ABOUT AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

WHAT IS ASD?

WHAT IS AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER?

Autism Spectrum disorder or ASD, is a disorder usually characterized by pervasive impairment of social communication and/or skills , stereotyped behaviour and restricted areas of interest and activities .

ASD’s symptoms can start in children as early as 8-12 months, not responding to name calls, impaired ability to mingle with peers, impairment in joint attention and delayed or limited vocalizations can be observed. Autism is static and can last lifetime but the signs and symptoms can vary or improve with age and educational or therapeutic intervention.

Over the years this particular disorder are given many names like Infantile autism/Atypical autism/Childhood Onset PDD(DSM III),PDD-NOS/Autistic disorder/Asperger’s disorder (DSM IV) and the latest one Autism Spectrum Disorder (DSM V).

According to the survey done in 2010 overall ASD prevalence was 14.7 per 1000 children age 8 years (U.S Centres for Disease Control and Prevention)

WHAT CAUSES AUTISM?

What exactly causes autism or the possible aetiologybehind autism spectrum disorder has been controversial and is being debated over.
There are several causes which are believed to have contributed to autism. Some authors and researchers have suggested that it’s not one but many different causes together which results in this condition.

BIOLOGICAL CAUSES

Genetic causes: Gene mutations, gene deletions, copy number variants and other gene anomalies are persuasively linked to autism. Autism occurs in a number of genetic conditions which includes Down’s Syndrome, Fragile X-linked syndrome, Retts syndrome, Cohen Syndrome to name a few)
Neurological Causes: Autism is associated with neurological problems including an increased amount of dopamine in the CSF in the brain. One thing to keep in mind is that the features in case of autism is heterogeneous due to the involvement of different genes and different areas of the brain being related to different types of impairment so, it becomes important to look into every feature and give them equal importance as abandoning even a single entity of autism may also mean abandoning the search for a single intervention or treatment.

NOTE:

During pregnancy, if the child gets exposed to neurotoxins like mercury from contaminated fish, it could result in brain cell damage resulting in abnormalities in overall functioning of the brain.

Advanced maternal age, advanced paternal age is also consistently associated with high risk of autism

Even post child birth, lower APGAR score can predict autism, hypoxia, low birth weight , complications during delivery like perinatal insult are all suspected to have an effect on proper brain functioning thus resulting in autism.

ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES

According to a study done by Leo Kanner (1943), a psychiatrist who identified children with autism to have less affectionate parents and could be resulted in absence of detached mother child relationship.

OTHER CAUSES

Autoimmune Causes: There is evidence which points out that there is a link between the immune system and autism and it is mostly seen in individuals with physical issues related to immune deficiency.
Poor Nutrition: Poor nutrition is believed to cause autism and megavitamin therapies are used for many years to treat the symptoms of autism.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM?

1. SOCIAL SKILLS MAY BE AFFECTED

Children exhibit less or no eye contact, show aversion to touch and do not initiate conversation which makes it difficult for them to share or feel emotional bonds or make friends. Such children show minimal acknowledgement of their surroundings.

2. LINGUISTIC SKILLS MAY BE AFFECTED

Speech abnormalities are seen along with language issues such as delay in language milestones, use of short incomplete sentences, echolalia, abnormal intonation patterns. Difficulty in reading, comprehension of language and difficulty in following suggestions is also seen.

3. PLAY

Limited sociodramatic play, lack of imitative or imaginative play, repetitive play.

4. BEHAVIOURAL AND EMOTIONAL ISSUES

Children display obsessive behaviour, and dislike change in routine.usually clings to certain toys or an object. They also exhibit excessive frustration and verbal outbursts and even self injurious behaviour at times.
Over sensitivity to textures, sounds, taste, smell and lights are noticed in some children. They also desire comfort more often but prefer solitude.

5. MOVEMENT AND HEALTH

Unusual gait and posture are seen in children with autism such as walking on toes or side of feet, exhibit difficulty when there is a change on the floor surface and may sometimes frequently bump into objects.
Health issues such as flatulence, inconsistent bowel movements, seizures, allergies and irregular patterns of sleep.They are also very picky eaters due to their preference of certain textures.

6. ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS

Motor deficits
Hearing loss
Hyperlexia
Dyslexia
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Attention deficit
Seizures
Fragile X syndrome

If you notice any of the above mentioned signs or symptoms in your child contact out clinic. To know more about early intervention and therapy in children with autism. Click Here