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My 4-year-old son seldom talks or plays with his brothers and sisters. Is he suffering from autism?
(Posted on 1 March 2008)
Have you even seen a child hide, play alone in a corner, or get lost in a world of his or her own, totally oblivious to the happy chatter of other kids playing Monopoly or computer games nearby? Could such anti-social behaviour be an early symptom of autism?
If your child has character traits like this, you might well be worried that he or she may be suffering from the onset autism. Before we can establish the truth, we must first understand the facts behind this worrying condition. Simply put, autism is a brain disorder that often affects a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. Autistic children are typically self-absorbed and lack even basic social interaction skills. They may also be impaired in their ability to be creative or indulge in imaginative play.
While most children are noisy and extroverted, some are fairly quiet and introverted. As a result, parents should never be too hasty in determining whether or not a child is autistic. Before accurately diagnosing autism, doctors must first make a thorough evaluation. If you are worried that your child is autistic, you should take time to talk to his or her school teacher and find out about the child's behaviour and interaction with classmates at school. If you are still concerned, you should make an appointment with your family paediatrician. At the end of the day, autism is just one of several possible reasons why your child may not talk or play with others.
Unsociable behaviour is only one of several early symptoms of autism. Other factors that may cause a child to shun social contact include congenital character, and whether he or she child has unpleasant memories of being cheated or attacked by others. As a parent, you should therefore try hard to thoroughly understand and strengthen communications with your child.
- Does autism mainly develop during childhood? What are the factors leading up to it?
- I have a pre-schooler at home who spends most of the time with the maid. How can I determine whether my child is autistic?
- Can autism be treated or cured?
- Can autistic children really feel others' love and concerns while avoiding interacting with others?
Source: Quality HealthCare
Does autism mainly develop during childhood? What are the factors leading up to it?
Generally speaking, autistic children aged 3 or under show three distinct basic symptoms - poor social development, communication problems, and repetitive and restrictive behaviour.
Science has yet to identify definite proof of the true causes of autism. That said, most experts agree that the condition is associated with genetic factors. The fact that an affected child's genes may be more susceptible to autism means that their brain development may also be different to our own. A combination of genetic and environmental factors such as food allergies and environmental toxins may further increase a child's chances of developing autism.
I have a pre-schooler at home who spends most of the time with the maid. How can I determine whether my child is autistic?
Autistic children tend to demonstrate a lack of social skills and an under-developed language ability. Obvious examples of language under-development include problems of expression and comprehension such as unclear verbal pronunciation, use of incomplete sentences, incorrect responses to questions and an inability to understand simple instructions, etc.
In addition to slowness in developing their language abilities and problems with social interaction, autistic pre-schoolers generally:
- Prefer not to be held or cuddled
- Avoid eye contact and want to be alone
Ultimately, autistic children are not interested in their physical surroundings, and unaware of the presence of other people. As such, it is hardly surprising that they will avoid any kind of social interaction.
- Do not point at objects or people
When asked 'Where is your daddy?', most autistic children will not point at their father.
- Do not play imaginary games such as pretending to talk on the phone
As autistic kids are less imaginative than other children, they simply do not understand how to play games.
- Endlessly repeat meaningless words or phrases
Autistic children often repeat others' words and phrases parrot-fashion.
- Repeat actions over and over again
Examples include moving the body, shaking the head and wandering around apartments, etc.
Can autism be treated or cured?
Sadly, doctors currently have no way of effectively curing autism. Generally, treatment consists of a combination of training and behavioural treatment. The ultimate aim is to improve the autistic child's social interaction ability, communications skills and behaviour. The good news is that when carried out continuously, such treatment has proved to be particularly effective for pre-schoolers.
As autistic children are often both hyperactive and inattentive, it may sometimes be necessary to apply provocative stimuli that may help improve the situation. While several other treatments have been advertised, their effectiveness has yet to be proved. As a result, parents should always seek their doctor's advice on the appropriateness of individual treatments.
Can autistic children really feel others' love and concerns while avoiding interacting with others?
As autistic children's senses receive signals differently to those of 'normal' people, they can easily misunderstand or misinterpret others' use of body language and gestures to express concern. Ultimately, autistic children tend to use different ways to express their emotions and feelings. This often leads to barriers in communication and relationship-building. However, like other normal people, autistic children are also capable of having intimate friendships built on mutual love and concern.
Source: Quality HealthCare
