Famous autists. Signs, symptoms and treatment of autism in children Autism and other diseases

Currently, there are a huge number of diseases that are inherited. But it also happens that it is not the disease itself that is transmitted, but a predisposition to it. Let's talk about autism.

Autism concept

Autism is a special mental disorder that most likely occurs due to disorders in the brain and is expressed in an acute deficit of attention and communication. An autistic child does not adapt well socially and practically does not make contact.

This disease is associated with disorders in genes. In some cases, this condition is associated with one gene or In any case, the child is born with an existing pathology in mental development.

Causes of autism

If we consider the genetic aspects of this disease, they are so complex that sometimes it is not at all clear whether it is caused by the interaction of several genes or is it a mutation in one gene.

Still, genetic scientists identify some provoking factors that can lead to the birth of an autistic child:

1. Old age of the father.
2. The country in which the baby was born.
3. Low birth weight.
4. Lack of oxygen during childbirth.
5. Prematurity.
6. Some parents believe that vaccinations can influence the development of the disease, but this fact has not been proven. Perhaps it is simply a coincidence of the timing of vaccination and the manifestation of the disease.
7. It is believed that boys are more likely to suffer from this disease.
8. The influence of substances that cause congenital pathologies that are often associated with autism.
9. Aggravating effects can be caused by: solvents, heavy metals, phenols, pesticides.
10. Infectious diseases suffered during pregnancy can also trigger the development of autism.
11. Smoking, drug use, alcohol, both during pregnancy and before it, which leads to damage to reproductive gametes.

Autistic children are born for various reasons. And, as you can see, there are a huge number of them. It is almost impossible to predict the birth of a baby with such a deviation in mental development. Moreover, there is a possibility that the predisposition to this disease may not be realized. But no one knows how to guarantee this with 100% certainty.

Forms of manifestation of autism

Although most children with this diagnosis have much in common, autism can manifest itself in different ways. These children contact the outside world in different ways. Depending on this, the following forms of autism are distinguished:

Most doctors believe that the most severe forms of autism are quite rare; most often we are dealing with autistic manifestations. If you work with such children and devote enough time to activities with them, then the development of an autistic child will be as close as possible to that of their peers.

Manifestations of the disease

Signs of the disease appear when changes begin in areas of the brain. When and how this happens is still not clear, but most parents notice signs of autistic children already in early childhood. If you take urgent measures when they appear, then it is quite possible to instill in your child communication and self-help skills.

At present, methods for a complete cure for this disease have not yet been found. A small proportion of children enter adulthood on their own, although some of them even achieve some success.

Even doctors are divided into two categories: some believe that it is necessary to continue the search for adequate and effective treatment, and others are convinced that autism is much broader and more than a simple disease.

Surveys of parents have shown that in such children one can often observe:

These qualities were most often demonstrated by older autistic children. Signs that are still often found in such children are certain forms of repetitive behavior, which doctors divide into several categories:

• Stereotypy. It manifests itself in swaying of the body, rotation of the head, and constant swaying of the whole body.
• Strong need for monotony. Such children usually begin to protest even when their parents decide to rearrange the furniture in their room.
• Compulsive behavior. An example is nesting objects and objects in a certain way.
• Auto-aggression. Such manifestations are directed towards oneself and can lead to various injuries.
• Ritual behavior. For such children, all actions are like a ritual, constant and everyday.
• Restricted behavior. for example, it is directed only at one book or one toy, but does not perceive others.

Another manifestation of autism is avoidance of eye contact, they never look into the eyes of the interlocutor.

Symptoms of Autism

This disorder affects the nervous system, and therefore manifests itself primarily as developmental disorders. They are usually noticeable at an early age. Physiologically, autism may not manifest itself in any way; outwardly, such children look quite normal, have the same physique as their peers, but upon careful study, one can see deviations in mental development and behavior.

