In today's society, people with very unconventional thinking are increasingly common. People around perceive them as creative individuals who are in their own world and another element. And only psychologists will clearly see in them sick people who are carriers of the mysterious diagnosis of "autism".
Autism Definition
He was first heard in 1912 from the famous psychiatrist Bleuler. In general terms, by this word, he meant a non-standard type of thinking and a disorder in the field of expression of emotions, which are practically not noticeable in the first years of life.
Three-year-olds and five-year-olds are a more concrete example of a mature personality. Therefore, most early diagnoses occur during this period. Sick babies behave a little differently than he althy children. The range of their interests is very limited, the actions performed are constantly repeated, and social interaction is practically not expressed. It is difficult for potential autistics to contact other people.
Scientists link autism topathologies in the brain. They note that such a disease cannot be cured, and the child will forever remain different, not like other children. But if you start rehabilitation in time, you can help the baby to adapt to social life as much as possible and get used to the society around him.
Disease types
In psychiatry, there are 4 characteristic syndromes related to the disease of autism:
- Kanner's syndrome - a sick person is quite withdrawn and voluntarily shuns any society. He speaks poorly and has a distorted view of the reality around him.
- Rett syndrome - mainly affects girls. Its presence is determined in the first year of a child's life. A sick baby is passive. He speaks very badly or is not able to do it at all. This type of autism cannot be influenced in any way, so the development of the child remains in the hands of the Almighty.
- Asperger's syndrome - the patient is able to fully reason, but this is not always noticeable due to the fact that he avoids society. Those who have not lost their social interaction skills prefer to communicate with people around them using gestures or facial expressions.
- Atypical autism - typical for older patients. The patient can sit for a long time in one place, looking at a specific point in space. But when he finishes his lesson, he cannot clearly answer the question why he did it and how long he sat in this position. Gradually become apparent violations in speech,mental confusion and poorly controlled behavior.
Acquired disease poses a serious danger to an adult. His psyche cannot withstand such a load, which leads to the development of various pathologies and constant conflicts with people around him. Such patients subsequently lose their jobs and are at risk of family breakdown, as relatives do not always understand the true nature of their actions.
A patient with acquired autism has all the signs of a mental illness. The later development of pathology practically does not affect the inner world of a person, so his intellect and life positions remain in their place. But social interaction requires incredible efforts from them, so they prefer to lead an isolated life, limiting access to strangers as much as possible. However, there are also completely opposite situations. A person with autism practically cannot imagine his life without the help of loved ones, shifting control over his self-care to their shoulders.
Acquired autism in children
This type of autism is classified as a separate category of diseases. Despite the well-established opinion that one can only be born with this pathology, in some cases it is acquired throughout life. At risk are improperly brought up children. An example is sensitive babies. If they have experienced a strong emotional shock, or they are strongly frightened, then in the future they close themselves off from the world around them in an attempt to protect themselves.
As for otherscauses of acquired autism in children, a similar effect may have:
- nicotine;
- solvent;
- prophylactic vaccines;
- foods high in chemicals;
- all kinds of metals;
- pesticides;
- cigarette smoke;
- alcohol and any spirits;
- gas exhausts.
A potential autist can be a child who has experienced an acute lack of attention almost from birth. Due to the fact that he could not fully know this world, the instinct of self-preservation pushes him inside his own consciousness, trying to protect him from possible danger.
The ranks of sick children are regularly replenished by people from dysfunctional families. Physically and mentally they are quite he althy. But having survived violence, insults and other not very pleasant factors, they avoid unnecessary contact with other people, fearing a repetition of the situation.
Autism affecting adults
Even in a he althy, fully capable person, depression for too long can cause sudden onset of autism. This happens because the modern person likes to protect himself from problems by hiding in his own subconscious, where you can create any world without boring reality.
Acquired autism of an adult does not affect the level of his intelligence and shows itself a little differently than in the case of a child. Patients successfully move up the career ladder, can study something from the field of science, but at the same time experience problems inin everyday life and gradually lose social interaction skills.
