Since there are many variations in the severity of autism in science, identifying mild symptoms is very difficult. This is especially true of early childhood, when the manifestations of the disease can be mistaken for a natural feature of the baby's development. And yet, experts know those treasured points that parents should pay attention to in the first place.
Illness or social neglect
Although the first study of such a disease as autism was seriously undertaken by scientists in the 18th century, it is believed that it exists exactly as long as humanity itself. And yet, the final verdict has not yet been issued - what is the cause of the autism spectrum disorder. For a long time, it was believed that autism is not an independent disease, but a consequence of a dysfunctional family atmosphere and poor upbringing.
The allegedly cruel or indifferent attitude of those close to the child leads to the fact that he "withdraws into himself." With this hypothesis, it turns out that autism develops gradually over time. After all, with a certain upbringing, it is impossible to instantly influence the character and behavior of a person. If this were true, then it would be possible to correct the situation in the same way by changing the approaches of upbringing.
However, not all so simple. Today, it is scientifically proven that autism is caused by brain disorders. Moreover, these failures occur at the stage of embryonic development. As medical practice shows, a child with signs of autism can be born both in a family that is happy in all respects, and in a socially disadvantaged one.
The disease does not choose either by race or gender. It should only be noted that boys are more susceptible to autism. The ratio is approximately 4: 1. The reasons for the formation of autism are:
- unstable hormonal background;
- genetic predisposition;
- infection or other pathologies during pregnancy;
- the consequences of vaccination;
- late childbirth, etc.
Childhood Autism Statistics
I must say that none of the above hypotheses is confirmed as the only true one. Unfortunately, there are no statistics on the birth of autistic children in Russia, but data on a global scale indicate a stable annual growth. Indeed, over the past decade, the number of newborns with autism spectrum disorders in the world has increased dramatically.
In 1995, there was 1 case out of 50,000 in the world, and in 2017 it was already 1 in 50. It is possible that the growth recorded by statistics is nothing more than a change in scientific approaches to the classification of the disease. That is, if earlier some signs were not taken into account by medicine, but were regarded as strange behavior, today it is already a diagnosis. Recognizing mild true autism, even in an adult, is not always easy.
The complexities of early autism symptomatology
Since autism is not a physical disability, it is impossible to recognize by external signs, not including behavior. Another thing is when autism is accompanied by other physical symptoms: cerebral palsy, epilepsy, irritable bowel syndrome, impaired immunity. Then doctors begin to check the child for autism.
Outwardly, children are "Autyata", "on the contrary, they are beautiful, tall, and ruddy. Sometimes it is not immediately possible to understand by their behavior, since atticism is not dementia. After all, some insignificant part of the brain can be damaged. the case on itself is a heavy load and develops doubly.
A child can be completely helpless in society, but alone to write brilliant poetry, paint pictures, invent, show unique abilities in mathematics. But often these abilities are one-sided. If you correct your behavior in a timely manner, adapt such an autist to the realities of life, he will be quite successful in his field.
In all its glory, the disease can be observed at the age of 3 years, when the child can already be tested for impaired psychomotor functions, for the development of speech. Until this age, everything is somewhat more complicated. And yet experts say that even at 8-10 months gives the first signals. He practically does not express emotions.
Such a child does not react properly to bright light, to a bright toy, or to the loud crackling of a rattle. Sometimes parents are even forced to go to a specialist to check the baby's eyesight and hearing. But this is all a manifestation of autism or, as experts call it, "imitation of deafness."
The most striking symptom of childhood autism in infancy is the fear of tactile contact. If an ordinary child reaches out to his parents, calms down when he is taken in his arms, pressed to himself, "squeezed", then the autistic person is afraid of touching, starts crying. He does not even focus his gaze not only on toys, but also on the people around him, even on his mother (he is "in himself").
Sometimes, even with this, everything is in order and up to a year the baby pleases the parents with his development, but a little later, clinging to his mother, he does not want to have any relationship with his peers. Yes, this is how most young children behave. But autistic people rarely play with toys, or focus on one in solitude.
At the age of one, the child easily repeats the actions of adults, copies absolutely everything. But not autistic. A child with this diagnosis requires repeated repetition of the same action in order to repeat it. Sometimes he doesn't even respond to his name. Often the disease is accompanied by a delay in speech or its absence.
An autistic kid is usually fixated on the same thing and any attempt to change a toy (more often they play not with toys, but with boxes, keys, etc.), the route during a walk, a crib in a room or a living room, perceives as a disaster. For him, actions with his hands outside are not characteristic: to show what he wants, to ask. Often uses the hand of an adult for this.
Is correction possible
The older the child becomes, the more clearly the boundaries separating him from real life are visible, the more noticeable the difference in intellectual development. Severe autism is difficult, if not impossible, to correct, but in most cases some positive change can be achieved. But only by the joint efforts of parents, a doctor, a psychologist.
A lot depends on the atmosphere in the house and on the closest people. You cannot raise your voice to a child with autism spectrum disorder, or twitch nervously, demanding the fulfillment of some kind of assignment. This will lead to even more isolation. We must learn to see the world through his eyes and gradually expand the range of actions and skills.
It is better if one of the parents refuses to work for the sake of raising a child. After all, an ordinary kindergarten can completely ruin all efforts, because a large number of people, the inability to hide from many eyes is tantamount to horror for the baby. One wrong word, action, shout will erase a year of labor.
Experts recommend performing even simple morning hygiene actions repeatedly with your child: going to the bathroom, squeezing out toothpaste, brushing your teeth. And to say all this. Actually, with an ordinary child, this is necessary, but not so many times. Here, parents will have to gain patience and moral strength.
After all, autistic people do not feel the need not only for tactile contact, but also for verbal one. And if you do not develop it, then in the future there will be obvious problems with speech, and therefore the impossibility of simple social interaction. It has been noticed that the instinct of self-preservation is also poorly expressed in children with autism.
This means that they need closer supervision from adults. Especially at 2-3 years old, when there is still much to explain. Of course, this disadvantage is often compensated by the fact that autistic people are less curious. More often they find a secluded corner and enjoy solitude. However, there is no need to envy the parents of such children. After all, they need to teach the child even games.
