Autism In Children - What Is This Disease? The First Signs Of Autism, Causes, Diagnosis And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Autism: early signs, diagnosis and treatment

Autism is a diagnosis that sounds daunting to any parent. The disease is fairly common. Pathology of the psyche is clearly manifested at an early age. In this case, one speaks of early childhood autism. Sick children are isolated from society, they attend specialized educational institutions.

Content:

• Autism - what is this disease?
• Causes of Autism in Children
• Features of the perception of the world by a child with autism
• Signs of autism in a child
• Notes to parents
• The mental development of children with autism
• Autism diagnosis
• Autism treatment
• Disorders that resemble autism

Autism - what is this disease?

Autism is a developmental disorder with a deficit in communication and emotion. A person with this disease is, as it were, inside himself. He does not direct his speech, gestures, energy to other people. His actions do not carry a social meaning. The disease is diagnosed in children 3-5 years old. Rarely, autism is first diagnosed in adolescents and adults. If this happens, it means that the disease has a very mild course.

Causes of Autism in Children

Usually, in most cases of the presented disease, it has nothing to do with serious brain damage. In some cases, autism occurs due to congenital rubella, as well as against the background of phenylketonuria, cytomegalovirus infection, or the dangerous fragile X syndrome. There was also found serious evidence that fully confirms the important role of genetic changes in the development of the disease.

It has been proven that for parents with a child with autistic disorder, the risk of having a subsequent child with similar developmental problems is about 50-70 times higher than usual. In special monozygous twins, the concordance of this syndrome is no less high.

Numerous studies that have been conducted among families of patients with autism suggest that multiple gene regions are potential targets. These include neurotransmitter receptors associated with special coding and important structural control of the nervous system. The role of external factors, such as vaccination and all kinds of diets, has not been proven by specialists to date. In many ways, the basis of the pathogenesis of autistic disorders is dysfunction and structure of the brain.

Typically, in most children with autism, the ventricles of the brain are greatly enlarged. In some babies, there is a dangerous hypoplasia of the cerebellar worm, and you can also find in them various anomalies of the nuclei of an important brain stem.

In addition, a parallel is drawn between autism and some diseases:

• Rubella transferred during pregnancy.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Tuberous sclerosis.
• Obese women are more likely to give birth to children with autism than women with normal body weight.
• Chromosome mutations.

These pathologies can negatively affect the development of the child's brain and lead to the onset of autism.

Features of the perception of the world by a child with autism

A child cannot collect a complete picture of the world in his head. He sees a person as unbound limbs, hands, mouth and other parts of the body. A child cannot understand whether an object is animated in front of him or not. All stimuli coming from the external environment cause discomfort in the baby. This applies to light, sound, tactile contact. Therefore, the child goes into his own world, inside himself.

Signs of autism in a child

Scientists have identified 4 main features that characterize autism as a disease:

1. Violation of social behavior.
2. Violation of the communicative sphere.
3. Stereotypical behavior.
4. Early symptoms of the disease that occur in children under 3 years of age.

Violation of social behavior

Violation of social interaction is manifested by the following symptoms:

• The child avoids eye-to-eye contact. His gaze is directed, as it were, through the person.
• The child's facial expressions are not expressive, they do not correspond to the situation. The child does not laugh when someone tries to make him laugh, but may burst into laughter for no reason. The child's face resembles a mask, from time to time it is distorted by grimaces.
• The child rarely uses gestures. He uses gestures only to indicate his own needs. Healthy children try to draw the attention of parents to interesting objects by pointing to them. Autistic people don't.
• The child cannot understand the emotions of other people. Healthy children know how to identify a person's emotions by his look, facial expression, eyes. Children with autism do not have this ability.

• The child does not show interest in peers. He does not take part in their games, he strives to remain alone, as he is immersed in his own world. Autists do not perceive other children, equating them with inanimate objects.
• Difficulties with imagination and distribution of social roles. Healthy children can put the doll to bed, bring the toy car to the garage. Children with autism do not perceive a toy as a whole object. They can simply turn the wheel of the car for several hours.
• The child does not respond to emotional manifestations of close relatives. It has long been believed that autistic people have no emotional attachment to their mother and father. However, recent studies have found that the mother's departure does cause some concern in them. However, when she is around, the child will not show any emotion towards her. He will not cry or call his mother after she leaves, but his anxiety increases at such moments. However, he will not take any action to return it. It will not be possible to determine that he feels something.

