Strange information about autism

 what is autism

Autism, autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that leads to difficulties in interaction, communication and social behavior of an individual.  or a developmental disorder because its symptoms usually appear in the patient's first two years of life, and this does not necessarily mean that it was diagnosed at that age; Anyone can be diagnosed with autism at any age, and although it is a chronic disorder, treatments can improve the patient's condition and ability to interact.

In fact, autism affects all racial and economic spectrums equally, but affects men more than women, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2017.  It found that by every three boys diagnosed, autism With autism, there is a girl with that. It was noted that there is a difference in the prevalence rate reported in studies, as well as that statistics were not complete or accurate in poor, low-income or even middle-income countries, and it is worth noting that, according to the Organization World Health also - it was found that autism is on the rise at the level of  This apparent increase can be explained in several ways, including expanding the diagnostic scope and criteria, increasing community awareness of the disease, and developing diagnostic tools and specialized reports on the disease.

Causes of autism

To date, the causes of autism are still unknown. However, it has been noted that there are factors that can increase the likelihood of a child developing autism, including the following:

• a disorder or abnormality of certain genes; Some of them are inherited from parents and others appear automatically during the life of the individual.
• The expectant mother is exposed to medications and chemicals such as alcohol and anti-seizure medications
• Pregnant women suffer from alterations or disorders in metabolic processes
• such as obesity or diabetes.
• Untreated phenylketonuria for short, is defined as a metabolic disorder caused by the absence of a specific enzyme.
• Vaccines but no evidence yet that they cause autism.

Autism signs and symptoms

People with autism spectrum disorder can have a variety of symptoms, including the following:

• Difficulty interacting and communicating with others.
• Difficulty understanding how others feel or think.
• Anxiety and discomfort due to social events and unknown situations.
• Take longer than usual to understand the information.
• Dissatisfaction with bright lights, noise, feeling tired and restless.
• Delayed speech, or aphasia after being able to speak.
•      Problems with conversation skills, including eye contact and gestures.
•      Doing and thinking the same things over and over.

Symptoms are often noticed in children at a young age, but sometimes they are not very noticeable and are not detected until they enter school or even adulthood. Symptoms can change with age, but communication, skills and social behaviors remain a difficult challenge for them. . 

Types of autism disorders

There is more than one type of autism, and the following are the main ones:

Autistic disorder: (in English: Autistic Disorder), or what is known as classic autism, which is the type that people refer to when they use the word autism, and people with this type suffer from language delays, social difficulties, communication skills, unusual interests and behaviors, as well as reduced cognitive abilities to

Asperger syndrome: People with this type of autism usually have the symptoms of autism listed above, but in a less severe way, and may have social and behavioral difficulties and unknown interests, but usually they do not have language problems or a decrease in cognitive abilities.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder - not otherwise specified, or called atypical autism, those who have some but not all symptoms of autism or Asperger syndrome may be diagnosed with atypical autism, people with this type have fewer and milder symptoms than people with autism, and Only from social difficulties and communication difficulties.

Diagnosis of autism

Autism is diagnosed by clinicians based on symptoms and signs approved by the DSM-IV, established by the American Psychiatric Association. The evaluation of children focuses on checking for developmental delays. Especially at the age of 18-24 months for the child through his periodic examinations, and what is most noticeable in autistic people: difficulty communicating with others, specific and repetitive behaviors, as well as symptoms that make it difficult for the affected person.  A person can lead a normal life at school, work, or in various areas of life.

autism disorder treatment

To date, there is no standardized treatment for autism, but there are many ways to increase a child's ability to develop and acquire new skills. Treatments include: correcting behavior, communication, skills training, learning to make friends, and accepting others, as well as medications used to control symptoms. According to the American Psychological Association, symptoms can be greatly reduced through early diagnosis and treatment, and the effectiveness of early diagnosis and treatment can reach an effective stage where the child can go to the appropriate schools for him.

• Speech therapy: It is one of the most important forms of therapy because it allows the child to better express his needs and desires with the help of speech and language therapists. 
•    Drug treatments: These can help improve some behavioral symptoms such as aggressive behavior and self-harm.
• Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy is used to improve motor skills, especially those that focus on the child's ability to feel and fully perceive body movements.
•    Applied Behavioral Analysis: aims to systematically change behavior based on learning principles derived from behavioral psychology
• Occupational therapy: Occupational therapy is used to help teach life skills that require fine motor skills such as getting dressed and undressing, and eating with eating utensils.

How to deal with autistic children

In fact, parents and all family members should learn how to share the responsibility of caring for an autistic child, [18] as there are no hard and fast rules about how to communicate and engage with an autistic child, and these include the following:

• Learn patience when dealing with a child with autism.
• Teach the child how to express anger without being too aggressive Parents should show love and care for their children
•      Make sure to act in a positive way, because children with autism respond better to positive actions.
•      Make sure you ignore the child's annoying behavior that is meant to get attention, as ignoring is one of the best ways to prevent it. It is also desirable to talk to the child about good behavior and to reward it when applying it.