Such cases are rare, but if an adult does start to get sick, then the pathology is rapidly developing, confusing doctors and posing as other diseases. The potential patient of a psychiatrist rushes from one extreme to another. At first he is indifferent to the world around him, showing no interest in anything, then, on the contrary, he reacts aggressively to any trifle, expressing all his displeasure. The patient constantly forgets something, is not able to pay attention to important events, shuns the people around him. In a severe case, he may fall into a state of torpor.
Characteristics of acquired disease
It is safe to say that an adult has acquired autism if the disease has manifested itself in a specific way:
- the patient repeats the same phrase several times;
- patient does not interact with other people;
- voice lifeless, without any shades;
- periodic epileptic seizures;
- the patient is sensitive to a certain subject;
- morbid consciousness cannot adequately perceive social rules;
- the patient loses the ability to empathize, indifferent to other people.
Just as no two people are the same, there are no two similar types of autism. Each of them is somehow different from the other. The only thing that connects them is the nature of the origin. Disease can originate from genetic memory or visit human consciousness onthroughout life.
At one turning point, the patient begins to avoid other people, isolating himself in his own subconscious. Since then, the disease has developed rapidly. A potential patient becomes unusually gloomy, practically does not say hello and avoids repeating meetings in every possible way. Therefore, experts do not even have a question about whether it is possible to acquire autism. The answer is quite obvious.
Signs of childhood autism
Even in the first year of life, you can distinguish a sick baby from a he althy one, which is significantly different from their peers. Initial signs, in the presence of which you can sound the alarm:
- child does not want to make eye contact with his interlocutor;
- fears loud noises or bright lights;
- indifferent to parental care;
- reacts aggressively to other children;
- there is a delay in speech, that is, by the due time the child did not speak.
From 2 to 11 years old, sick children manifest themselves differently:
- can repeat one word many times;
- has a clear talent for a certain area of science, and this is against the backdrop of a careless attitude towards the rest of the training;
- does not like to keep up a conversation with another person;
- most autistics are bad at reading and writing;
- almost doesn't speak;
- thinks in stereotypes that are not inherent in his own age.
During this period, the hormonal sphere changes and the area of the brain is rebuilt. He althy children are not evennotice moments like this. But autistic people behave differently. Under the influence of changes in the internal organs, they are unusually aggressive, worry over trifles and, if there is the slightest reason, they become depressed. In severe cases, epileptic seizures are noted.
The sick child staunchly keeps his own boundaries, misses any advice and ignores requests from his inner circle. At an older age, he is prone to risk and can unconsciously commit acts condemned by society. Therefore, doctors recommend parents to keep constant control over such children.
Varieties of acquired disease in an adult
Specialists have developed a special characteristic that includes all varieties of the acquired disease. According to the information it contains, there are 5 types of adult autism:
- The first kind unites those people who do not want to contact the world around them.
- As part of the second autism, you can see people with a closed nature. They like to do their usual activities for a long time.
- The third category includes rebellious individuals who do not want to follow generally accepted rules.
- The fourth type is a disease of indecisive people who are not able to solve their own problems.
- The fifth variety is autists with brilliant thinking. Their level of intelligence exceeds the average, so they easily socialize in society and reach significant peaks in their careers.stairs.
Factors contributing to childhood illness
Despite all the medical progress, scientists still cannot clearly say what provokes the development of childhood autism. Among them, a popular theory is that pathologies in the development of the brain become the root cause of the appearance of this disease. But other experts have a different opinion. According to him, autism is a consequence of the erroneous development of the baby during pregnancy. Certain moments can provoke such an outcome for a child:
- infections or dangerous viruses that the baby has had during the period of gestation by the mother;
- preterm birth;
- toxemia;
- internal bleeding of the uterus;
- bearing multiple children at the same time.
Scientists give a positive answer to the question of whether autism can be acquired through a family line. That is, if a person close by blood had this disease, then the unborn child with a probability of 10% will inherit the same pathology.
But the presence of the disease itself is not always necessary. Sometimes it is enough to be a carrier of certain mental disorders in order to inherit a tendency to autism:
- lack of real perception of reality;
- reluctance to use real life;
- craving for emotional isolation;
- the patient does not perceive other people's speech well;
- willpower transformed or completely absent;
- badtalking.
