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Autism in children and adults - symptoms, types and treatment - health.euro.cz<

3/9/2021/Tereza Tancerová/ Articles/ 6 comments

The term autism comes from the Greek word "autos", which means "alone". It is a developmental intellectual disability whose manifestations include impaired abilities in social interaction and communication, unusual reactions to common stimuli or repetitive patterns of behavior. It appears in the second year of age and belongs to autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

What is autism?

Autism is a congenital neurological disorder that is diagnosed based on behavioral symptoms. Specifically, it concerns the patient's cognitive perception and, as a result, his behavior. A disabled person does not see the world in the same way as healthy people, which often leads to the fact that he reacts to ordinary stimuli and situations in an unusual way.

Autism manifests itself in early childhood, usually around the second year. It affects boys more often (in a ratio of 3:1) and should ideally be diagnosed before the child is 36 months old. It is classified among the ASD or autism spectrum disorders, which include, among others, Asperger's syndrome or childhood disintegration disorder.

Causes of autism

The causes of autism are still unknown. However, there is speculation about a combination of the influence of genetic predispositions and other risk factors, such as, for example, substances unfavorable for the human organism and the surrounding environment.

Symptoms of autism

And what are the symptoms of autism? An autistic person, i.e. a patient suffering from autism, tends to have difficulties in the development of speech, understanding others, in social relationships and a stereotype prevails. However, the behavior and abilities of individual autistic people often differ significantly

General symptoms of autism:

Signs of autism include:

Different forms of autism

Some people distinguish between forms of autism according to functionality and thus according to how much the individual is capable of "normal" functioning. High-functioning autism means that the affected person has a good chance of being employed in the future and can lead a completely normal life. Low-functioning autism, on the other hand, refers to a disorder with a lower level of development of mental functions. However, this division is quite problematic, and it is often not easy to distinguish mild forms of autism from severe ones.

According to the international classification of diseases, it is possible to distinguish different forms of autism, namely:

Childhood autism

Children's autism is one of the most serious disorders of children's mental development. A child with autism does not understand his surroundings, does not respond to stimuli like other children and does not socialize well. Both mild autism in children and its more severe forms can occur.

This disorder was first described in 1943 by L. Kanner as infantile autism. Some symptoms of autism in children at an early age can be, for example:

In order for a young patient to be diagnosed with childhood autism, problems must be manifested in all areas of the so-called acoustic triad, which includes communication, social interaction and imagination. However, the symptoms are quite individual for each child with autism. Some of them may be "different" immediately after birth, others develop completely normally and specific behavior will only become apparent later. Common symptoms:

Atypical autism

Atypical autism does not meet the criteria for childhood autism. It appears only after the child reaches the age of three and/or does not manifest itself fully, i.e. some abilities are not impaired. It can be manifested by better social or communication skills and sometimes stereotypical interests are also absent.

Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome described by Dr. By Andreas Rett in 1965, it appears only in women and its cause is genetic. A child with this syndrome loses all acquired abilities around the 18th month of life. It is a progressive disease where the symptoms get worse and worse. Individuals end up in wheelchairs or bedridden.

Asperger's syndrome

Asperger's syndrome is a milder form of autism where the inability to socialize is not as severe. It manifests itself primarily in egocentrism, which is accompanied by minimal or no ability to communicate and maintain contact with peers. Detailed expression and unusual hobbies, such as studying timetables or telephone directories, are typical. Other manifestations include precise truthfulness and individuals are often also motor clumsy. Intellect is nevertheless preserved, sometimes even above average.

Disintegration disorder

Disintegration disorder is a syndrome that children suffer from around 2 to 7 years of age, but most often between 3 and 4 years. After a certain period of the child's development, there is stagnation and deterioration of communication and social skills for unknown reasons. Deterioration can be sudden or gradual, after time the condition improves again, but never reaches the norm.

Autism test

Diagnostic methods are still being developed nowadays, but since the range of possible symptoms is very extensive, it happens that experts have completely different opinions about the patient's condition. Autistic spectrum disorders are determined by differential diagnosis using psychotests. Other methods of diagnosing autism, which are constantly being refined, include functional magnetic resonance imaging, motor and voice analysis, or perhaps EEG markers.

Parents who suspect that their child has autism can try various screening tests. This method should help them discover whether there are any deviations in the child's development that need to be watched out for.

Autism in adulthood

Although autism is usually diagnosed in children, this does not mean that it cannot also happen in adulthood. Do you know how to recognize autism in adults? The manifestations of autism in adults tend to be very similar to those found in young patients. They usually have problems with social interaction and communication, they like their order, they tend to be hypersensitive to some sensory stimuli and in ordinary situations they can react differently than we would expect. Due to experience, however, they are often able to navigate everyday life and social relationships better than children, so it can be said that adults suffer from rather mild autism.

Autism is lifelong

Autism cannot be cured, it is a lifelong neurological disorder. However, the effects of autism, such as problematic behavior, self-harm or seizures, can be mitigated with the right approach and special education. There is special pedagogical care using the methodology of cognitive behavioral therapy, which is based on a combination of cognitive and behavioral psychotherapy. The positive effects of CBD are also being talked about more and more often.

People with autism can function very well in today's world. Thanks to the ability to immerse themselves in a topic that interests them, they sometimes become valued workers and experts in the field. The most important thing is the right attitude, patience, respect and understanding from the surrounding world.

The National Institute for Autism (NAUTIS) currently offers help to autistic people and people around them. This non-governmental, non-profit organization focuses primarily on ensuring that patients suffering from autism are independent so that they can study, work and lead a happy life.