The number of children who are diagnosed with RDA is growing every year - this is early childhood autism. This pathology affects every twenty-six people out of ten thousand worldwide. This phenomenon requires accurate knowledge of diagnosing the problem, identifying the causes of its development, as well as applying effective methods of correction. In the CIS countries, the system for helping unusual children is very poorly developed; a child with such a diagnosis is usually registered with a psychoneurologist. In European countries, RAD is removed from the category of mental illness, defining it as a comprehensive developmental disorder of the child.
Problem description
Early Childhood Autism (EDA) is a developmental disorder that is based on impaired communication, behavior and social interaction in the child. This also includes problems in mastering self-service skills, in the development of speech, and motor disorders. Pathology is manifested in the isolation of the child, avoiding contact with people,pathological motor reactions, repetitive behavior, speech impairment.
For the first time, the disease begins to manifest itself at the age of about three years, sometimes the pathology is accompanied by mental retardation. After the age of five years, RDA syndrome never develops, so the onset of symptoms of the disease may indicate the development of schizophrenia or other mental disorders in the child. Therefore, in this case, you need to undergo a comprehensive examination.
Characteristics of pathology
The characteristic of RDA is as follows:
- Closedness, difficulties in establishing emotional contacts when interacting with the outside world and people.
- Stereotype in behavior, which manifests itself in the child's monotonous actions. He can, for example, regularly wave his arms or constantly turn some object in his hands, quickly and rhythmically leaf through a book. In conversation and play, one can trace the dominance of the same topic. Also, children with RDA resist innovations in their life order.
- Delay and disorder of speech, in particular, communication skills. The child in this case may have a good vocabulary, be able to formulate his thoughts, but he avoids conversations, does not respond to questions that are asked to him. In seclusion, the child may talk to himself, referring to himself as "you" or "he".
- The development of RDA and the manifestation of the above disorders occurs up to three years.
Causes for the development of pathology
Modern medicine is not completelythe reasons for the development of autism in children have been clarified. There are many hypotheses for the origin of pathology. The gene theory suggests that the features of RDA are associated with genetic disorders that can be inherited. According to statistics, in 3% of cases the disease is inherited by children from one of the parents, the probability of having a second child with these problems is about 9%. Also, these children are often diagnosed with other genetic pathologies, such as Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis, phenylketonuria, or Ito hypomelanosis.
The teratogenic theory claims that the disease develops as a result of the impact of various negative internal and external factors on a pregnant woman, resulting in a violation of the fetal central nervous system, which leads to the development of pathology in the future. Negative factors in this case include intrauterine infections, carcinogens, stress, radiation, and so on. Epilepsy is diagnosed in 30% of children with RDA, so scientists tend to argue that the disease is provoked by perinatal encephalopathy, which develops as a result of fetal hypoxia, pregnancy toxicosis, and birth injuries.
Alternative theories suggest that the disease is formed due to the development of fungal infections, disorders of the immune and hormonal systems of children, disorders of metabolic processes in the body, and also as a result of late delivery of a woman.
Yuri Burlan's theory
According to the system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan, RDA is a pathology that is observed in children whoreceived a mental trauma in the development of the sound vector of the human psyche.
The sound vector gives a person certain features and qualities of the psyche through the influence of external factors on the hearing organs. The owners of such a vector are introverts who are focused on their internal states and thoughts. When stressful effects on the hearing organs of such children, for example, it can be loud music, screaming, talking in raised tones or loud insults, autism can begin to develop. In this case, the negative impact may not be directed at the child himself, but occur in his presence. As a result of all this, a person begins to painfully perceive loud sounds. He tries to close his ears and isolate himself from the source of stress. This is how early autism begins to develop.
Yu. Burlan argues that the sound vector is the main one in the human psyche, when a trauma occurs, a disorder of all other vectors develops. So, the characteristics of children with RDA are manifested in the stereotypes of motor skills, hyperactivity, the development of nervous tics, fear of everything new and other things.
Varieties of pathology
In medicine, there are many types of this disease, the most famous varieties of the disease are:
- Complete isolation in oneself, detachment from the outside world. In this case, attempts to interact with the child lead to discomfort in him. Even the parents can't get any emotional response. Autistic people often ignore feelings.hunger, avoid physical contact.
- Rejection of the outside world is determined by careful selectivity in contact with the environment. In this case, the child communicates only with close people. Also, selectivity can be traced in nutrition, clothing, when trying to change the usual way of life, an affective reaction occurs, expressed in aggression. This group of children is more adapted to life than in the first case.
