Autism in children: photos, causes, signs, symptoms, treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Autism is a congenital disease, which is expressed in the loss of acquired skills, isolation in "one's own world" and loss of contact with others. In the modern world, children with the same diagnosis are born more and more often. The prognosis of the disease depends on the awareness of the parents: the sooner mom or dad notices unusual symptoms and starts treatment, the safer the child’s psyche and brain will be. You can read about what autism is in a child, about its main signs and methods of correction in this article.

What is autism?

When a child is diagnosed with autism, many parents perceive it as a kind of judgment, because people with this feature are quite different. What is autism in children? In medical terms, this is a mental illness that leads to a general developmental disorder. It is characterized by a loss of social adaptation, impaired interaction in society and a change in the child's behavior to a closed and aggressive one, if someone tries to violate his establishedpeace.

Research on autism has been going on for a long time, but until then, scientists cannot come to a single answer about what autism is and what causes it. Some believe that neurotypical children are simply different from ordinary children in the way they think and that this should not be called a disease or a deviation. L. Kanner called such children "little wise men" who live in their own world. To some extent, this expression is true, because among autistic children there are 10 times more gifted individuals than among ordinary ones. But most doctors tend to argue that children with autism do not adapt well in society, and consider this diagnosis as a serious developmental disorder.

The term "autism" first appeared in 1911, when the psychiatrist Eigen Bleuler described the symptoms of schizophrenia, chief among which was "withdrawal." "Autos" is translated from Greek as "self". Despite the fact that autistic children still have contact with the outside world, the term has stuck, although it has introduced a lot of confusion. At the moment, the disease is diagnosed in five children out of ten thousand. For a long time, the cause of autism was thought to be insufficient love and care in infancy. But over time, studies have shown that the cause is an organic brain lesion, which is most often congenital.

Why does it occur

Scientists are more or less clear on the symptoms and signs of autism in children, little is known about the causes of this disease. In 1964, psychologist Bernard Rimland, who had an autistic son,established that this disease appears due to organic changes in the brain. During the prenatal development of a child, some brain structures for some reason do not form correctly. In general, the child is born he althy, but over time, mental features begin to appear: isolation, stereotypical movements, auto-aggression. But why these changes occur at the very initial stage, doctors have not yet established. Some scientists argue that the disease begins to develop already in the first weeks of an embryo's life, leading to biochemical, genetic and neuronal disorders.

Symptoms and causes of autism in children can be associated with other diseases and be their consequence. This opinion is shared by some psychiatrists. If a child has some hereditary metabolic disorders, then this can also cause the development of the disease. For example, if the amount of copper in the body significantly exceeds the amount of zinc. In this case, the process of removing heavy metals from the body and delivering zinc to brain neurons is disrupted. Or a child has increased intestinal permeability - in this case, the body becomes more vulnerable to various pathogenic organisms. Other causes of autism include:

• Mercury poisoning of the body is one of the most common causes of "acquired" autism. Mercury comes to us from many sources: food (seafood), from the environment, and even from dental fillings. Normally, the human body has the ability to excrete small amounts ofthis metal. But if some process in the body is disturbed or there is too much mercury, then it begins to poison the cells of the child, which can contribute to the development of autism. Vaccines also contain a certain amount of mercury, so some babies develop the disease after them.
• Predisposition to autoimmune diseases and weak immunity.
• Infectious diseases suffered by the mother during pregnancy, smoking or drugs.

Autism in toddlers

Signs of autism in children may vary by age. So, for example, up to two years this disease is diagnosed extremely rarely, since strange behavior is attributed to the developmental features of the child. What are the signs of autism in children 2 years and younger? Here are some of them:

