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Autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorders are a set of disorders that can affect children either behaviorally, socially or through communication. These disorders are called a spectrum of disorders as they consist of a group of disorders that have very similar types of issues. Symptoms may range from mild to severe but they are still in the same spectrum of disorders.

This spectrum of disorders includes Classic Autistic Disorder or Autism, Asperger syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and Rett Syndrome. So what exactly is Autism or Autistic Disorders? They are very complicated disabling delays in both the ability to interact socially and in communicative skills. This affects children who are very young. It usually shows up in children by the time that they are age 2. It can affect many of the things that infants and children learn early on and cause mild to severe delays in their development as well as learning disabilities later in their lifetime.

Some of the symptoms of autistic spectrum disorders include issues with communication which includes both verbal and non verbal communication. Children with autistic tendencies have problems with eye contact and showing proper emotion. There are other signs that can be seen in autistic children which include problems with social interaction. This can include problems showing emotions when interacting with others.

Autistic children tend to shy away from others and have problems sharing their feelings and otherwise understanding the emotions of others. Autistic children also tend to have a lot of repetitive behaviors as well such as preferring to repeat behaviors, motions or certain words or motions. They may even insist on having repetitive routines in their days. Changes in routines can seem traumatic to autistic children. Specialists in autistic children have noted that these repetitive types of behavior can frequently be seen at play. These symptoms can be seen as early as 18 months of age and frequently by the age of 2 years.

What are some things that parents and caregivers need to watch for as far as signs of autism? There are some things that are considered red flags of autism and these should be brought up with a health care provider if you see that your child is exhibiting these behaviors after the age of 8 to 12 months of age. Watch for behaviors such as your child refusing to respond to his or her name. Watch your child and see if they have problems with their movement. If they exhibit jerky or unbalanced motor patterns then talk to your health care provider. Other signs include your child not having any eye contact with you or being unable to smile when someone smiles at them. Social behaviors that need to be watched out for would be extreme temper tantrums for no reason. Other things to watch for are for the child being very uncooperative or resistant to play time or other things that other children normally enjoy. Watch your child for interaction with other children. Autistic children tend to live in a world of their own and do not acknowledge others. If your child acts like this it is time to speak to a professional.

There are also some children who are higher risk for autism than others. Boys it seems are three to four times more likely to be autistic than girls are. Siblings of an autistic child are much more likely to exhibit autistic tendencies than another child is. Statistics how they are approximately 10% more likely than the general population. Other children at risk include children with Fragile X syndrome and those who have mental retardation. If you feel your child might be exhibiting signs of autism please contact your child’s physician. There is no cure for autism however there is treatment to help children learn how to cope with it. Early treatment and intervention can help an autistic child learn to live up to his or her potential.

Last updated on Nov 6th, 2009 and filed under Neurological Disorders. Both comments and pings are currently closed.