AUTISM

What is ASD?

ASD, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, is a developmental disability characterized by significant challenges in social interaction, communication, and behavior. People with ASD may exhibit unique ways of learning, thinking, and problem-solving, with abilities ranging from gifted to severely challenged. This umbrella term includes conditions previously diagnosed separately, such as autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, and Asperger syndrome.

While there is no cure for ASD, early and intensive intervention can greatly impact the lives of many children with the condition.

Causes and Risk Factors:
The exact causes of ASD remain unclear, but research suggests that a combination of genetic factors and environmental influences plays a role in its development. Some risk factors include:
– Having a sibling with ASD.
– Older parents.
– Certain genetic conditions, like Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and Rett syndrome, increasing the likelihood of ASD.
– Very low birth weight.

Understanding and addressing these factors is essential for effective management and support for individuals with ASD.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ASD

People with ASD have difficulty with social communication and interaction, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviours. The list below gives some examples of the types of behaviours that are seen in people diagnosed with ASD. Not all people with ASD will show all behaviours, but most will show several.

• Making little or inconsistent eye contact

• Tending not to look at or listen to people

• Rarely sharing enjoyment of objects or activities by pointing or showing things to others

• Failing to, or being slow to, respond to someone calling their name or to other verbal attempts to gain attention

• Having difficulties with the back and forth of conversation

• Often talking at length about a favourite subject without noticing that others are not interested or without giving others a chance to respond.

• Having facial expressions, movements, and gestures that do not match what is being said

• Having an unusual tone of voice that may sound singsong or flat and robot-like

• Having trouble understanding another person’s point of view or being unable to predict or understand other people’s actions

AUTISM AND RELATED CONDITIONS

Children with difficulties or differences in relating and communicating may fall within a broad spectrum of diagnoses or challenges that includes language processing disorders, attention disorders, sensory or regulatory disorders, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. These challenges often involve several different underlying difficulties, including:

• Taking in sensations or information: The child may be under or over reactive to the information received through his senses of vision, hearing, touch, smell, taste, and body awareness.

• Processing information: The child may have difficulty understanding or organizing the sensory information he receives.

• Planning or executing responses: The child may have trouble using his body or his thoughts to respond to the information he has taken in.

Children with autism may exhibit unusual or concerning behaviors in response to the difficulties or differences they experience. These behaviors can manifest in various areas:

Relating and Emotion:
– Avoiding social interaction
– Difficulty paying attention
– Limited eye contact with others
– Engaging in repetitive statements, play, or behaviors
– Failing to develop pretend play
– Displaying intense fears about ordinary objects, activities, or events

Language and Communication:
– Struggling to follow simple directions
– Engaging in echolalia, or repeating what has just been said
– Having difficulty expressing needs and desires through gestures, words, or play

*Regulatory and Sensory-Motor:
– Difficulty adapting to changes in the environment
– Avoiding hugs or light touch
– Not using pointing to indicate things
– Exhibiting poor coordination
– Displaying self-stimulatory behaviors such as spinning, hand flapping, or head banging

Diagnosing a child with autism is based on the observation of these behaviors. However, each child’s experience is unique. They process sensory and other information differently, and their motor planning abilities vary. Some children may be overreactive to sensations, while others are underreactive. Some have strong auditory memories, while others rely on visual memories. Additionally, their ability to plan and carry out actions can differ.

Children with autism also vary in their mastery of the foundations for relating, communicating, and thinking. Some can form relationships and engage in two-way communication, while others appear self-absorbed. Some may focus and attend but have limited language use and difficulty connecting ideas logically. Others may exhibit more advanced communication and logical thinking abilities but struggle to apply them to various situations.

Therefore, while some children share common symptoms leading to an autism diagnosis, their individual patterns and paths towards recovery are diverse. Early childhood screening for autism is crucial, and early intervention can significantly impact prognosis.

CONTACT US

DACAL - Darul Ansar Centre for Applied Learning

Anjuman-e-Himayath-e-Islam

#16, B.N. Reddy Road, Chennai 600 017.

Phone: 044 4901 4553, 98842 70480

[email protected]

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