The main symptoms include:

• Lack of learning ability, although intelligence may be quite normal.
• Seizures that most often begin to appear during adolescence.
• Inability to concentrate.
• Hyperactivity, which may occur when a parent or caregiver tries to assign a specific task.
• Anger, especially in cases where an autistic child cannot articulate what he wants, or strangers interfere with his ritual actions and disrupt his usual routine.
• In rare cases, Savant syndrome occurs when a child has some phenomenal abilities, for example, excellent memory, musical talent, the ability to draw, and others. There is a very small percentage of such children.

Portrait of an autistic child

If parents carefully monitor their baby, they will immediately notice deviations in his development. They may not be able to explain what worries them, but they will say with great accuracy that their child is different from other children.

Autistic children differ significantly from normal and healthy children. The photos clearly demonstrate this. Already in the revival syndrome, they react weakly to any stimuli, for example, to the sound of a rattle.

Such children begin to recognize even the closest person - their mother - much later than their peers. Even when they recognize her, they never reach out, smile, or react in any way to all her attempts to communicate with them.

Such children can lie for hours and look at a toy or a picture on the wall, or they may suddenly become afraid of their own hands. If you look at how autistic children behave, you will notice their frequent rocking in a stroller or crib, and monotonous hand movements.

As they get older, such children do not look more alive; on the contrary, they differ sharply from their peers in their detachment and indifference to everything that happens around them. Most often, when communicating, they do not make eye contact, and if they do look at a person, they look at clothes or facial features.

They do not know how to play group games and prefer loneliness. May be interested in one toy or activity for a long time.

The characteristics of an autistic child may look like this:

1. Closed.
2. Detached.
3. Unsociable.
4. Detached.
5. Indifferent.
6. Those who do not know how to make contact with others.
7. Constantly performing stereotypical mechanical movements.
8. Poor vocabulary. The pronoun “I” is never used in speech. They always talk about themselves in the second or third person.

In the children's group, autistic children are very different from ordinary children, the photos only confirm this.

The world through the eyes of an autistic person

If children with this disease have the skills to speak and construct sentences, then they say that the world for them is a complete chaos of people and events that is completely incomprehensible to them. This is due not only to mental disorders, but also to perception.

Those stimuli from the outside world that are quite familiar to us are perceived negatively by an autistic child. Since it is difficult for them to perceive the world around them and navigate the environment, this causes them increased anxiety.

When should parents be wary?

By nature, all children are different, even completely healthy children differ in their sociability, pace of development, and ability to perceive new information. But there are some points that should alert you:

If you notice at least some of the signs listed above in your child, then you should show him to the doctor. The psychologist will give the right recommendations for communication and activities with the baby. Helps determine how severe the symptoms of autism are.

Treatment of autism

It will not be possible to almost completely get rid of the symptoms of the disease, but if parents and psychologists make every effort, it is quite possible that autistic children will acquire communication and self-help skills. Treatment must be timely and comprehensive.

Its main goal should be:

• Reduce tension in the family.
• Increase functional independence.
• Improve quality of life.

Any therapy is selected individually for each child. Methods that give excellent results with one child may not work at all with another. Improvements are observed after using psychosocial assistance techniques, which suggests that any treatment is better than no treatment.

There are special programs that help the child master communication skills, self-help, gain work skills, and reduce the symptoms of the disease. The following methods can be used in treatment:

In addition to such programs, drug treatment is usually used. Anti-anxiety medications are prescribed, such as antidepressants, psychotropics, and others. You should not use such medications without a doctor's prescription.

The child’s diet must also undergo changes; foods that have a stimulating effect on the nervous system must be excluded. The body must receive a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals.

Cheat sheet for parents of autism

When communicating, parents must take into account the characteristics of autistic children. Here are some brief recommendations that will help you establish contact with your child:

1. You must love your baby for who he is.
2. Always consider the child's interests.
3. Strictly observe the rhythm of life.
4. Try to develop and observe certain rituals that will be repeated every day.
5. Visit the group or class where your child is studying more often.
6. Talk to your baby, even if he doesn't answer you.
7. Try to create a comfortable environment for games and learning.
8. Always patiently explain the stages of the activity to your child, preferably supporting this with pictures.
9. Don't get overtired.