1. Weak interest in faces. The very first image that a baby learns to distinguish is a human face. Normally, already at 2-3 months, the child recognizes his mother, smiles at her. Then eye contact is established. If the baby is more interested in toys, does not show an emotional reaction at the sight of the mother's face, does not look into the eyes, then he may have autism.
2. Complete indifference to strangers. Infants, for the most part, when a benevolent adult appears, behave in the same way: they listen to words, make faces, make various sounds, trying to imitate speech. Children with autism generally do not pay attention to strangers. They do not seek to contact or communicate with them.
3. Another sign of autism in young childrencan be considered an aversion to being touched. Usually, newborns are very fond of tactile sensations - stroking, patting, the warmth of the mother's body. As they get older, children begin to initiate hugs themselves, get on their knees, and kiss. Neurotypical babies become "independent" early - they do not need tenderness and even resist it.
4. Speech delay is a less obvious sign of autism in 3 or 2 year olds. Nevertheless, this is one of the most basic indicators by which this disease is determined. Such children do not coo, do not pronounce syllables or complex sounds. They usually lack the pointing gesture and the "childish" language that toddlers speak to adults.
5. Lack of emotional intelligence. Young children usually have difficulty expressing their emotions, but they are happy to imitate the reactions of adults: smile, get angry, upset. Normally, the child behaves liberated with adults whom he trusts. If the baby seems shy and modest, rarely expresses his emotions, these may be manifestations of autism.
6. Baby has obsessive movements. If the child is spinning, clapping, tapping on objects or body parts for several minutes, and such movements are similar to obsessive movements, then this can be an alarm sign.
7. Autoaggression. Children with autism often unconsciously try to harm themselves.
8. The same rituals every day. Neurotypical children often need actions in the same sequence. They give them comfort and a sense of security. If a child, when trying to go to kindergarten, is differentdear falls into hysterics, and lays out toys with pedantry unusual for children, this can also be a symptom of the disease.

Children's disease from 2 to 12 years old

The signs and causes of autism can be more easily recognized at an older age. Every year, children on the autism spectrum begin to differ more and more from their peers. Most of the diseases are diagnosed in the period from 4 to 6 years, when strange behavior can no longer be attributed to character or temperament. What are the signs of autism in children from two to twelve years old? Basically, all manifestations of autism at an earlier age are preserved, but some other, more obvious features are added to them:

• Child repeats the same word or sound over and over. The repetition of movements or words is generally a distinctive feature of the disease, by which it can be easily recognized.
• Any change of scenery causes a burning protest in a child. Moving, traveling, new places - all this is met with hostility, as it threatens to destroy the usual comfortable world of the child.
• Skills that are difficult to acquire and given to other children playfully can indicate mental developmental disabilities. But in itself, this symptom can indicate not only autism, but also many other diseases.
• "Mosaic" development is typical for many sick children. They show extraordinary results in one area, but a complete lack of progress in the simplest things.
• Lack of self-identification. On straight linesquestions relating directly to the child, he can answer only in the third person. For example, to a mother's question: "Do you want to play?", the answer follows: "Vova wants to play!". This feature indicates a violation of the recognition of the boundaries of one's own "I".
• Disturbance of coordination of movements and fine motor skills, a kind of "looseness" of movements.
• Hyperactivity - very often children react to external stimuli, change of scenery and any other stressful situations with increased excitability. They can hardly sit in one place, they are constantly on the move. Children with autism often have difficulty controlling their movements.

It should be canceled that if during this period the disease is not diagnosed in time, then the child may completely withdraw into himself and not acquire the necessary speech skills, because it becomes more and more difficult to rebuild the usual way of life of the child with age.

Teen Autism

How does autism manifest itself in a child over 11? Adolescents experience autistic personality disorder in different ways. Usually by this time the child has already been diagnosed and receives appropriate treatment. Adolescents with autism who receive proper care and development can study in mainstream schools on an equal basis with other children. As a rule, such children have selectivity in training. For example, they may be very fond of math or drawing and hate other subjects. One in ten autistic people have unusual intellectual abilities. And the one percent has savant syndrome, which makes them unusuallytalented in several areas at once. Some savants can draw at the level of adults since childhood, others know several languages or read thousands of books.

Teenagers with autism may be socially well-adjusted, but still have difficulty connecting with people. They are not able to recognize deceit, sarcasm and other emotions, and therefore are very vulnerable. Being inside their little world, they are protected from the frightening outside world, but any change in the usual course of things frightens them and even causes a regression in development. Teenagers with autism do not seek social interaction, behave in isolation, and do not come into contact with their peers.

Diagnosis of disease

Signs of autism in children cannot be determined from a photo. But with a personal consultation, a specialist will be able to diagnose and find out whether the child has a disease or not. How is the disease diagnosed?

When diagnosing autism, doctors use an integrated approach: a child is examined, an anamnesis is taken, and parents' complaints are heard. The overall picture is easier to diagnose, since autism is a complex disease in which no two cases are the same, and the cost of error is high. Most often, parents complain that the child does not talk, does not want to communicate with peers and play games with them. Further, the specialist asks leading questions about birth injuries, diseases, vaccinations and the general development of the child. Of particular importance for the diagnosis is the presence of hereditary mental illnesses - if they are, then the probabilitydevelopment of autism is increasing significantly. In parallel, the doctor observes the child. Very often, even he althy children start crying and behave stiffly when visiting the doctor's office, so some of the specialists prefer to meet in an informal setting in which the child will be comfortable.

