Autism is a development disorder in which the human brain may not be able to process the neural inputs properly. It includes failures in adequately processing the sounds, sights, smells, etc. This may result in some behavioral issues, which may be considered awkward in social circumstances.
Signs of autism – Curtis Cripe
Delayed development of speech is considered one of the earliest signs of autism. Curtis Cripe explains some other most common signs to be checked in autism may include but are not limited to:
- Lack of proper eye contact.
- Lack of smile by 12 months of age.
- Kids do not respond by calling their names.
- No facial expressions are displayed.
- Not speaking by 16 months of age
- Do not like touching them or pampering.
- Preferring to prefer to stick to their routine and trying to bring any change may upset them.
- Having trouble understanding feelings.
- Regression on the developmental milestones.
- Children show repetitive behaviors like twitching, head flapping, hand flapping, moving in circles, etc.
Causes of autism disorder
As we have seen above, autism is a condition where individuals may not be able to process signals through the nervous system. This may cause many issues like anger problems, poor speech development, and some negative behaviors. Autism can be diagnosed in early childhood at around two years of age. However, it may also be left unidentified until someone reaches adulthood in some cases.
- Genetics – studies have shown that different brain shapes and structures are found in people having autism. Scientists think that the change in the DNA is a significant reason causes autism spectrum disorder.
- Environmental:
Autism is also observed in some children born to parents more than 35 years. Mothers who may have used drugs like Thalidomide or some antipsychotic medicines during pregnancy were also found to have autistic children.
Diagnosis autism
No such single test to detect autism is there. Usually, kids are taken to therapists for hearing problems, speech delays, language impairment, etc. Evaluations are critical at this stage, as autism can significantly impact kids’ communication and interactive skills. Therapists may also provide surveys and checklists to parents, teachers, and others who observe the person in various settings. The survey questionnaire will have information about the behavior of the person, relationship with others, use of the body, verbal communication, etc. Standard checklists used are the M-CHAT-R/F checklist, ADI-R interview, ADOS-G interview, CARS rating scale, Asperger test, etc.
Autism diagnosis may not be considered fully reliable before age 2. Once the condition is suspected, then the investigations may begin sooner. The kids diagnosed with autism early and who start treatment at the earliest may have more coping skills. This will help them control the symptoms to a certain level and reduce the struggles due to the condition. Curtis Cripe points out that a person does not outgrow autism; however, in many cases, the disorder may only have little or no impact on the person’s daily life functioning.