Disruption of the communication sphere

Violation of the communicative sphere is manifested by the following symptoms:

• The child's speech development is difficult, sometimes speech is absent for a long time. If the disease has a severe course, then the children never master speech. They use a few words to indicate their needs. The child may ask to sleep or indicate that he is hungry. Other children have speech skills, but it is difficult to call such phrases meaningful. Over time, children may repeat the same set of words that have no meaning. Children say to themselves in the third person, for example, "Masha wants to sleep."
• The speech is abnormal. It is characterized by echolalia and repetitions. For example, an adult asks him: "Are you going to sleep?" To which the child replies: "Are you going to sleep?" Speech may be too loud or too quiet. He doesn't respond to his name. In the life of every healthy child, the so-called "question period" begins. Autistic people either do not go through this period at all, or it comes late for them. They do not ask their parents about the structure of the world around them. Children can ask adults questions, but they are devoid of practical meaning, they are often repeated.

Stereotypical behavior

Signs that characterize stereotyped behavior:

• A child can perform the same action for a long time, for example, lay out the details of the designer by color, build a tower. Rebuilding it for a different type of activity is problematic.
• Strict execution of the regime moments. A child with autism will only feel comfortable in the environment they are used to. Changing the daily routine, leaving the usual route, rearranging furniture or things in the room - all this can cause increased isolation or aggression.
• Repeating movements that don't make sense. If a child is scared of something or finds himself in an unusual situation for him, he will begin to stimulate himself on his own. This can be expressed in snapping fingers, clapping hands, and other similar movements.

Kids are often haunted by fears, obsessive movements. If the child is frightened, then he becomes aggressive. Moreover, this feeling is manifested both in relation to the people around him and to himself.

Early symptoms of the disease that occur in children under 3 years of age

Autism manifests itself at an early age. Even before the first birthday, parents may notice that their child does not smile, does not react to his name, or behaves strangely. Children are not as mobile as their peers, give inappropriate reactions in various situations.

Notes to parents

Noticing that someone else's baby is throwing a tantrum, there is no need to show pronounced bewilderment. It is likely that the child is autistic. You need to be tactful in such situations.

Tips for parents:

• You need to offer your help and try to cheer up the parents of the special child.
• All objects that surround children with autism must be safe.
• You need to stay as calm as possible.
• Parents of sick children should not face the bewilderment of the people around them; sympathy and attention should be shown towards them.
• Neither parents nor children should be criticized.
• Do not look at the child in hysterics closely.
• You should not make a noise and attract the attention of strangers to the baby.
• You should not be rude to the parents of a sick child.

The mental development of children with autism

The vast majority of children with autism have poor intelligence. Mental retardation ranges from mild to moderate. This is due to defects in the development of the brain. In addition, learning is difficult for autists. Deep mental retardation is observed when autism is combined with other pathologies: with epilepsy, microcephaly, chromosomal mutations. If autism has a mild course, then the child's intelligence remains normal, or may be above average.

The child can count well, draw, play music, but in other spheres he often lags behind his peers. This is a feature of his intellectual development, which is distinguished by selectivity.

The giftedness of the autistic in a certain direction of activity is called savantism. Such children can repeat the most complex melody on the violin, having heard it once, or paint a picture, transferring all the semitones, although he saw it once. Often such children in their minds add or multiply multi-digit numbers.

Asperger's Syndrome

Asperger's syndrome is a type of autism that is characterized by a mild course of the disease. It manifests itself at an older age.

Features of Asperger's syndrome:

• The first manifestations of the disease will be noticed at the age of 7-10 years.
• The child's intelligence is developed normally.
• The child's speech is developed, but its intonation and volume may be disturbed.
• Often a person is fixated on some kind of action or occupation. He can tell the interlocutor a story that he is not interested in. At the same time, the listener's reaction does not bother him.
• Patient's movements seem awkward, and postures strange.
• A person cannot come to a compromise, he does not know how to negotiate. Such people are egocentric.