If your child has been diagnosed with autism, then do not despair. The main thing is to love him and accept him for who he is, and also to constantly study and visit a psychologist. Who knows, maybe you have a future genius growing up.

– a disorder of mental development, accompanied by a deficit of social interactions, difficulty in mutual contact when communicating with other people, repetitive actions and limited interests. The reasons for the development of the disease are not fully understood; most scientists suggest a connection with congenital brain dysfunction. Autism is usually diagnosed before the age of 3, and the first signs may be noticeable as early as infancy. Full recovery is considered impossible, but sometimes the diagnosis is removed with age. The goal of treatment is social adaptation and development of self-care skills.

General information

Autism is a disease characterized by disturbances in movement and speech, as well as stereotypical interests and behavior, accompanied by disruption of the patient’s social interactions with others. Data on the prevalence of autism vary significantly, due to different approaches to diagnosing and classifying the disease. According to various data, 0.1-0.6% of children suffer from autism without autism spectrum disorder, and 1.1-2% of children suffer from autism including autism spectrum disorder. Autism is diagnosed four times less often in girls than in boys. In the last 25 years, this diagnosis has begun to be made much more often, however, it is not yet clear what this is due to - a change in diagnostic criteria or a real increase in the prevalence of the disease.

In the literature, the term “autism” can be interpreted in two ways - as autism itself (childhood autism, classical autistic disorder, Kanner syndrome) and as all autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger syndrome, atypical autism, etc. The severity of individual manifestations of autism can vary significantly - from a complete inability to social contacts, accompanied by severe mental retardation, to some oddities when communicating with people, pedantry of speech and narrow interests. Treatment of autism is long-term, complex, and is carried out with the participation of specialists in the field of psychiatry, psychologists, psychotherapists, neurologists, speech pathologists and speech therapists.

Causes of autism

At present, the causes of autism have not been fully elucidated, but it has been established that the biological basis of the disease is a violation of the development of certain brain structures. The hereditary nature of autism has been confirmed, although the genes responsible for the development of the disease have yet to be determined. Children with autism experience a large number of complications during pregnancy and childbirth (intrauterine viral infections, toxemia, uterine bleeding, premature birth). It is assumed that complications during pregnancy may not cause autism, but may increase the likelihood of developing it if other predisposing factors are present.

Heredity. Among close and distant relatives of children with autism, 3-7% of patients with autism are identified, which is many times higher than the prevalence of the disease on average in the population. Both identical twins have a 60-90% chance of developing autism. Relatives of patients often exhibit certain disorders characteristic of autism: a tendency to obsessive behavior, low need for social contacts, difficulties in understanding speech, speech disorders (including echolalia). In such families, epilepsy and mental retardation are more often detected, which are not mandatory signs of autism, but are often diagnosed with this disease. All of the above confirms the hereditary nature of autism.

In the late 90s of the last century, scientists were able to identify a predisposition gene for autism. The presence of this gene does not necessarily lead to autism (according to most geneticists, the disease develops as a result of the interaction of several genes). However, the identification of this gene made it possible to objectively confirm the hereditary nature of autism. This is serious progress in the field of studying the etiology and pathogenesis of this disease, since shortly before this discovery, some scientists considered a lack of care and attention on the part of parents as possible causes of autism (this version has now been rejected as not corresponding to reality).

Structural disorders of the brain. According to research, patients with autism often exhibit structural changes in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, medial temporal lobe and cerebellum. The main function of the cerebellum is to support successful motor activity, however, this part of the brain also influences speech, attention, thinking, emotions and learning abilities. Many autistic people have smaller parts of the cerebellum. It is assumed that this circumstance may be responsible for the problems of patients with autism when switching attention.

