Autism

What are the causes of autism?

The possible “cause” of ASD is that all of the causal models are theoretical.

Genetics and environment are two factors considered to affect the likelihood of a child developing ASD. Genetics may play a strong role, with the risk of a child having a pervasive developmental disorder increasing by 2% – 20% if an older sibling has an autism. Various genes have been implicated in ASD.

Environmental factors that have been implicated are conceiving the child at advanced age, exposure to pollutants and infection during pregnancy, premature delivery and low birth weight baby.

• Researchers are still exploring biological variables that might be causing autism such as abnormalities with metabolism, immunology, brain connections, and brain development.

What are the types of autism?

Rett Syndrome: This progressive disorder starts with symptoms comparable to other kinds of autism, such as repetitive arm and hand waving, problems with fine and gross motor skills, and delayed speech. This kind of autism exclusively affects girls and may be detected as early as 6 months of age. Symptoms such as difficulty breathing, grinding teeth, developmental delays, seizures, and mental impairment might worsen as the child gets older.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder: Children with this kind of autism may seem normal in their first two years of life, growing normally and reaching all of their milestones, but then begin regressing suddenly. CDD may be very difficult and confusing for parents since their child may exhibit no evidence of developmental delays and then suddenly stop talking and interacting. This rare condition of autism has been linked to seizure disorders.

Kanner’s Condition: Also known as Classic Autistic Disorder, this syndrome affects children. Children with this condition generally exhibit classic autistic symptoms such as difficulties understanding or interacting with others, low or no eye contact, and hypersensitivity to senses. These children tend to isolate themselves and show no interest in interacting with other people.

Asperger’s syndrome (AS)

This is the mildest type of Autism. People with Asperger’s syndrome become intensely engaged in a certain thing or topic. They would study, read, and talk about it incessantly. Children with AS often have average or above-average intellect, and it is commonly referred to as ‘High-Functioning Autism.’

Generalized Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
This is more severe than Asperger’s syndrome but less severe than the autistic disorder. PDD-NOS symptoms vary greatly, and no two persons with the disorder will display the same symptoms, however, some frequent symptoms may include the following:
– Ineffective social interaction
– Language abilities are worse than Asperger’s syndrome but better than Autistic disorder.

What is the treatment for autism?

Medication: A pediatrician can assess for co-morbid depression, anxiety, and impulsive behavior. Autism-related irritability may be reduced by drugs such as aripiprazole and risperidone (the two medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration for irritability associated with autism).

Other Therapy

Social skill development: This intervention, which may be done in a group or individual setting, assists children with autism in improving their ability to navigate social situations.
Speech therapy: may help children improve their speech patterns and language development.
Occupational therapy (OT): This addresses adaptive skills impairments in everyday living tasks as well as handwriting issues.
Special education services: Children with autism may reach their full academic potential if their school provides them with an individual education plan that fits their social communication deficiencies, limited interests, and repetitive habits. Special day programs for very young children are available to cover linguistic, social, and life skills.

Clinical Psychologist: for neurodevelopmental assessment, IQ assessment
Co-occurring conditions treatment: Children with autism are more likely than their counterparts without autism to suffer from sleeplessness, anxiety, and sadness. They are also more likely to develop ADHD. Autistic children may have intellectual disabilities, which must be treated. The severity of these diseases may be lessened with the right services, which include all of the above as well as medical and psychotherapy.