- Replacement of the surrounding world, immersion in one's own interests. In an attempt to hide from the outside world, children are immersed in their own interests, which are not cognitive in nature. The development of children with RDA occurs in such a way that for years they can talk on the same topic, draw the same plots. Usually the interests of children are aggressive and intimidating.
- Severe difficulty in contact with the outside world. This pathology is the easiest variant of the disease. Such children are very vulnerable and vulnerable.
With a properly organized correctional process, it is possible for children to adapt to the external environment.
Symptoms of the disease
The main signs of autism are children avoiding contact with people, stereotype of behavior, speech disorder. These signs are observed in all cases of the disease, but may have different degrees of severity. These symptoms begin to appear in early childhood. The child usually does not respond to his name, does not smile, rarely approaches other children, does not show emotions. In some cases, the autistic person refuses to wear clothes of a certain color, and alsouse it in drawing, sculpting and so on. Also, such children have a stereotype of behavior, which manifests itself in the monotony of movements, actions, the order in which they are performed. They are belatedly learning self-care and independent speech skills.
Autistics refuse to study and work together with other people, showing aggression, immersion in their own world. In this case, children suffer from the intellectual sphere, in 85% of cases, digestive disorders are diagnosed, manifested in dyspeptic syndrome and intestinal colic.
Autistic children may have talent in a narrow area, they are more diligent and attentive compared to ordinary children.
Diagnostic measures
Usually, the diagnosis of RDA is carried out on the basis of observation of the child by a commission, which includes doctors of various speci alties. The diagnostic criteria are:
- Social interaction disorder.
- Communication breakdown.
- Stereotypes of behavior.
Also, doctors can use different questionnaires, tests, measuring the level of development and intelligence of the child. In the presence of neurological disorders, convulsive syndromes, it is possible to conduct a clarifying examination using MRI, EEG, CT of the brain, often resort to consulting a geneticist and a gastroenterologist.
Differential Diagnosis
Diagnosis of the disease is very important, but it is necessary to differentiate autism from the following pathologies:
- Mentalbackwardness, in which there is a total decrease in intelligence. In this case, children tend to establish emotional connections with the outside world, unlike autistic children.
- Disintegrative mental disorders, in particular Heller's syndrome and Rett's disease, which develop at the age of three. A child with these pathologies becomes irritable, naughty, loses motor and communication skills, his intelligence decreases.
- Schizophrenia with delusions and hallucinations.
- Deprivation disorder.
Treatment of disease
Cure this disease today is not possible. Doctors use symptomatic drug treatment if necessary. The patient may be prescribed anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, or psychostimulants. Often performed electroacupuncture. The main role in the treatment of autism is assigned to psychologists. They carry out corrective work with children with RDA, which is based on game therapy, art therapy, music therapy and logorhythm. It is also possible to carry out treatment with the involvement of animals, such as dolphins. Psychologists and teachers are guided in the process of teaching these children by their strengths, take into account their interests and abilities in the sciences, languages.
Forecast
RDA is a disease, the prognosis of which depends on the time of its detection, methods of correction, individual characteristics of the child. When diagnosing pathology after five years, the child in 80% of cases becomesdisabled. But children can gradually develop, acquire strong ties with parents and close relatives. In the preschool period, many autistic people improve social adaptation, speech perception, and establishing contacts. For some people, social adaptation occurs during adolescence. But in 40% of patients, it is during the period of sexual development that the symptoms of the disease increase, the condition worsens, which is accompanied by isolation, self-aggression or hyperactivity. By adulthood, such people usually form patterns of behavior and interaction with the outside world. The sooner the pathology is treated, the better its prognosis will be.
Prevention
Since the exact causes of autism have not been established in medicine, prevention comes down to the rules that a woman who is preparing to become a mother must follow. In this case, it is necessary to properly approach the issue of pregnancy planning, exclude the influence of negative factors, maintain a he althy lifestyle and eat right, treat infectious diseases in a timely manner.
Results
Childhood autism today is quite common throughout the world, which suggests the need for a more detailed study of the problem, as well as methods for its elimination. In the absence of proper attention from teachers, psychologists and parents of autistic children, in 70% of cases children become disabled, who will require constant care. Therefore, it is important to give such children maximumattention, to carry out medical and corrective measures for their adaptation to life in society.