The medial temporal lobes, hippocampus and amygdala, also often affected in autism, affect memory, learning and emotional self-regulation, including the emergence of feelings of pleasure when performing meaningful social actions. Researchers note that in animals with damage to the listed lobes of the brain, behavioral changes similar to autism are observed (decreased need for social contacts, deterioration of adaptation when exposed to new conditions, difficulties in recognizing danger). In addition, people with autism often exhibit delayed frontal lobe maturation.

Functional disorders of the brain. In approximately 50% of patients, the EEG reveals changes characteristic of memory impairment, selective and directed attention, verbal thinking and purposeful use of speech. The degree of prevalence and severity of changes varies, while in children with high-functioning autism, EEG abnormalities are usually less pronounced compared to patients suffering from low-functioning forms of the disease.

Symptoms of Autism

Mandatory signs of childhood autism (typical autistic disorder, Kanner syndrome) are a lack of social interactions, problems in building productive mutual contact with others, stereotypical behavior and interests. All of these signs appear before the age of 2-3 years, while individual symptoms indicating possible autism are sometimes detected in infancy.

Impaired social interactions are the most striking feature that distinguishes autism from other developmental disorders. Children with autism cannot fully interact with other people. They do not feel the state of others, do not recognize non-verbal signals, and do not understand the subtext of social contacts. This symptom can already be detected in infants. Such children react poorly to adults, do not make eye contact, and are more willing to fix their gaze on inanimate objects rather than on the people around them. They do not smile, react poorly to their own name, and do not reach out towards an adult when trying to pick them up.

Patients begin to speak later, babble less and less frequently, and later begin to pronounce individual words and use phrasal speech. They often confuse pronouns and call themselves “you,” “he,” or “she.” Subsequently, high-functioning autistic people “gain” a sufficient vocabulary and are not inferior to healthy children when passing tests for word knowledge and spelling, but they experience difficulties when trying to use images, draw conclusions about what is written or read, etc. In children with low-functioning forms of autism speech is significantly impoverished.

Children with autism typically use unusual gestures and have difficulty using gestures when interacting with others. In infancy, they rarely point to objects or, when trying to point to an object, they look not at it, but at their hand. As they get older, they are less likely to say words while gesturing (healthy children tend to gesture and speak at the same time, for example, extending their hand and saying “give”). Subsequently, it is difficult for them to play complex games, organically combine gestures and speech, and move from simpler forms of communication to more complex ones.

Another telltale sign of autism is restricted or repetitive behavior. Stereotypes are observed - repeated body swaying, head shaking, etc. It is very important for patients with autism that everything always happens in the same way: objects are placed in the right order, actions are performed in a certain sequence. A child suffering from autism may begin to scream and protest if his mother usually puts on his right sock first, and then the left, but today she did the opposite, if the salt shaker is not in the center of the table, but shifted to the right, if instead of the usual cup he was given a similar one, but with a different pattern. At the same time, unlike healthy children, he does not show a desire to actively correct the state of affairs that does not suit him (reach for his right sock, rearrange the salt shaker, ask for another cup), but in ways accessible to him signals that what is happening is wrong.

An autistic person's attention is focused on details, on repeating scenarios. Children with autism often choose non-play objects rather than toys for play; their games lack a plot basis. They do not build castles, do not roll cars around the apartment, but lay out objects in a certain sequence, aimlessly, from the point of view of an outside observer, move them from place to place and back. A child with autism may be extremely attached to a particular toy or non-play object, may watch the same television program at the same time every day without showing interest in other programs, and be extremely intensely worried if this program is not on any program. That's why I couldn't watch it.

Along with other forms of behavior, repetitive behavior includes auto-aggression (hitting, biting and other self-inflicted injuries). According to statistics, approximately a third of autistic people show self-aggression throughout their lives and the same number show aggression towards others. Aggression, as a rule, is caused by attacks of anger due to violation of habitual life rituals and stereotypes or due to the inability to convey one’s desires to others.