Tests to diagnose disease

In addition to the above methods, signs of autism in children are easily detected by tests that parents need to fill out. Here are some of them:

1. Simple test - is the easiest form of testing and is used only in conjunction with other examination methods. During it, parents are invited to answer several questions: does the child like hugs and tactile contact, does he contact peers, does he try to imitate sounds when playing and communicating with adults, does he use a pointing gesture. Then the parents are asked to complete several tasks and record the child's reaction. For example, point a finger at an object and see if the child has looked at it. Or offer to make tea together for dolls or soft toys. The level of emotional involvement in the game is very important in diagnosing autism.
2. The CARS scale is a scale for the diagnosis of early autism, which is mainly used for diagnosis. It includes fifteen blocks, each of which covers one or another side of the child's life. Each item has 4 response options: Normal, Slightly Abnormal, Moderately Abnormal, and Significantly Abnormal. 1 point is given for the first option, forthe last - 4 points. There are also several intermediate answers that are made specifically for the hesitant parent to choose the “average” indicator. What parameters are affected by the CARS scale? Social interaction, body control, imitation, emotional reactions, use of toys, reaction to change, mastery of the primary senses, fears, intelligence, and many other aspects need to be analyzed by parents in order to answer the question: “Does my child have autism?” Such a detailed test with many questions allows you to very accurately determine any deviations in the development of the child. Great care and precision are required from parents in order for the diagnosis to be made correctly.
3. International classification of autism. Doctors distinguish several stages in the development of autism: the onset, manifestation and course of the disease. In order for the treatment to be selected as accurately as possible, it is important to determine the type of autism. In total, scientists identify six variants of the course of the disease.
4. Classification according to Nikolskaya was proposed by a psychologist back in 1985 and divides autism into four main groups. The first is characterized by the predominance of detachment from the outside world. The second is determined by multiple motor, speech and tactile stereotypes. The third group is dominated by overvalued passions and ideas, while the fourth group is dominated by vulnerability and timidity.

Autism in children under one year old is usually noticed very rarely, most often the disease manifests itself a little later. After diagnosis, parentsremember that their child behaved unusually from birth, and the picture is emerging.

The causes of autism in children are still poorly understood. But parents should not hope that the symptoms will disappear on their own and the child will "outgrow" this disease. The sooner treatment is started, the more success the child will be able to achieve. How does a child with autism develop?

Mild and severe autism

The effectiveness of teaching a child with autism, his socialization largely depends on the severity of the disease. Doctors distinguish several forms of autism, each of which has its own characteristics:

• Kanner's syndrome, also known as early autism, is a congenital disease that developed in utero and affected the entire body of the child. Children with profound autism have a hard time learning something, and socialization is not easy for them.
• When autism manifests itself at age six or older, a diagnosis of atypical autism is made. Seemingly he althy children begin to suddenly regress: they become aggressive, they develop unreasonable fears, seizures, attacks of aggression. But often with atypical autism, a child has mild developmental disabilities, which many parents attribute to character traits.
• Rett Syndrome usually appears suddenly, between 6 and 18 months of a child's life. The baby, whose development had previously corresponded to the norm, suddenly begins to degrade rapidly. Many children develop convulsions, and the physical condition deteriorates greatly. Children with Rett syndrome often suffer from deepdementia. Among all types of autism, this is considered the most severe, and it cannot be corrected in any way.
• Asperger's syndrome is also called "mild" autism. Its clinical forms are manifested as unwillingness to work in a group, difficulties in socialization and mastering various skills, impaired communication with peers. But such children develop according to the norm, and deviations are usually very minor.
• High-functioning autism is not a type of autism, but its form, in which the child is well adapted to society and copes with independent living in the future.
• Impaired non-verbal learning ability - superficially very similar to Asperger's syndrome. It is characterized by stereotyped movements, literal interpretation of words and phrases, impaired emotional and social development.
• Multiple developmental disabilities in autism manifest as developmental delay in almost every area: emotional, mental, sometimes even physical.

Every child is unique, all children with autism have different signs and symptoms, and they need to be approached and carefully differentiated in order to provide maximum help.

