Autism and the typical symptoms to identify it

The autism or autism spectrum disorder It is one of the most difficult disorders to diagnose, it is a neurological and complex disorder that usually lasts a lifetime and hinders the ability to communicate and relate to people.

Autism occurs more often in boys than girls and affects all races without ethnic or social distinction, the causes of this disorder are not yet completely clear so they are still unknown.

Autism is also called autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and is defined as five disorders that are pervasive developmental disorders (PDD).

These five disorders are the following: autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome or mild autism, generalized developmental disorder (PDD) not specified (TGD - NE), Rett's disorder or Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD).

The symptoms of autism

The parents are the first to notice how the child is developing, which is why observation is very important. the first symptoms can begin to be noticed from 18 months, the baby he rarely babbles, does not maintain or seek eye contact with his parents, always fixes his gaze on the same object and holds on or shows obsession for the same object.

In the presence of these symptoms, parents should consult with the pediatrician to make a recognition and monitoring of the baby to detect a possible case of autism.

The age at which it is usually diagnosed is at 3 years old and as we have said before, it is the parents who are the first to notice and notice that something is not going well in the development of their child.

The symptoms of autism are difficult to diagnose, they are diffuse and they occur with different intensity.

Once the child has been diagnosed with autism, it is necessary to intervene early with the appropriate therapies which will help develop communication, socialization, and cognitive skills.

The abilities of a child with autism (ASD) can be low or high depending on the level of IQ of the autistic child as well as the ability of verbal communication that the child has.

The cases of autism are not all the same, some are more serious and others are milder.

Mild autism is often confused with another neurological disorder called Asperger's Syndrome, and even Asperger's Syndrome is considered mild autism.

Mild autism is detected in the child at 3 years old when he begins to socialize with more children.

The symptoms that autism presents may be mild or even very severe. These symptoms consist of Repeated behaviors and movements like rocking, spinning around yourself.

Other symptoms or signs characteristic of autism

Other characteristic symptoms of autism are:

  • Show indifference to your environment.
  • They do not show interest in exploring the environment.
  • They fix their attention on an object and isolate themselves from the rest.
  • They have difficulty communicating verbally and nonverbally.
  • They often repeat words, in some cases they may not speak or they may not address their interlocutor.
  • Having little or no visual contact with people.
  • They can not understand the feelings of the people around them.
  • They are easily disturbed by changes in routines, and show anxiety.
  • The movements they perform are repetitive.
  • They have difficulties to recognize themselves.
  • They address themselves speaking in the third person and by name.

As we have said earlier, early intervention is the most effective method, and when we first suspect that something is wrong with the child's development, we must go to the pediatrician to observe and evaluate the child.

Although autism currently has no cure and can not be prevented, early intervention greatly reduces the symptoms of autism by helping to increase the child's ability to grow and learn new skills. This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Psychologist. We advise you to consult your trusted Psychologist.

Autism Information : How to Recognize Signs of Autism (March 2024)