Autism spectrum disorder(ASD), also known as Autism, is a neurodevelopmental condition that is quite common. However, the underlying causes of autism are complex and poorly understood. Autism is a condition that causes impairments in social communication and social interaction and restricts repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. These impairments can be very severe and, although they are often apparent in childhood, may not be noticed until later in life. Children with ASD have a lower participation rate in physical activities than those without it.
Eugen Bleuler used the term “autism” to describe the withdrawal of schizophrenia patients from their fantasies. Autism is common. As of 2016, it is estimated that about 1 in 54 children were affected.
ASD children show delays and differences in two areas of functioning.
- Interacting and communicating socially
- Displaying restricted, repetitive, or fixed behaviors.
Emotions and Autistic kids
Many autistic children find it difficult to:
- Recognize emotions, facial expressions, and other emotional cues such as tone of voice or body language.
- Manage their emotions.
- Understanding and responding to the emotions of others is important. They might seem to lack empathy.
Autism is a condition that causes babies to recognize feelings differently from their normal development. These children develop emotions slower than other children.
Many autistic children are able to recognize happy and sad emotions by age 5-7.
However, they struggle with subtle expressions like fear and anger. Autistic teens are still not as adept at recognizing fear, anger, and surprise as other teenagers.
Many adults have difficulty recognizing certain emotions even as adults.
Autism Signs
There are some clear signs that parents can recognize when their child is suffering from Autism or other developmental difficulties.
Parents might be able to notice this in toddlers:
- Delayed speech
- Using Only a few gestures (waving or clapping, pointing).
- Not responding to calls from their name
- Avoid eye contact
- Not sharing their enjoyment and interests with others
- Unusual ways to move the fingers or hands, or whole body
- Being very attached to or focused on unique objects
- Little to no imitation of others or pretending
- Extraordinary sensory interests
- Prefers to play alone or in parallel rather than playing with others associatively or cooperatively.
- Highly disturbed by any changes, such as new foods or schedule changes.
- Has impulsivity
- Has aggression
- Self-injury (punching, scratching)
- has persistent, severe temper tantrums
- Has an irregular response to sounds, smells, and tastes.
- Observes rough sleeping and eating habits
- Shows fearlessness or greater fear than is expected
While any of these symptoms or signs may be expected, having multiple of them, especially if you have language delay, should cause more concern.
Symptoms of autism usually become apparent at 3 years of age. However, early intervention can lead to better outcomes, so it is essential to have your child tested as soon as possible.
Start with your pediatrician, or book an appointment with a specialist. In addition, you might need to get a referral from your insurer.
Several specialists can diagnose autism in children, including:
- developmental pediatricians
- child neurologists
- Child psychologists
- Child psychiatrists
These experts can help you develop a treatment plan.
