Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be a problem when diagnosing as it does not have any proper medical tests like a blood test or any other. The diagnosis is made by looking at the behavior and developmental history of the child. Autism Evaluation for children and diagnosis is possible after the age of 18 months.
Early diagnosis has a great impact on the life of children and their families too. Thus, get to know all the necessary details about Autism Spectrum Disorder and treat it well. This is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by communication and social functioning disturbances. Autism and developmental delay, both are serious problems to look at. Therefore, their symptoms should be known.
The early symptoms of Autism include;
. Getting angry with little changes in daily life.
· Not indulging with other children or caretakers.
· Avoid eye contact and show limited language.
Children when growing up to adolescents or young adults face problems in maintaining relationships, behavior at school, and socially if they are already suffering from ASD. Other problems or symptoms they may face are;
· Abnormal voice
· Behavioral disturbances
· Abnormal facial expressions and body posturing
· Flat speech and delay in learning the language
· Avoid social interaction
· No empathy
· Stick to one topic
· Self-abusive behavior
· Repeat movements and words
· Learning difficulty
· Problems in conversation
· Difficulty in learning
· Headbanging
Children with ASD might come up with other disorders like depression, anxiety, OCD (Obstructive Compulsive Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), conduct disorder, etc. That's why proper differentiation should be there between the symptoms of these disorders when monitored.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
The proper term used for ASD is Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder, instead of Asperger's Syndrome. Patients with this are either normal or above normal in intelligence, communication, and verbal skills. Furthermore, it is also known as 'High Functioning' autism. Speech delay is not observed in this type of autism. Usually, patients have an advanced vocabulary and speech.
Kanner's SyndromeI
t is also called Classic Autistic Disorder with symptoms, hypersensitivity towards stimuli, less eye contact, difficulty in understanding, and communicating. Children with this type show no interest in life and the world. With time, they turn to be introvert.
Rett Syndrome
This type starts to be dominant after the age of 6 months. The symptoms that appear are difficulty in impaired abilities, motor skills, arm, and hand movements. In recent years, it was disqualified from the autism spectrum.
Persuasive Developmental Disorder
This type of autism is not much severe like other types. Children suffering from this type show delay in walking, sleeping, developmental milestones, and stay behind their peers. Children can bare the symptoms of this milder form than the other persuasive forms.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
There are cases when children are hitting their milestones on time but suddenly start to regress at the age of 2 years. It is very stressful for parents as it develops fear and confusion in the child. Children normally interact well, speak properly, and have good eye contact but suddenly start to drop out of this behavior and turn towards the opposite side.
Borderline autism is a diagnosis of mild symptoms or only a few symptoms among all. If a child shows a few of the symptoms of autism to a mild state, it means he is going through borderline autism.
There is no specific test for diagnosing autism. In other words, children are monitored for the symptoms of autism by observing their behavior and development. If they fall in the criteria of symptoms, a child's developmental milestones and routine life are properly administered by caretakers and specialists for a fair evaluation and treatment. Thus, autism testing for children is an in-depth procedure.
Once autism spectrum testing for children is done, treatment starts. Treatment mainly comprises of therapies to reduce the symptoms alongside medication treatment. The common therapies among them are;
· Nutritional therapy
· Cognitive behavior therapy
· Joint attention therapy
· Occupational therapy
· Social skills training
· Behavioral management therapy
· Early Intervention
· Speech-language therapy
· School-based and educational therapy
· Physical therapy
Autism is diagnosed in every single child among 68 births. Sooner the intervention will be, easier will be the symptoms to reverse. If treated properly on time, communication and social skill issues related to autism can be outgrown and improvement will be displayed. So, if your child is showing the same symptoms and you doubt his behavior, consider a proper diagnosis. In this concern, you may visit Dr. Jessica Myszak at the Help and Healing Center for autism testing in Glenview. She has specialized in psychological evaluations of children and is working in this field as an expert for many years.