Autism

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects the development and functioning of the human brain. It mainly affects how a person perceives the world around him and how he interacts with others. Autism spectrum disorder is also characterized by restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour. The term "spectrum" about autism spectrum disorder reflects the wide range of symptoms and severity of this disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder begins in early childhood, and over time, the disease can cause problems with social adjustment, learning, and functioning. Symptoms of autism in children are common

Appears during the first year. Some children develop normally during the first year and then experience a period of regression between 18 and 24 months and show autistic symptoms.

Although there is no cure for autism spectrum disorder, intensive, early therapy can make a big difference in a child's future development.

Autistic spectrum symptoms

Some children show signs of autism spectrum disorder early. These signs include: avoiding eye contact, limited response to the name, or indifference to the caregiver. Some children develop normally for the first few months or years, but then suddenly become depressed, aggressive, or lose the speech and communication skills they once had. Signs usually appear by age 2.

Each child with autism spectrum disorder has unique patterns of behaviour and symptoms that reflect different levels of functioning.

Some children with autism spectrum disorder have learning difficulties, which are also manifested by lower-than-normal intelligence scores. Some children have normal or high intelligence - they learn easily, but they have difficulty communicating, and they cannot use their knowledge in everyday life and various social situations.

Since the symptoms and signs are unique and different in every child, it can sometimes be difficult to determine the level of severity. Severity mainly depends on the level of social communication and functioning skills.

Social communication and interaction

A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have problems with social interaction and communication skills, including any of the following symptoms:

• does not respond to address by name or sometimes does not seem to understand what you say;
• does not like to be hugged and held, prefers to play alone, and close in his world;
• does not make eye contact and does not have an expressive face;
• does not speak or delays speech, or loses the ability to pronounce words or sentences;
• does not initiate or continue a conversation, or initiates a conversation only to ask or name something;
• speaks in an unusual or monotonous tone or rhythm, may sound like a robot;
• repeats the same words or phrases over and over, but fails to use them as intended;
• cannot understand simple questions or instructions;
• does not express emotions or feelings and cannot understand other people's emotions;
• Do not point out items or bring items to share interest with others;
• reacts inappropriately to social contact, becomes passive, aggressive or disruptive;
• Difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, such as interpreting other people's facial expressions, body posture, or tone of voice.

behaviour patterns

• Characterized by repetitive movements such as rocking, turning, or waving the arms;
• Performs movements that may cause self-harm, such as e.g. hitting the head
• has coordination problems, strange forms of movement such as clumsiness or walking on tiptoes, strange or exaggerated body language;
• is fascinated by the details of an object, such as the wheels of a toy car, but cannot understand the object's purpose or function;
• Oversensitive to light, noise, or touch, but maybe unaffected by pain or temperature;
• does not engage in imitation or make-believe games;
• Fixes gaze on an object or activity intensely;
• Chooses foods with specific preferences, such as eating only certain types of foods or refusing to eat foods with certain textures.

When to consult a doctor
If you think your child has a developmental disorder or suspect he may have an autism spectrum disorder, talk to your doctor. Symptoms associated with the disorder may also be associated with other developmental disorders.
Signs of autism spectrum disorder often appear early in development, when delays in speech and communication skills are evident. Your doctor may recommend developmental tests to detect impairments in cognitive, speech, and social skills. These tests are necessary if your child:

• does not show a smile or happy expression before 6 months;
• does not imitate sounds or facial expressions before 9 months;
• does not make sounds characteristic of a child up to 12 months;
• does not gesture, point or wave before 14 months;
• does not say a single word until 16 months;
• does not play imitation games until 18 months;
• does not say two-word phrases until 24 months;
• Loses pre-existing speech skills at any age.

Disease-causing risk factors

gender.  Autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed about four times more often in boys than in girls.

genetic factors. Parents who have one child with autism spectrum disorder have a very high chance of having another child with autism.

other diseases.  Children with certain illnesses have a higher than average risk of developing autism spectrum disorder or autism-like symptoms. Such diseases include, e.g. Fragile X syndrome, an inherited disorder that causes intellectual problems; tuberous sclerosis, during which benign tumours develop in the brain; and Rett syndrome, a genetic disorder that almost always occurs in girls and causes stunted head growth, impaired mental skills, and impaired hand movement.

Children born prematurely.  Babies born before 36 weeks of gestation may be at increased risk for autism spectrum disorder.

Parents' age.  There may be a link between children of older parents and autism spectrum disorder, but more research is needed to determine this link.

Complications

• difficulties in studying at school;
• employment problems;
• inability to live independently;
• social isolation;
• stress in the family;
• victimization and bullying;

Prevention

There is no way to prevent autism spectrum disorder, but there are treatment options, the most effective of which are early diagnosis and timely intervention. Although the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder do not go away with age, with appropriate interventions, people with this disorder can successfully manage their behaviours.