Introduction to autism and its treatment options

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Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder, could be a developmental disorder characterized by communication, social, and behavior challenges. The condition is lifelong and symptoms can vary considerably from one person to the following. Symptoms involve challenges or differences in motor skills and both intellectual and social abilities. People with autism may learn, act, think, communicate, and interact differently than folks that don’t have autism spectrum disorder.

Autism is cited as a spectrum disorder because there’s such a lot of variation in terms of the kind of symptoms people experience and also the severity of these symptoms.

Symptoms

While symptoms are often highly variable, they sometimes begin to look before the age of three. Parents may notice symptoms related to how children interact socially, their responsiveness to stimulation, and their ability to speak.

Symptoms of autism include repetitive behaviors, limited interests, and problems with interaction.

While people with autism spectrum disorder might not show all of those symptoms, they sometimes show several of the following:

Trouble making eye contact
Difficulty following and interesting in conversations
Extreme distress when routines are even slightly disrupted
Facial expressions that do not match verbal communication
Intense interest in certain subjects
Lack of enjoyment in activities
Problems expressing feelings or needs in words
Not engaging in “pretend” play
Slow or absent response to people trying to realize their attention
Sensitivity to sensory stimuli including taste, light, and smell
Stimming behaviors (i.e., self-stimulating, repetitive actions such rocking, walking on toes, or flapping hands)
Trouble seeing things from another person’s point of view

Which Should You Master?

It’s important to recollect that because autism could be a spectrum condition, people can have symptoms that are described as mild, moderate, or severe. Some people may have several or many symptoms, but only experience them to a small degree. In other cases, people might only have some symptoms in key areas but experience severe impairments as a results of those symptoms.

People who have milder autism symptoms are often ready to function in their daily lives, but they will be more likely to possess other mental state concerns including excessive stress, obsessive behaviors, sensory issues, anxiety, and depression.

Autism is sometimes diagnosed in childhood and it can occur in people of all economic backgrounds, races, and ethnicities.

Evaluations

During regular developmental checkups during childhood, doctors track variety of developmental milestones and screen for various kinds of developmental delays. When children don’t meet certain milestones, they will receive further evaluation.

During an extra evaluation, a bunch of specialists which will include a developmental pediatrician, a toddler psychiatrist, and a speech-language pathologist, will assess variety of things including age-appropriate behaviors, cognitive skills, and language abilities.

Some forms of tests which will be utilized in the diagnosis of autism include:

Autism-symptom questionnaires
Developmental monitoring
Hearing tests
IQ tests
Autism are often reliably diagnosed in children as young as age two. Symptoms begin to seem during the primary three years of a child’s life.

Treatment

While autism could be a lifelong condition, there are treatments which will help with many symptoms and improve people’s ability to function in several areas of life.

According to the National Institute of mental state, treatment should begin as quickly as possible following a diagnosis.3

There is no single treatment that’s best. People with autism have a good range of symptoms so implies that each person’s needs are different. a number of the treatment options that may be used include medications and therapy.

Medications

While there’s no medication approved for the treatment of autism, a doctor may prescribe certain medications to alleviate certain symptoms.

Medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), anti-psychotics, stimulants, anti-anxiety medications, and anticonvulsants may help with symptoms such as:

Aggression
Anxiety
Attention problems
Depression
Hyperactivity
Inappropriate speech
Irritability
Social withdrawal
Behavioral and
Developmental Therapy
Treatment for autism often focuses on behavioral, psychological, or skills training interventions.

One commonly used approach is applied behavior analysis (ABA), a sort of therapy that utilizes reinforcements to show and reinforce desirable behaviors and skills.

Other common therapies employed in the treatment of autism include:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Developmental and individual differences relationship therapy (also called “floor time”)
Early intensive behavioral intervention
Pivotal response therapy
Relationship development intervention
Verbal behavior modification

Such treatments are designed to assist people with autism spectrum disorder to:

Foster cognitive abilities
Improve existing strengths
Increase language and communication skills
Improve social skills
Learn adaptive skills that leave independent living
Other therapies that will be used include assistive technology, therapy, physiatrics, and social skills training. Treatment also often incorporates aspects of caregiver training during which parents and other caregivers learn skills that may help them reinforce what’s being worked on in treatment.

-By Shinjini Chatterjee

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