 1000 autism per 1 children in some places. Some time ago, autism was considered a rare mental illness.

Why is the tendency to autism increasing?

First of all, when we talk about the causes of the "epidemic", scientists say that the symptoms of autism are an extension of the symptoms of developmental delay, such as Retta syndrome, Aspergera syndrome and the classic symptom complex of autism.

Second, information about the disease is increasing. In the past, children who were shy, shy, introverted, and prone to schizophrenia were called “abnormal children,” but today such children are called autistic children (autism).

Third, hyperdiagnosis is the cause of panic by parents. Autism, in turn, is becoming a "modern" disease, with movies about autistic children portraying them as "super-intelligent." Another important aspect is that some parents hide the mistakes made in the upbringing of children with autism.

So, the concept of "autism epidemic" lies in the fact that people are becoming more aware of the disease and the symptoms of the disease are becoming clearer.

At what age do autism symptoms appear?

Based on recent research, it can be said that autistic changes occur from the age of 2-3 years of a child. In breastfed children, on the other hand, there is a lack of vital features, such as familiarity with parents, laughter, sensitivity to stimuli: tactile, light, sound, and so on. But at this age, autism can only be suspected if there are clear symptoms. Symptoms are usually identified by parents who have autistic children among close relatives rather than a specialist. Thus, autism is often diagnosed in the family. Young families cannot be sure that these characteristics are a characteristic of the child or a developmental disorder.

The diagnosis of autism is made at an average age of 2,5-3 years. At this age, the child begins to develop general symptoms, his peers move forward in development. The child's receptive, learning, adaptive properties are lost or slowed down and take a long time. Early detection and special early care for autism can go a long way in helping a child adjust to life. Therefore, foreign scientists recommend testing the child independently at the age of 1-1,5 years. In order to determine the abilities, it is necessary to pay attention to the following cases:

• Does the child like to be in the arms of a parent, does the child feel emotional when carried on the knee, or does the parent feel the need before crying or sleeping ?;
• Interested in other children ?;
• Want to play games or not? (feeding puppets, cooking, playing soldiers, car, etc.);
• Do you observe the world around you with your eyes or do you observe the movement of your hands ?;
• Does the child like to play with the parent ?;
• Does he look at what you are pointing with your fingers? (a toy, an animal, etc.).

All questions are aimed at determining the child’s interest in the environment and people. If most of the above questions are negative in children under 1,5 years of age, the child should be taken to a specialist. It should be noted that the above reactions are not unique to autism, but can also be observed in children with hearing loss, attention deficit syndrome, and schizophrenia.

Types of autism

Autism is divided into age groups:

• Early childhood autism - up to 2 years;
• Childhood autism - 2-11 years;
• Adolescent autism is 11-18 years old.

Specific characters are different for each period, which may vary depending on the age of the child. Information about autism helps to detect the disease early and eliminate it, the earlier treatment is started, the easier it is for the child to adapt to the external environment.

Causes of autism

There are a number of factors in the formation of autism, but many of them have not yet found a scientific basis. For example, in the 70s, the origin of autism was linked to the theory of a "forgiving mother." There is one aspect of this theory that is close to the truth - most parents of autistic children pay less attention to their children and have less communication with them. Because almost all autistic children are indifferent and unemotional to their parents ’words, they also appear hyperactive because they find it difficult to express their thoughts through speech.

The second myth of the origin of autism is getting the measles vaccine. Although this "myth" has been scientifically refuted several times, the man who invented this theory is still trying to convince people with his false research.

Although the exact cause of autism has not been studied, there are some potential risks. For example:

• Late childbearing i.e. if the father is much older;
• If there are autistic children in the family;
• A child to be born in a large family (e.g. 7-8 children);
• Pediatric cerebral palsy;

Many diseases can also lead to autism. Hearing loss, attention deficit syndrome, some chromosomal disorders (Retta syndrome), inability to speak.

Symptoms of autism

Autism in children comes in 4 different forms depending on their age and severity:

• Social backwardness;
• Talking to oneself in communication, making various hand gestures;
• Early onset of common symptoms.

The following symptoms may occur in children aged 3 months to 2 years:

• The child's indifference to the mother (laughter, physical activity, vocalizations);
• The child is not in a state of "readiness", ie does not stretch his arms when trying to lift him, does not try to stand on his knees, completely stops breastfeeding;
• Not wanting to play with the team, whimsical when playing with parents and others, wanting to play alone;
• The increase in sensitivity was due to sound, light. Also making whims during games like scaring, shouting, jumping rope;
• Decreased ability to speak, even to the point of mutism. Echolalia, that is, the repetition of words, the repetition of phrases heard from a parent, or the constant utterance of words heard in a cartoon, is called Asperger syndrome;
• Selective eating, loss of appetite, worsening of sleep;
• Not following orders, not looking at items, not paying attention to his name;
• Strict adherence to the established order, i.e. waking up at the same time, keeping things in one place, sorting objects according to their shape, etc .;

The following symptoms may be added in children with autism between the ages of 2 and 11 years:

• A clear impairment of speaking ability is speaking using adult-like expressions, repeating the same words, not engaging in dialogue;
• Not afraid of dangers: height, highway, not afraid of animals, but afraid of simple objects, such as a boiling kettle, electric lighter, etc .;
• Repetitions in movements include rotation, vibration, repetition of gestures;
• Spontaneous outbursts of anger, laughter, panic;
• Focus on certain abnormalities, such as memorizing numbers that are difficult to remember, memorizing lyrics, writing unreadable notes;

Hormonal changes in autism are also added to the symptoms in adolescent autism.

The diagnosis is made by a psychiatrist based on symptoms alone. Most autistic children may not conform to the autism symptoms listed in the literature. In some cases, children with autism can also interact with people, making it difficult to diagnose.

Treatment of autism

To date, no medical treatment for autism has been developed. However, it can be treated with “Dolphin Voice” according to the latest data. In addition, parents, in cooperation with the educator, psychiatrist, psychologist, pediatrician, can direct their behavior in a positive direction if they deal with sick children early. The following interventions are appropriate for all types of autistic children to correct deficiencies in treatment:

• Conducting sessions with a speech therapist to improve speaking skills;
• Use picture cards to speak or learn to write words on a tablet, computer;
• Playing different games with a child, with only one expert in one field;

Drug treatment is prescribed only in addition if the child has severe aggression.

Children with autism should be accepted as they are. Adults need to identify this in a timely manner and support them. It has been speculated that autism may be caused by a lack of certain proteins in the developing brain of the fetus as early as the fetal period. The hereditary association of this disease has not yet been fully elucidated. A team of American and French scientists have concluded that it is necessary to study the stem cells involved in olfactory perception in the early stages of brain development. This is because easily removed from the nose biopsy smear is an invaluable method of studying these cells.