Autism Spectrum is a group of disorders that are characterized by congenital impairments in social interactions. Unfortunately, such pathologies are often diagnosed in children. In this case, it is extremely important to determine the presence of a problem in time, because the sooner the child receives the necessary assistance, the greater the possibility of successful correction.
Autism spectrum: what is it?
The diagnosis of "autism" today is on everyone's lips. But not everyone understands what this term means and what to expect from an autistic child. Autism Spectrum Disorders are characterized by a lack of social interaction, difficulty in connecting with other people, inappropriate reactions to communication, limited interest, and a tendency to stereotypy (repetitive actions, patterns).
According to statistics, about 2% of children suffer from such disorders. At the same time, autism is diagnosed in girls 4 times less often. BehindOver the past two decades, cases of such disorders have increased significantly, although it is still unclear whether the pathology is really becoming more common or if the increase is due to changes in diagnostic criteria (a few years ago, patients with autism were often given other diagnoses, such as "schizophrenia").
Autism Spectrum Disorder Causes
Unfortunately, the development of the autism spectrum, the reasons for its appearance and a host of other facts remain unclear today. Scientists were able to identify several risk factors, although there is still no complete picture of the mechanism for the development of pathology.
- There is a factor of heredity. According to statistics, among the relatives of a child with autism there are at least 3-6% of people with the same disorders. These may be the so-called micro-symptoms of autism, for example, stereotypical behavior, reduced need for social communication. Scientists even managed to isolate the autism gene, although its presence is not a 100% guarantee of the development of abnormalities in a child. It is believed that autistic disorders develop in the presence of a complex of different genes and the simultaneous impact of external or internal environmental factors.
- The reasons include structural and functional disorders of the brain. Thanks to research, it was possible to find out that in children with a similar diagnosis, the frontal regions of the cerebral cortex, the cerebellum, the hippocampus, and the median temporal lobe are often changed or reduced. It is these parts of the nervous system that are responsible for attention, speech, emotions (in particular,emotional reaction when performing social actions), thinking, learning abilities.
- It has been noticed that quite often pregnancy proceeds with complications. For example, there was a viral infection of the body (measles, rubella), severe toxicosis, eclampsia and other pathologies accompanied by fetal hypoxia and organic brain damage. On the other hand, this factor is not universal - many children develop quite normally after a difficult pregnancy and childbirth.
Early signs of autism
Is it possible to diagnose autism at an early age? Autism Spectrum Disorder is not very common in infancy. However, there are some warning signs for parents to watch out for:
- It is difficult to make eye contact with a child. He doesn't make eye contact. There is also no attachment to mother or father - the baby does not cry when they leave, does not pull the handle. It is possible that he does not like touching, hugging.
- The baby has a preference for one toy, and his attention is completely absorbed by it.
- There is a delay in the development of speech - by 12-16 months the child does not make characteristic sounds, will not repeat individual small words.
- Children with ASD rarely smile.
- Some children react violently to external stimuli, such as sounds or lights. This may be due to hypersensitivity.
- The child behaves inappropriately towards other children, does not seek to communicateor play with them.
It's worth saying right away that these signs are not absolute characteristics of autism. It often happens that up to 2-3 years old children develop normally, and then regression occurs, they lose previously acquired skills. If in doubt, it is better to consult a specialist - only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis.
Symptoms: what should parents look out for?
Autism spectrum in children can manifest itself in different ways. To date, several criteria have been identified that you must definitely pay attention to:
- The main symptom of autism is impaired social interactions. People with this diagnosis cannot recognize non-verbal signals, do not feel the state and do not distinguish the emotions of the people around them, which causes difficulties in communication. Often there are problems with eye contact. Such children, even growing up, do not show much interest in new people, do not participate in games. Despite affection for parents, it is difficult for a baby to show his feelings.
- Problems with speech are also present. The child begins to speak much later, or there is no speech at all (depending on the type of violation). Verbal autists often have a small vocabulary, confuse pronouns, tense, word endings, etc. Children do not understand jokes, comparisons, they take everything literally. There is echolalia.
- Autism spectrum in children can be manifested by uncharacteristic gestures, stereotypical movements. ATat the same time, they find it difficult to combine conversation with gestures.
- Characteristic features of children with autism spectrum disorders are repetitive behavior patterns. For example, a child quickly gets used to walking one way and refuses to turn onto another street or go to a new store. So-called “rituals” are often formed, for example, first you need to put on the right sock and only then the left, or first you need to throw sugar into the cup and only then pour water, but in no case vice versa. Any deviation from the scheme developed by the child may be accompanied by a loud protest, fits of anger, aggression.
- Child may become attached to one toy or non-play item. The kid's games are often devoid of plot, for example, he does not act out fights with toy soldiers, he does not build castles for the princess, he does not roll cars around the house.
- Children with autistic disorders may suffer from hyper- or hyposensitivity. For example, there are children who react strongly to sound, and, as adults with a similar diagnosis already note, loud sounds not only frightened them, but caused severe pain. The same can apply to kinesthetic sensitivity - the baby does not feel cold, or, conversely, cannot walk barefoot on the grass, as the sensations frighten him.
- Half of the children with a similar diagnosis have eating habits - they categorically refuse to eat any foods (for example, red ones), prefer one dish.