Algorithm of actions after diagnosis

If everything is more or less clear with the symptoms of autism in children, the causes of this disease are still known only in general terms. This means that no specific treatment has yet been developed. Unfortunately, there is no pill or vaccine that has protectedwould kids from the development of this disease. The treatment of autism in children takes place mainly as a correction of the symptoms of the disease, a kind of “smoothing out sharp corners”. The task of doctors in the treatment of autism is to realize the maximum potential of the child and teach him social skills and communication. All treatment methods can be divided into several groups:

• Drug treatment is prescribed to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. Sometimes autism is accompanied by leaky gut syndrome, autoaggression, lack of certain vitamins and minerals, and seizures. Antipsychotics or psychotropic drugs are prescribed for aggressive behavior, anticonvulsants are prescribed for epileptic activity, etc.
• The help of a psychologist is difficult to underestimate in the development of children with autism spectrum. The psychologist develops a system of game forms that can influence the behavior and development of the child, gradually bringing them back to normal. Needless to say, a specialist must be highly qualified, have the necessary knowledge and skills, and be sure to love children. Only such a person will be able to try to find the “key” to a difficult child.
• Correctional classes are a mandatory method in therapy that complement the main ones. Rehabilitation methods are very different from each other, it can be sports, fine arts: what the child is interested in. Since autistic children are often very fond of animals, they can be taken to hippotherapy or canis therapy with horses or dogs.

KUnfortunately, with autism there is no question of a complete cure - it is simply impossible. But it is possible to bring the functional activity of the brain back to normal. There is no universal method of treatment - each child gives his own reaction to certain methods. Therefore, the rehabilitation program is developed exclusively individually, taking into account the characteristics of the baby.

Autism Treatment: Rehabilitation Programs

Education of children with autism is mainly through behavioral therapy. It is based on rewarding for the right actions and ignoring unwanted actions. To date, the following rehabilitation programs are best known:

• ABA therapy. The technique consists in a step-by-step analysis of each complex action into smaller “steps”. For example, if a child has difficulty building a tower of blocks, the specialist first studies each necessary action in turn: raising a hand, grabbing a block, etc. Each movement is worked out many times, the child is encouraged for the correct actions. ABA therapy takes a lot of time and effort, as it requires constant honing of skills. Typically, a specialist prescribes about 30 hours of therapy per week, and usually several psychologists who own this technique are involved. In this regard, this type of correction is available only to a small number of people.
• The Interpersonal Development program is based on the emotional stages that a he althy child goes through during their development. The fact is that autistic children often“drop out” of society because of their imperfect communication and empathy skills. RMO helps to partially restore them and bring the child closer to normal functioning in society. Unlike ABA therapy, this method does not use any rewards, as it is believed that the natural positive emotions from communicating with others are enough.
• Sensory integration has proven itself very well in the therapy of autistic children. During this technique, children are taught to adequately perceive the flows of information coming through the senses: sight, touch, smell, hearing. This method works especially well in cases where the child is suffering from harsh sounds, touch, or other disturbances.
• The Playtime program does not require many hours of work from parents, just a few sessions per week are enough. Unlike ABA therapy, this technique does not use elements of "training", but rather seeks to establish contact with the child by imitation and imitation of his actions.

Expert Opinion

In the photo, children with autism do not differ from he althy ones. They are betrayed only by a look turned inward and not directed at anything specific. But in reality, after a short observation of such a child, it quickly becomes clear to a specialist whether the baby has autism or not. To make life easier for parents, doctors have developed several rules that should help adults cope with a difficult diagnosis and find the strength to live on. Here's what psychologists advise:

• Don't look for a cure for autism. Unfortunately, it hasn't been invented yet. Some methods are advertised as the only true and correct, but this is not so.
• Take into account the individuality of the child and his type of disease. As we have said, no two children with autism are the same. The role of parents in the educational process is very high, because it is they who watch their child and see what activities bring him joy. Therefore, a creative approach is also important here, because sometimes you need to “out of nothing” come up with a whole system of rehabilitation, in which the key element will not be the desired result, but the child himself.
• Love your child, not the diagnosis. There are more similarities between your child and he althy children than differences. Children on the autism spectrum also want to be loved, they love to play and study, they just do it in a slightly different way. Drop the diagnosis and stop comparing your child to other children to make it easier for you to accept a difficult situation.

Autism is not an easy disease, but you can live a long and happy life with it. Moms and dads should remember that such children need special attention and care. Children with autism can achieve a lot only with the support of their families and competent rehabilitation activities.