Autism

Autism is one of the disorders belonging to a group of developmental disorders called in the medical language "Autism Spectrum Disorders - ASD" that appears in infancy, before the child reaches the age of three years, mostly.
Although the severity and symptoms of autism vary from case to case, all autism disorders affect a child's ability to communicate with those around him and develop mutual relationships with them.
Estimates show that 6 out of every 1,000 children in the United States suffer from autism and that the number of diagnosed cases of this disorder is constantly increasing.
It is not known, until now, whether this increase is a result of better detection and reporting of cases, or an actual and real increase in the number of people with autism, or the result of these two factors together.
Although there is no cure for autism, so far, intensive and early treatment, as much as possible, can make a significant and serious change in the lives of children with this disorder.


Children with autism also almost certainly suffer from difficulties in three basic developmental areas:

• interpersonal social relations
• the language
• the behavior

Because the signs and symptoms of autism vary from patient to patient, two different children with the same medical diagnosis are likely to behave in very different ways and have entirely different skills.
But severe autism cases are characterized, in the majority of cases, by the absolute inability to communicate or establish reciprocal relationships with other people.
Symptoms of autism appear in most children, in infancy, while other children may arise and develop completely naturally during the first months or years of their lives, but they suddenly become closed on themselves, hostile or lose the language skills they have acquired until that moment.
Although every child has symptoms of autism, showing their own temperament and patterns, the following features are the most common for this type of disorder:

• social skills:
  - Doesn't respond to his name being called
  - Doesn't make much direct eye contact
  - Often doesn't seem to hear what's going on
  - Refuses to be hugged or shrinks into himself
  - Apparently doesn't understand other people's feelings
  - Seems likes to play alone, expects his own person in his world
• language skills:
  - Begins to speak (speaks words) at a later age, compared to other children
  - Loses the ability to say certain words or sentences previously known
  - Makes eye contact when he wants something
  - Speaks in a strange voice or with different tones and rhythms Speaks using a lyrical, terry voice or with a robot-like voice
  - unable to initiate a conversation or continue an existing conversation
  - may repeat words, phrases or terms, but does not know how to use them
• the behavior :
  - Performs repetitive movements such as rocking, spinning in circles or waving hands
  - Develops habits and rituals that he always repeats
  - Loses his calm when there is any change, even the simplest or smallest change, in these habits or rituals
  - Constantly moving
  - He is stunned and fascinated by certain parts Objects, such as spinning a wheel in a toy car
  - overly sensitive to light, sound or touch, but unable to feel pain

Young children have difficulties when asked to share their experiences with others. When reading a story to them, for example, they cannot point their finger at the pictures in the book.
This social skill, which develops at a very early age, is essential for developing language and social skills at a later stage of development.
As children progress towards adulthood, some of them may become more able and willing to mix and integrate into the surrounding social environment, and they may show fewer behavioral disturbances than those characteristic of autism, and some even succeed in leading a normal life or lifestyle Close to normal and normal.
On the other hand, others continue to have difficulties in language skills and in social intercourse, so that their puberty only worsens their behavioral problems.
Department of kids, slow to learn new information and skills. Others have a normal IQ, or even higher than other, normal people. These children learn quickly, but have problems with communication, in applying what they have learned in their daily lives and in adapting themselves to changing social situations and situations.
A very small proportion of children with autism are autistic and have unique exceptional skills, particularly in a particular area such as art, mathematics or music.


There is not one single factor known as a definitively confirmed cause of autism.
However, given the complexity of the disease, the extent of autism disorders and the fact that two autistic states do not match, that is, between two autistic children, it is likely that there are many factors that cause autism:

• Genetic disorders: Researchers have discovered the presence of several genes that are likely to play a role in causing autism, some of which make the child more susceptible to the disorder, while others affect the growth and development of the brain and the way brain cells communicate with each other.
  Any genetic defect, in and of itself, may be responsible for a number of cases of autism, but it appears, in a holistic view, that genes, in general, have a very central, even decisive, influence on autism disorder. Some hereditary disorders may be transmitted genetically (inherited), while others may appear spontaneously (Spontaneous).
• Environmental factors: A large part of health problems are the result of genetic and environmental factors, combined together. This may be true in the case of autism, too. Recently, researchers are examining the possibility that a viral infection or environmental pollution (air pollution, in particular), for example, is a motivating factor for the emergence and emergence of autism.
• Other factors: There are other factors, too, that are subject to research and study in recent times, including: problems during childbirth, or during the birth itself, and the role of the immune system in everything related to autism. Some researchers believe that damage (injury) to the amygdala - the part of the brain that acts as a detector of risk states - is one factor in triggering the onset of autism.