The opinion about the obligatory genius of autistic people and the presence of some unusual abilities is not confirmed by practice. Individual unusual abilities (for example, the ability to remember details) or talent in one narrow area with deficits in other areas are observed in only 0.5-10% of patients. Children with high-functioning autism may have average or slightly above average intelligence. With low-functioning autism, a decrease in intelligence is often detected, up to and including mental retardation. In all types of autism, generalized learning disabilities are common.

Among other optional but quite common symptoms of autism, it is worth noting seizures (detected in 5-25% of children, most often first appearing at puberty), hyperactivity syndrome and lack of attention, various paradoxical reactions to external stimuli: touches, sounds, changes in lighting . There is often a need for sensory self-stimulation (repetitive movements). More than half of autistic people exhibit deviations in eating behavior (refusal to eat or refusal of certain foods, preference for certain foods, etc.) and sleep disorders (difficulty falling asleep, night and early awakenings).

Autism classification

There are several classifications of autism, but in clinical practice the most widely used is Nikolskaya’s classification, compiled taking into account the severity of the manifestations of the disease, the main psychopathological syndrome and long-term prognosis. Despite the absence of an etiopathogenetic component and a high degree of generalization, teachers and other specialists consider this classification to be one of the most successful, since it makes it possible to draw up differentiated plans and determine treatment goals taking into account the real capabilities of a child suffering from autism.

First group. The deepest violations. Characterized by field behavior, mutism, lack of need to interact with others, lack of active negativism, autostimulation using simple repetitive movements and inability to self-care. The leading pathopsychological syndrome is detachment. The main goal of treatment is to establish contact, involve the child in interactions with adults and peers, and develop self-care skills.

Second group. Characterized by strict restrictions in the choice of forms of behavior and a pronounced desire for immutability. Any changes can provoke a breakdown, expressed in negativism, aggression or self-aggression. In a familiar environment, the child is quite open and capable of developing and reproducing everyday skills. Speech is cliched, built on the basis of echolalia. The leading psychopathological syndrome is the rejection of reality. The main goal of treatment is the development of emotional contacts with loved ones and expanding the possibilities of adaptation to the environment by developing a large number of different behavioral stereotypes.

Third group. More complex behavior is observed when one is absorbed in one's own stereotypical interests and has a weak ability for dialogue. The child strives for success, but, unlike healthy children, is not ready to try, take risks and make compromises. Often, extensive encyclopedic knowledge in an abstract area is revealed in combination with fragmentary ideas about the real world. Characterized by interest in dangerous antisocial impressions. The leading psychopathological syndrome is substitution. The main goal of treatment is to teach dialogue, expand the range of ideas and develop social behavior skills.

Fourth group. Children are capable of truly voluntary behavior, but quickly get tired, suffer from difficulties when trying to concentrate attention, follow instructions, etc. Unlike children of the previous group, who give the impression of young intellectuals, they may look timid, fearful and absent-minded, but with adequate correction demonstrate better results compared to other groups. The leading psychopathological syndrome is vulnerability. The main goals of treatment are to teach spontaneity, improve social skills and develop individual abilities.

Diagnosis of autism

Parents should consult a doctor and rule out autism if the child does not respond to his own name, does not smile or make eye contact, does not notice instructions from adults, exhibits atypical play behavior (does not know what to do with toys, plays with non-play objects) and does not can communicate to adults about their wishes. At the age of 1 year, the child should walk, babble, point at objects and try to grab them, at the age of 1.5 years - pronounce individual words, at the age of 2 years - use two-word phrases. If these skills are missing, you need to be examined by a specialist.

