Symptoms And Treatment Of Autism

3 June, 2009 No Comment

Autism is a form of mental illness. The word autism comes from the Greek word for self, auto, and literally means self-absorption. The autistic child is wrapped up in his or her own thoughts; unable to communicate with or relate to others.

Cause
Although the cause of autism remains a mystery, several possible culprits for the disorder have been identified. Some suggest that it is a mental defect from birth, since many affected children do not smile or respond to affectionate cuddling.

Others suggest that a severe mental or physical trauma during childhood may contribute to the development of the disorder. Gender may also be a factor, as boys are four times more likely than girls to be autistic.

Symptoms
Autism refers to a set of symptoms that appear in the first 30 months of life. Autistic children are known to be withdrawn, unaffectionate, and uninterested in other people, including their parents and siblings. The child behaves as if he or she were alone in the world. Autistic children tend to learn to speak late or not at all. When speech develops, it tends to be odd and limited.

Common characteristics are echolalia (repetition of the last phrase or word of everything another person says); a total resistance to change (even something as minor as rearrangement of furniture); and the repetition of some meaningless act, such as rocking, arm-flapping, or head-banging. Mental development is often uneven.

Usually, the child excels in learning non-verbal skills, and the most effective teaching methods for these children emphasize memorization and drill. There is no established basis of defects within the nervous system; however half of all autistic children experience seizures before the teen years.

Diagnosis
In diagnosing autism, the doctor must be sure that the symptoms are not those of childhood schizophrenia, a mental illness that is also characterized by the child remaining silent and withdrawn. However childhood schizophrenia tends to present itself later in life than autism.

The doctor must also check for deafness or severely impaired hearing, which may lead to some of the symptoms that characterize autism. During diagnosis the child is given neurologic and intelligence tests to help determine what the potential is for future training and education.

Treatment for Autism
An autistic child may have to be cared for in an institution or a specialized school. Day-care programs for autistic children are available in some cities; however the current trend is for parents to care for their children at home. The treatments most often used by professionals, and taught to parents, are known as behavioral therapies.

The main goals are to limit self-destructive or meaningless actions, to promote language and development, and to make the child more social. In behavior therapy, the professional or parent works to develop a close relationship with the child, so that the child will want to imitate the adult.

The adult also uses direct action (such as rewards and praise for desired activities) to promote speech, play with other children, self-care skills (such as dressing and washing), and general helpfulness. With such methods, some autistic children of average or near-average intelligence are able to incorporate themselves into society as well-functioning adults.

Prevention
Unfortunately, because the cause is currently unknown, there are no preventive measures.

Products for Men