One of the central points of contention in everything related to autism centers on the question whether there is any relationship between autism and part of the vaccines (Vaccines) given to children, with special emphasis on:

• The MMR Triple Vaccine - which is given against mumps, measles (Rubeola / Measles) and rubella (German measles - Rubella / German Measles)
• Other vaccines contain thimerosal, a preservative that contains trace amounts of mercury.

Although the majority of vaccines given to children today do not contain thimerosal, as of 2001, controversy and controversy still exist. Recent comprehensive studies and research have proven that there is no relationship between vaccines and autism.


Autism may appear in any child of any origin or nationality, but there are known risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing autism. These factors include:

• Gender of the child: Research has shown that male children are three to four times more likely to develop autism than female children
• Family history: Families with a child with autism are more likely to have another child with autism. It is well known and common that parents or relatives who have a child with autism suffer, themselves, from certain disorders in some developmental or developmental skills, or even from certain autistic behaviors.
• Other disorders: Children with certain medical problems are more likely to develop autism. These medical problems include: Fragile x syndrome, an inherited syndrome that leads to a mental disorder, tuberous sclerosis, which leads to the formation and development of brain tumors, and a neurological disorder known as Tourette syndrome. Epilepsy, which causes epileptic fits.
• Parent's age: Researchers tend to believe that parenting at a later age may increase the likelihood of developing autism.
  Very comprehensive research has shown that children born to men over the age of 40 are 6 times more likely to develop autism than children born to fathers under the age of 30. The research shows that the mother's age has a marginal effect on the risk of autism.

The treating pediatrician performs regular growth and development checks to detect a developmental delay in the child.
If symptoms of autism appear in the child, a doctor who specializes in the treatment of autism can be referred to, who, in cooperation with a team of other specialists, will conduct an accurate assessment of the disorder.
Since autism ranges from very many degrees of severity of the disease and the severity of its symptoms, the diagnosis of autism may be a complex and complex task, as there is no specific medical examination to detect an existing case of autism.
Instead, a formal assessment of autism includes seeing the child's specialist doctor, a conversation with the parents about the child's social skills, language abilities, behavior, and how and to what extent these factors change and develop over time.
In order to diagnose the symptoms of autism, the doctor may request that the child undergo several examinations and tests aimed at evaluating his verbal and linguistic abilities and examining some psychological aspects.
Although the initial symptoms of autism often appear before the age of 18 months, the final diagnosis is, in some cases, when the child reaches the age of two or three years, only when a defect in development appears, a delay in the acquisition of language skills , or defects in inter-social relationships, which are evident at this stage of life.
Early diagnosis is very important, because early intervention, as much as possible, especially before the child reaches the age of three years, is a very important element in achieving the best possibilities and opportunities for improving the situation.


To this day, there is no single treatment that is suitable for all patients with the same amount. In fact, the range of treatments available to autistic patients that can be adopted at home or at school is amazingly diverse and numerous. The attending physician can help find resources available in the area of ​​residence that can be helpful tools in working with a child with autism.


It includes:

• Behavioral Therapy and Speech - language pathology
• pedagogical therapy
• drug therapy

Due to the fact that autism is a very difficult and intractable condition that does not have a curative treatment, many people resort to solutions provided by alternative medicine.
Although some families reported that they achieved positive results after treating autism with a special diet and other alternative therapies, researchers cannot confirm or deny the efficacy of these various treatments on autistic patients.
Some very common alternative treatments include:

• Innovative and innovative treatments
• Their own diet