Are you worried or scared that someone you love deeply has the signs & symptoms of Autism?
Join others who have discovered simple methods to effectively spot signs of Autism. Read about accepted therapeutic options helping parents and caregivers making right decisions for their cherished ones.
This one of a kind handbook on autism spectrum disorders offers a huge amount of useful information. Covering all you need to know about Autism Spectrum Disorders, such as autism, Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS.
The information shared will help you attend to the challenging characteristics of a child with autism, handling tantrums and routines and will help you find out what to reckon with in your child’s education.
The story told also shines a light on the possible courses of life typical for a child suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Autism Developmental Disorders
Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Overview
By Sandra Kim Leong
The term autism is often used most commonly used to describe any one of the 5 different types of pervasive developmental disorders. These pervasive developmental disorders are collectively known as autism spectrum disorders. There are many theories about how these disorders relate to one another. While some researchers believe that they are all separate disorders with similar symptoms, other researchers say that there is a spectrum of severity that ranges from extremely mild to incapacitating. In the most severe cases of autism, the one inflicted will not be able to function and live independently.
Autism is a chronic brain disorder that manifests in developmental difficulties in the areas of social interaction, verbal skills and communication. If your child is autistic, he is likely to have repetitive and narrow interests. In addition, he finds it hard to cope with changes in schedules and environment. He can react violently when any changes occur or if there is a disruption to his normal schedule.
Unfortunately, it is not known what causes autism but some scientists and researchers believe that it is a genetic abnormality. Yet others say that it is caused by an injury to the brain or exposure to an environmental toxin. This can be supported by the fact that in some population areas, autism is at higher rates of incidence than it is elsewhere.
You may start observing some odd developmental problems of your child between the ages of 12 and 36 months old. It may be that your child is not hitting some milestones with underdeveloped or delay in speech and communication skills. You may also begin to notice that his social interactions are poor. However, if your child only has mild autism, you may not be able to detect that anything is wrong until he enters school. In some cases, your child may go undiagnosed until he reaches middle school, which is when social and communication skills become more important.
If you have an autistic child, you may fear that his disorder may worsen over the years. However, research shows that autism is non-progressive, meaning that it does not get worse in time.
The 5 types of pervasive developmental disorders include:
1. Autism. Autism’s symptoms can be recognized before a child turns 3-years-old. However, it may be diagnosed much later than this. If your child is diagnosed with autism he will have difficulty making or maintaining eye contact, have disturbances in his social functioning and be overwhelmingly absorbed with himself.
2. Asperger Syndrome. Asperger Syndrome is similar to autism in that it tends to show up before your child turns 3 years old. However, your child will be able to function at a higher level than an autistic child. Your child can still have difficulties with social functioning, communication and speech. He will also be easily absorbed with narrowly defined interests. But with some therapy and help, most asperger children are able to live independently when they get older.
3. Rex syndrome. Some doctors would argue that Rex syndrome is not a type of autism. However, there are still doctors who do think that this is a form of autism. This syndrome almost exclusively afflicts girls. Usually your child will develop normally for 6 to 18 months and then show a remarkable loss of skills in such areas as speech and the ability to control her hands and her feet. This syndrome can be tested for with an 80% accuracy rate.
4. Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD). CDD takes place a little later. It happens after your child turns 2 to 4 years before showing a marked degeneration in his social, physical, mental and verbal skills. This long period of normal development below the age of 2 is what makes the difference between autism and CDD.
5. Pervasive developmental disorder. Your child is diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder if he is found to have impairments in social interaction, stereotyped behavior and communication. However, this disorder would only apply if he is not within any of the above other 4 mentioned categories.
Sandra Kim Leong writes about the autism disorder spectrum. She shares about her experiences with her autistic child. Read her blog here at http://www.autismdietplan.com.
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Watching For an Autism Symptom in Your Child
Watching For an Autism Symptom in Your Child
By Jon Arnold
Are you concerned about an autism symptom you see in your child? Before you start to become agitated regarding a suspected autism symptom, there are several things you should know. First we will discuss what autism is and how to look for the symptoms you may feel you see in your child.
Autism was first recognized in the early 1900′s with a label. There were cases before the 1900′s, but they were not studied and definitely not discussed. The disorder was also something that was written off as other issues. However there are very distinct criteria to autism. Autism suffers are not “slow” nor do they lack intelligence. Instead they react differently from the norm in situations. They may have issues interacting with their family, friends of family, or strangers. They may seem as though they are in their own world. Many times those with an autism symptom are intelligent in a way we don’t understand and standard tests can’t show.
There are different levels to autism. You have Rett Syndrome in which the females are usually diagnosed around 18 months. The motor skills and social abilities seem to change at this point. Rather than growing they may seem to change to an early learning curve. Social contact and motor skills are most often affected as a result of a gene mutation.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder or CDD is another form of autism. This is where the child is considered autistic; however symptoms may not occur until age 2. The speech and social interaction skills may not meet the norms at that age. CDD interferes with the normal function of the body with bladder and bowel control in some cases. There can also be seizures and an abnormally low IQ associated with CDD.
The last autism disorder we will discuss is Autism Spectrum Disorder. A person with this disorder can actually have a very high IQ; it may be that social skills or certain issues can cause these individuals to act outside the normal accepted behaviors. However, they can in some cases be more social with their family members.
As you can see there are several levels of autism. The levels will determine what you can expect to see as far as an autism symptom in your child. An autism symptom may be a regression of social or functional skills learned. An autism symptom can also be a withdrawal from parental touch or care. Speech may change or they may be having unintelligible conversations or sounds, when prior they could speak.
Before you become overly worried about autism in your child you should seek a medical professional’s opinion. An autism symptom can vary depending on the level, but more than that they can be mistaken. Typically the autism symptom should be consistent. It should not be intermediate in which there is a distinct phase. For example a child may not want to be held or interactive, but if this symptom is not constant for more than two weeks there may be nothing to worry about. Medical professionals can help to make sure your child is diagnosed correctly.
For more insights and additional information about what is an Autism Symptom as well as many other resources about autism, please visit our web site at http://www.autism-explained.com
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