The diagnosis of autism is made based on observations of the child's behavior and the identification of a characteristic triad, which includes lack of social interactions, lack of communication and stereotypic behavior. To exclude speech development disorders, a consultation with a speech therapist is prescribed, and to exclude hearing and vision disorders, an examination by an audiologist and an ophthalmologist. Autism may or may not be combined with mental retardation, and with the same level of intelligence, the prognosis and correction schemes for mental retardation and autistic children will differ significantly, therefore, in the diagnostic process, it is important to distinguish between these two disorders by carefully studying the characteristics of the patient’s behavior.

Treatment and prognosis for autism

The main goal of treatment is to increase the patient’s level of independence in the process of self-care, formation and maintenance of social contacts. Long-term behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy are used. Corrective work is carried out while taking psychotropic medications. The training program is chosen taking into account the child’s capabilities. Low-functioning autistic people (groups 1 and 2 in Nikolskaya’s classification) are taught at home. Children with Asperger's syndrome and high-functioning autistic people (groups three and four) attend a special or mainstream school.

Currently, autism is considered an incurable disease. However, after competent long-term correction, some children (3-25% of the total number of patients) go into remission, and the diagnosis of autism is eventually removed. An insufficient number of studies does not allow us to make reliable long-term predictions regarding the course of autism in adulthood. Experts note that as many patients age, the symptoms of the disease become less pronounced. However, there are reports of age-related decline in communication and self-care skills. Favorable prognostic signs are an IQ above 50 and speech development before the age of 6 years, but only 20 percent of children in this group achieve complete or almost complete independence.

You can notice signs of autism in a child in the first years of life. A characteristic sign is a reluctance to make contact, physical or social. As a result, the speech development of the child is inhibited, who simply does not strive to establish connections with the outside world.

The child does not show initiative in communication and avoids eye contact. Autistic people are characterized by echolalia - the repetition of words or phrases, which can falsely create the impression of mental retardation. However, in reality, mental retardation is observed only in a third of cases; usually autistic people understand the meaning of what is being said.

An autistic child does not strive to find a common language with peers, seems emotionally cold and detached. Autistic people are distinguished by hypersensitivity to sensory influences from the environment: light, sounds, smells, touches. High intensity impacts cause suffering akin to pain from physical damage.

Autists and society

Autistic people are rigid and find it very difficult to adapt to change. That’s why they protest against the disruption of the usual way of life and like to restore order themselves. They live according to a certain routine and demand that their loved ones strictly adhere to it.

Autistic people have difficulty understanding other people's messages, verbal or nonverbal. Therefore, they do not perceive humor, the figurative meaning of words. The meaning of what is said is taken literally.

In adulthood, the interests of autistic people are limited and usually include one specific area. They are well versed in this area and know the smallest details. With other people, they can only really talk about their interests, while not paying attention to their response.

Autistic people do not understand other people's problems and do not seek reassurance themselves. They prefer to spend time alone, indulging in what they love. This makes it very difficult for these people to make friends and maintain long-term relationships.

People with autism have impaired forecasting and planning skills, which are responsible for the frontal lobes of the brain. Often they simply cannot foresee the development of events, which can lead to life-threatening actions.

As for creative talent, there is a type of autism - Asperger's syndrome. People with this syndrome are distinguished by genius in some isolated area. Many autistic people are artists, musicians or scientists.

There are more and more children diagnosed with autism every day. This prevalence of the disease is primarily due to improved diagnosis. Talented and gifted children in Russia often miss the diagnosis of autism. Such children require special attention and must be socialized in society.

What is it?

In simple words, “autism” is a mental disorder or disease characterized by mental changes, loss of social adaptation in society and altered behavior. Typically, the child experiences a persistent disruption of interaction within society.

Often autism is not diagnosed for a long time, since parents attribute changes in behavior to the child’s character traits.

The disease can indeed be mild. In this case, identifying the first characteristic signs and recognizing the disease is a very difficult task not only for parents, but also for doctors.

In Europe and the USA, the diagnosis of autism is much more common. This is due to the presence of excellent diagnostic criteria, which allow a commission of doctors to accurately make a diagnosis even in mild cases of illness or in complex clinical cases.

