What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
It may be hard for us to understand the difficulties that children with autism face. Bringing a life into the world is a beautiful and miraculous thing. However, having a child with autism is not an easy situation to deal with. Not only does the child face a host of societal issues, but it also becomes hard for a parent to ensure safety, respect, and opportunities for the child.
Let's have a deep understanding of autism!
Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that develops in the first three years of life and affects the brain's normal development in terms of social and communication abilities. It is a neurological (nervous system) condition in which changes in the brain's nerve cells and connections cause certain behavioural difficulties.
In most cases, the parents identify something wrong when a child is about 18 months old. By the age of approximately two years, parents try to seek support. In other circumstances, the child is normal until 1 or 2 years of age, and then slowly starts exhibiting loss of social and language skills (regressive autism). The symptoms could vary from mild to severe.
Complications with an autistic child
- Communication hurdles
- Sensory problems
- Social problems
- Behavioural problems
- Disrupted sleep, anxiety, depression
Can autism be prevented or cured?
Although there is no cure for autism, the treatment can help to improve and manage the symptoms to improve the quality of life. Treatment for autism usually involves:
- Medications: Medication may be prescribed by the doctor to treat symptoms like repeated behaviour, hyperactivity, irritability, aggression, anxiety, and depression. Antipsychotic medications may be administered in some cases to control severe behavioural disorders and anticonvulsant medications can be prescribed to treat seizures.
- Educational, Psychological and Behavioural Interventions: Highly structured and intense training programmes can:
- Develop communication and social skills
- Reduce negative habits that disturb the normal activity
- Build the strengths
- Help to learn skills needed to live an independent life
Do’s and Don’ts with Autism
| Do’s | Don’ts |
| Be patient and supportive | Give multiple instructions |
| Educate yourself more about the condition | Show anger |
| Use kind comprehensible language | Express emotions about the burden |
| Be regular with the treatment plan | Feel guilty of the condition |
| Take help of specialists and therapists | Insist to do anything repetitively |
| Create a home safety zone | Ignore seeking medical helps and support |
Untold Facts on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- It is diagnosed four times more frequently in boys than in girls.
- Autism is the third most common developmental disability.
- Approximately 40% of children with autism do not talk.
- This condition varies from person to person, and no two autistic people are same.
- Autism is also one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders.
If you have a child with autism, you must stay mentally strong and brave enough to face the hurdles and work on improving the quality of life for your child.
Seek help on time!
Book appointment with our neurologists!