- It is generally accepted that autistic people have some kind of genius. This statementwrong. High-functioning autistics tend to have average or slightly above average intelligence. But with low-functioning disorders, developmental delay is quite possible. Only 5-10% of people with this diagnosis actually have a super high level of intelligence.
Children with autism do not necessarily have all of the above symptoms - each child has a different set of disorders, and of varying severity.
Classification of autistic disorders (Nikolskaya classification)
Autism Spectrum Disorders are incredibly diverse. Moreover, research on the disease is still actively ongoing, so there are many classification schemes. Nikolskaya's classification is popular among teachers and other specialists; it is she who is taken into account when drawing up correctional schemes. The autism spectrum can be divided into four groups:
- The first group is characterized by the deepest and most complex violations. Children with a similar diagnosis are not able to serve themselves, they completely lack the need to interact with others. Patients non-verbal.
- In children of the second group, you can notice the presence of severe restrictions in behavior patterns. Any changes in the scheme (for example, a discrepancy in the usual daily routine or environment) can provoke an attack of aggression and a breakdown. The child is quite open, but his speech is simple, built on echolalia. Children in this group are able to reproduce everyday skills.
- The third group is characterized by more complex behavior: children can be very passionate about somesubject, giving out streams of encyclopedic knowledge when talking. On the other hand, it is difficult for a child to build a two-way dialogue, and knowledge about the world around is fragmentary.
- Children of the fourth group are already prone to non-standard and even spontaneous behavior, but in the team they are timid and shy, hard to make contact and do not show initiative when communicating with other children. May have difficulty concentrating.
Asperger Syndrome
Asperger's syndrome is a form of high-functioning autism. This violation differs from the classical form. For example, a child has a minimal delay in the development of speech. Such children easily make contact, can keep up the conversation, although it is more like a monologue. The patient can talk for hours about things that interest him, and it is quite difficult to stop him.
Children don't mind playing with their peers, but they tend to do it in an unconventional way. By the way, there is also physical clumsiness. Often, children with Asperger's syndrome have extraordinary intelligence and good memory, especially when it comes to things that interest them.
Modern diagnostics
Autism spectrum is very important to diagnose in time. The sooner the presence of violations in the child is determined, the sooner it will be possible to begin correction. Early intervention in the development of the baby increases the chance for successful socialization.
If a child has the above symptoms, you should contact a child psychiatrist or neuropsychiatrist. As a rule, forchildren are observed in different situations: based on the symptoms present, a specialist can conclude that the child has autism spectrum disorders. Consultations with other doctors, such as an otolaryngologist, are also necessary to check the patient's hearing. An electroencephalogram allows you to determine the presence of epileptic foci, which are often paired with autism. In some cases, genetic tests are prescribed, as well as magnetic resonance imaging (allows you to study the structure of the brain, determine the presence of neoplasms and changes).
Autism medication
Autism is not amenable to drug correction. Drug therapy is indicated only if other disorders are present. For example, in some cases, a doctor may prescribe serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Such drugs are used as antidepressants, but in the case of an autistic child, they can relieve increased anxiety, improve behavior, and increase learning. Nootropics help to normalize blood circulation in the brain, improve concentration.
In the presence of epilepsy, anticonvulsant drugs are used. Psychotropic drugs are used when the patient has strong, uncontrolled attacks of aggression. Again, all of the above drugs are quite powerful and the likelihood of adverse reactions when the dose is exceeded is very high. Therefore, in no case should they be used unauthorized.
Correctional work with children with autism spectrum disorders
What to do if a child is diagnosed with autism? The correctional program for children on the autism spectrum is compiled individually. The child needs the help of a group of specialists, in particular, classes with a psychologist, a speech therapist and a special teacher, sessions with a psychiatrist, exercises with a physiotherapist (for severe clumsiness and lack of body awareness). Correction happens slowly, lesson by lesson. Children are taught to feel shapes and sizes, find correspondences, sense relationships, participate and then initiate story play. Children with autism are shown social skills classes where children learn to play together, follow social norms and help develop certain behaviors in society.
The main task of a speech therapist is the development of speech and phonemic hearing, increasing vocabulary, teaching how to compose short and then long sentences. Specialists also try to teach the child to distinguish the tones of speech and emotions of another person. An adapted autism spectrum program is also needed in kindergartens and schools. Unfortunately, not all educational institutions (especially state ones) can provide qualified specialists to work with autists.
Pedagogy and learning
The main task of the correction is to teach the child social interaction, develop the ability for arbitrary spontaneous behavior, the manifestation of initiative. To datepopular is the inclusive education system, which assumes that a child with autism spectrum disorders will study in an environment of normotypical children. Of course, this "introduction" occurs gradually. In order to introduce a child to the team, experienced teachers are needed, and sometimes a tutor (a person with special education and skills who accompanies the child at school, corrects his behavior and monitors the relationship in the team).
It is likely that children with such disabilities will need education in specialized specialized schools. Nevertheless, there are students with autism spectrum disorders in general education institutions. It all depends on the condition of the child, the severity of the symptoms, his ability to learn.
Today, autism is considered an incurable disease. Forecasts are not favorable for everyone. Children with an autism spectrum disorder, but with an average level of intelligence and speech (develops up to 6 years), with proper training and correction, may well become independent in the future. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