In autistic children, various changes occur in the cerebral cortex. They appear immediately after birth. However, they can appear much later, after many years. The disease occurs without periods of stable remission. With a long course of the disease and the use of various psychotherapeutic techniques that can improve the behavior of an autistic child, parents may see some improvements.

To date, no specific treatment has been developed. This means that a complete cure for the disease is, unfortunately, impossible.

Prevalence

Statistics on the incidence of autism in the USA and Europe differ markedly from Russian data. This is primarily due to the high detection rate of sick children abroad. Foreign doctors and psychologists use numerous questionnaires and diagnostic behavioral tests, which allow them to accurately diagnose children of any age.

In Russia, the statistics are completely different. Often, not all children show the first symptoms of the disease on time and at an early age. Russian children who suffer from autism often remain just withdrawn kids.

Symptoms of the disease are “attributed” to the child’s character and temperament, which leads to serious consequences. Such children subsequently integrate poorly into society, cannot find themselves in a profession, or they fail to create a good and happy family.

The prevalence of the disease is no more than 3%. Boys are most often affected by autism. Typically this ratio is 4:1. Girls from families where there are many cases of autism in relatives may also suffer from this mental illness.

Most often, the first clear symptoms of the disease are revealed only by the age of three. The disease, as a rule, manifests itself at an even earlier age, but remains unrecognized in most cases until 3-5 years of age.

Why are children born with autism spectrum disorder?

To date, scientists have not yet reached a consensus on this issue. In the development of autism, many experts believe that several genes are to blame, which cause disruption in the functioning of certain parts of the cerebral cortex. Often when analyzing cases of the disease it becomes obvious strongly expressed heredity.

Another theory of the disease is mutation. Scientists believe that the cause of the disease can be various mutations and breakdowns in the genetic apparatus of a particular individual.

Various factors can lead to this:

• exposure to ionizing radiation on the fetus during the mother's pregnancy;
• infection with bacterial or viral infections of the fetus during intrauterine development;
• exposure to hazardous chemicals that have a teratogenic effect on the unborn child;
• chronic diseases of the nervous system in the mother, for which she took various symptomatic psychotropic drugs for a long time.

According to American experts, such mutagenic effects quite often led to various disorders characteristic of autism.

This effect on the fetus is especially dangerous during the first 8-10 weeks from the moment of conception. At this time, the formation of all vital organs occurs, including the formation of the areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for behavior.

Genetic or mutational disorders that underlie the disease ultimately lead to specific damage to individual areas of the central nervous system. As a result, the coordinated work between the various neurons responsible for social integration is disrupted.

There is also a change in the functions of the mirror cells of the brain, which leads to the appearance of specific symptoms of autism, when the baby can repeatedly perform the same type of action and pronounce individual phrases several times.

Species

Currently, many different classifications of the disease are used. All of them are divided according to the variants of the course of the disease, the severity of manifestations, and also taking into account the stage of the disease.

There is no single working classification that would be used in Russia. In our country, specific criteria for the disease are currently being developed and streamlined, which will form the basis for diagnosing the disease.

Autism can usually occur in several forms or variations:

1. Typical. With this option, the signs of the disease appear quite clearly in childhood. Children are characterized by more withdrawn behavior, lack of involvement in games with other children, and have poor contacts even with close relatives and parents. To improve social integration, it is imperative to carry out a whole range of various psychotherapeutic procedures and the help of a child psychologist who is well versed in this problem.
2. Atypical. This atypical variant of the disease occurs at a much later age. As a rule, after 3-4 years. This form of the disease is characterized by the manifestation of not all specific signs of autism, but only some. Atypical autism is diagnosed quite late. Often, failure to diagnose in time and delay in making a diagnosis leads to the development of more persistent symptoms in the child, which are much more difficult to treat.
3. Hidden. There are no exact statistics on the number of children with this diagnosis. With this form of the disease, the manifestation of the main clinical symptoms is extremely rare. Very often, children are considered simply overly withdrawn or introverted. Such children practically do not allow strangers into their own inner world. Establishing communication with a child diagnosed with autism is very difficult.