People with Asperger's Syndrome study well, successfully graduate from not only secondary, but also higher educational institutions. They start families, but for this they need the support of loved ones and the participation of parents in education.

Rett syndrome

This disease develops only in girls. It has a genetic basis, since it causes a violation in the X chromosome. If such mutations occur in a male fetus, then he dies in the womb. The disease affects one child in 10,000.

Autism is deep, the girl will be completely immersed in herself. Other symptoms of the disorder:

• At the age of up to 1.5 years (sometimes up to six months), the development of the child is slightly impaired.
• After six months - 1.5 years, a slowdown in the growth rate of the head is observed.
• The child loses the previously formed reflexes skills, cannot purposefully move his arms.
• The child performs monotonous movements of the upper limbs, which may resemble washing or shaking hands.
• The child's motor activity is reduced, coordination is impaired.
• Speech skills are lost.

These children are often diagnosed with underdevelopment of the brain and epilepsy. The prognosis is poor, it is difficult to cope with movement disorders.

Autism diagnosis

Most often, the parents are the first to notice the child's abnormal behavior. This happens most rapidly in those families in which there are already children and there is a possibility of comparison. The sooner violations are noticed, the better. This will allow you to start treatment with the involvement of professionals. In the future, a child with autism will more easily enter society, he will have more chances to become a full-fledged member of society.

There are specialized tests that can identify children with autism. Parents must pass them. Also, the doctor studies the behavior of the child in his familiar environment.

Testing is carried out using the following methods:

• ADI-R - Autism Diagnostic Questionnaire.
• ADOS is an observation scale for diagnosing autism.
• CARS - Childhood Autism Rating Scale.
• ABC is a behavioral questionnaire for diagnosing autism.
• ATEC - Autism Indicators Assessment Checklist.
• CHAT is a questionnaire on autism in young children.

In addition, there are instrumental examination techniques that allow you to clarify the diagnosis:

• Ultrasound examination of the brain.
• Electroencephalography to exclude foci of epileptic activity.
• Hearing test by an audiologist. This study will rule out hearing loss as a cause of speech impairment.

To learn how to correctly perceive the behavior of a child with autism, parents need to understand what is happening to him. The information presented in the table will help with this.

How an adult perceives a child's behavior	In fact, it is not …	Explanation of the child's behavior
Distraction Disorganization Memory problems	Laziness Trying to control an adult Disobedience Refusal to perform direct duties	He cannot understand what the other person wants from him. The child tries to adjust the sensory systems The child reacts in a peculiar way to a change in environment or other stressful factor The child is in anxiety
Resistance to change Priority to repetitive actions Upset with any change Repeating actions	Willfulness Rigidity Passivity Unwillingness to make contact	The child does not understand how to follow the instructions of another person The child tries to keep order and predictability The child cannot assess the situation from the outside
Impulsiveness Failure to obey instructions The child disturbs other people with his behavior	Provoking other people Disobedience Selfishness Trying to get attention to yourself	The child cannot distinguish between general and abstract concepts Information reaches him with difficulty
The child avoids certain sound and light stimuli The child does not look in the eyes The child touches and twists other objects Child sniffs other objects	Parenting errors that affected the child's behavior Disobedience	The brain perceives signals from the outside differently from healthy people The child has sensory impairments The baby's sound, visual and olfactory sensitivity is increased

Autism treatment

Autism is an incurable disease. No such drug has been created, after drinking which a child would recover. In order for the patient to socialize, it is required to deal with him every day, to create special conditions around the child. This is the only way to achieve certain success. The family should closely interact with educators and psychologists.

The main directions that are implemented in the treatment of autism:

• Autism is a trait of a child. He will not be able to perceive information in the same way as most people.
• It is necessary to create conditions for the child in which he can comfortably develop, live and study. The environment should not scare him or force him to withdraw into himself.
• A psychologist, teacher, speech therapist and other narrow specialists should work with the child.

