Autism: What you need to know

AUTISM is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behaviour right from early childhood. It is called a spectrum disorder because it comes with a wide range of symptoms and occurs in all ethnic, religious, cultural and economic groups. According to the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorder (DSM-5), a guide created by the American Psychiatric Association used to diagnose mental disorders, people with ASD have difficulty in communicating and interacting with other people. Though ASD is a lifelong disorder that affects an individual, treatment and service can improve a person’s symptoms and ability to function effectively through life. The American Academy Of Pediatrics recommends that all children be screened for ASD. Autism had been in existence long before the world discovered its symptoms in 1911. Autism was earlier observed as behavioral traits tending towards withdrawal into self and later in 1943 early infantile.

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that induces generally development, delayed development or slow and faulty development in one or two skills areas. There is no known cure for autism but speech and language therapy, occupational therapy educational support plus a number of remedies are available to help parents and children. People with autism tend to have problems with communication and social interaction. In infancy, some children with autism may not babble or use other vocal sounds; older children may not use non-vocal behaviour to interact with others e.g. using eye contact, body language and other facial expressions. They may also not have interactions with other children of their age; they tend to gravitate towards older or younger children and oftentimes play alone. They do not find it easy to understand other people’s emotions and feelings, having difficulty initiating conversation or taking part in it. Language development may be delayed. Children with autism tend to repeat words or phrases spoken by others immediately or later and not formulating their own language.

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They also stick to a particular routine and a change may trigger tantrums. Flicking of fingers, flapping of hands and legs are signs of upset or excitement. Some may engage in repetitive activities like opening and closing of doors, hitting of objects or toys on the floor repeatedly. Children with autism experience difficulty in cognitive, learning, emotional and behavioural aspects.

In 2013, a revised version of the DSM was released this revision change the way Autism is classified diagnosed. In the previous DSM, it was classified as  1. autistic disorder  2. aspergers syndrome 3. childhood disintegrative disorder 4. pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. Autistic disorder is an older term for people or children with more intense levels of autism. Aspergers is the milder end of autism spectrum where the individual maybe very intelligent and able to handle life easily, discusses on topics of interest but relating socially well maybe a little hard. Childhood disintegrative disorder is a condition where the child develops well till the age of three or four, then over a few months losses motor, language, social and mental skills through seizure disorder. Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) is a term used for those that have a delay in social and communication skills and also have some autistic behaviour, but does fit into any of the other categories which lead to the term “not otherwise specified”.

But in the current revised version of the (DSM-5) these types of conditions have been combined into one diagnosis called autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early diagnosis and intervention are more likely to have positive and long-term effects on symptoms and later skills. Early interventions include the following: family training, speech therapy, hearing impairment services, physical therapy and nutrition services. However, there can be overlap in symptoms between ASD and other disorders such as attention deficits, hyper activity disorder (ADHD). It is important that treatment focuses on a person’s specifics needs. The exact causes of ASD are not known, but research suggests that genes can act with the environments to affect development that might lead to ASD. Some risk factors include siblings with ASD, older parents, genetic conditions such as down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome. If a pregnant woman is exposed to certain drugs or chemicals like alcohol or anti seizure drugs, her child is likely to be autistic. Diabetes and obesity have also been linked to ASD.. There is currently no known treatment for ASD because it is a lifelong and permanent disorder, but a lot of palliative treatments and measures can be used to minimise the symptoms and maximise abilities. If appropriate therapies and interventions are given in time, people living with ASD have the opportunity to use their abilities and skills.

A lot of progress has been made in creating awareness on ASD,  but much still needs to be done in order to have a more precise and accurate picture of the disorder. We need to do away with some negative and erroneous impressions of the disorder. A lot of research still needs to be done in developing countries on cultural and social norms that may hinder proper and early diagnosis and appropriate intervention. It is important that parents and caregivers have a solid understanding of ASD to help in early diagnosis and intervention

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