Autism in simple words
What is autism?
It is a neurodevelopmental disorder. The main difficulties that a child with autism will face are:
- communication and social interaction with other people
- the perception, processing and organization of environmental stimuli
- emotional regulation and the management of obsessions, stereotypes and circumscribed interests
What does autism spectrum mean?
These difficulties do not appear in the same proportion and with the same severity in children. There are studies that show that even children from the same family with the same diagnosed genetic variant may have different symptoms and a different picture. The older scientific terms (e.g. Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, etc.) are part of the same disorder that is now called autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
What causes autism?
There is certainly more than one cause. With the advancement of genetics and its methods, several genetic mutations have been identified that either exist in the family or first appear in the child. There are also environmental causes (e.g. stress, prematurity, pregnancy complications).
Treatment – Treatment
The basic treatment is “education” with occupational therapy, speech therapy, and psychotherapy sessions. The use of medication currently concerns cases of very severe behavioral disorders, or in cases where autism is accompanied by another disorder.
It is very important to make a diagnosis early and to have a supportive environment for both children and their caregivers.
“Core” Characteristics of a Child with Autism
- Failure to respond to hearing their name
- Difficulty focusing and maintaining gaze
- Intense search for stimuli (e.g., smells, sounds, or tastes) or difficulty accepting them
- Repetitive movements
- Failure to smile
- Difficulty communicating with other children through play (difficulty participating in role play or repeated “play scenarios”)
- Very intense interest in some things and not at all in others
- Difficulty understanding what others are thinking or feeling
- Tendency for isolation – loneliness
- Difficulty response and/or recognition of humor
- Resistance and irritation to changes – to breaking routine
- Reduced language skills or overdeveloped language skills (elaborate speech, repetition of expressions, inappropriate voice coloration)
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