Steps to be taken sequentially:

• It is necessary to direct efforts to the formation of those skills that the child lacks. If he cannot establish contacts, then it is necessary to teach him to do this, if his speech suffers, then it should be corrected.
• Efforts should be directed to combat such manifestations as: aggression, obsession, fear, self-aggression, withdrawal.
• The child should be taught to observe and imitate other people.
• The child needs to be taught to play, to take on social roles.
• Efforts should be made to teach the baby to make contact with other people.

Correction of the child's behavior is based on behaviorism. This is a separate area of psychology. ABA therapy is useful in treating children with autism. In this case, you need to observe the behavior and reactions of the baby. After that, certain incentives are selected. It all depends on the preferences of a particular child. This can be music, food, sounds, etc. All positive reactions that the child gives should be encouraged. This allows you to establish contact, as well as prevent unwanted reactions in the form of hysterical fits and aggression.

Classes with a speech therapist are a must in working with autists. Every sick child has certain problems with speech, so it will not be possible to do without the help of a specialist. He teaches him to monitor his intonation, pronounce sounds correctly, and prepares for school.

It is imperative to teach your child the skills of self-service and socialization. Children with autism do not have the motivation to communicate with other people, do not want to contact children, play with them. They are not fond of any kind of activity, it is difficult for them to perform hygiene skills. To instill them, educators recommend using flashcards. They contain detailed instructions for action and their sequence: getting out of bed, brushing your teeth, combing, etc.

Drugs are not used to treat autism. They are used only in cases where the child's destructive behavior becomes an obstacle to his full development. It must be remembered that hysterics and even stereotyped actions are all an attempt to communicate with the world. It is bad if the child does not show himself in any way: he sits in one place all day and turns the wheel of the car. Psychotropic and sedative drugs should be given to autists only after consultation with a doctor.

It is believed that a gluten-free diet can cope with autism, but this theory has not received scientific confirmation.

Parents who are concerned about the health of their baby often have to deal with charlatans. They offer stem cell therapy, micropolarization, nootropic drugs. However, this therapy can be dangerous for a child with autism and be harmful to his or her health.

Disorders that resemble autism

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This syndrome is often confused with autism. It is believed that it is manifested to one degree or another in every 3 children. Children with ADHD are restless, find it difficult to learn, they have difficulty concentrating, and are very mobile. Some adults also suffer from this syndrome. It manifests itself in the difficulty of remembering dates and events. It is difficult for such people to make informed decisions. It is necessary to diagnose such a violation as early as possible. Such patients are prescribed psychostimulants and sedatives. Classes with a psychologist give a good effect.
• Hearing loss. If a child does not hear well, then this is necessarily reflected in his speech development. Children may not respond to their name, they do not fulfill the requests of adults, they may seem spoiled and disobedient. These symptoms resemble autism, which is why it is so important to test the hearing of babies with similar disabilities. Hearing loss can be managed by using hearing aids. Their use allows you to correct all existing developmental deviations.
• Schizophrenia. In past years, autism was considered a manifestation of schizophrenia. Modern science has good reason to believe that these are two different diseases that have nothing to do with each other. Schizophrenia manifests itself at an older age. In children under 5-7 years old, this disease is never diagnosed. The disease develops smoothly. Adults note in the child unmotivated fears, he becomes obsessive, can withdraw into himself, talk to himself. Then there are signs of illness such as delusional thoughts and hallucinations. Schizophrenia is accompanied by short remissions with further worsening of the disease. Treatment is reduced to taking medications. These patients are managed by psychiatrists.

Autism should not be taken as a sentence. The reasons for the development of the disease are unknown. There is no way to describe exactly how a sick child perceives the world. However, it has been reliably established that the early start of treatment and its competent organization allows such children to lead a normal life, study, work and create families. The main thing for a child with autism is parental support.

Author of the article: Sokov Andrey Vladimirovich | Neurologist

Education: In 2005 completed an internship at the IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University and received a diploma in Neurology. In 2009, completed postgraduate studies in the specialty "Nervous diseases".