How does the mild form differ from the severe form?

Autism can occur in several forms depending on severity. The mildest form occurs in most cases. It is characterized by violations of social adaptation, when the baby does not want to establish contacts or communicate with other people.

It is important to understand that he does this not because of modesty or excessive isolation, but simply due to the manifestations of the disease. Such children, as a rule, start speaking late.

Violations of one's personality in mild forms of the disease practically do not occur. Kids can make contact with the people closest to them. Usually the child chooses several family members who, in his opinion, treat him with more care and attention. Autistic children do not perceive physical contact well. Usually the child tries to shy away from hugs or does not like kisses.

Babies with more severe illness They try in every possible way to avoid contact with other people. Even touching or hugging from close relatives can cause them severe mental trauma. Only the closest people, according to the child, can touch him. This is a very important clinical sign of the disease. A child with autism is very sensitive to any interference in his personal space from a very young age.

Some severe variants of the disease are characterized by mental tendencies to cause harm to themselves. Such babies may even bite themselves or attempt to inflict various injuries at an older age.

This manifestation is rare, but requires urgent consultation with a psychiatrist and the prescription of special medications that reduce manifestations of aggression towards one’s own personality.

The mild form of the disease often goes undiagnosed, especially in Russia. Manifestations of the disease are simply attributed to the developmental characteristics of the child or the uniqueness of his character. Such children can grow up and carry the disease into adulthood. The course of the disease may change at different ages. However, the classic violation of social integration is observed almost constantly, without remission.

Severe forms of the disease, which often manifest as complete forced isolation of the baby from the outside world, are much easier to identify.

The behavior of a child with severe autism is manifested by a pronounced reluctance to communicate with any people. Such kids are more willing to be alone. This brings them peace of mind and does not disrupt their usual way of life.

Failure to provide therapeutic psychotherapy can lead to deterioration of the child’s condition and complete social maladjustment.

Symptoms and first signs

Manifestations of the disease can be checked already in the first years of a child’s life. With a thorough and attentive analysis of the baby’s behavior, even at a very young age, the first characteristic signs of autism syndrome can be identified. There are special psychological traits and characteristics for this disease.

The main characteristics of the disease can be divided into several main categories:

• Reluctance to create new social contacts.
• Disturbed interests or use of special games.
• Repeating typical actions many times.
• Speech behavior disorder.
• Changes in intelligence and different levels of mental development.
• Changing your own sense of personality.
• Psychomotor dysfunction.

The reluctance to create new social contacts is evident in children from birth. At first, children are reluctant to respond to any touch from those closest to them. Even hugs or kisses from parents do not evoke positive emotions in children with autism. From the outside, such children seem overly calm and even “cold.”

Babies practically do not respond to smiles and do not notice the “grimas” that their parents or close relatives make to them. They often fix their gaze on some object that is of great interest to them.

Newborn babies with autism syndrome They can stare at a toy for hours or stare at one point.

Children practically do not experience any expressed joy from new gifts. Children of the first year of life can be absolutely neutral towards any new toys. Most often, it is difficult to even get a smile from such kids in response to a gift. In the best case, an autistic child will simply twirl the toy in his hands for a few minutes, and then put it aside indefinitely.

Children older than one year are very selective in choosing people close to them. They usually choose no more than two people. This is due to the reluctance to create close contacts, as this leads to severe discomfort for the baby.

They usually choose one of their parents as their “friend.” This could be either dad or mom. In some cases - grandmother or grandfather.

Autistic children have virtually no contact with their peers or children of a different age. Any attempt to disturb their own comfortable world can bring such children significant discomfort.

They try in every possible way to avoid any situation that is traumatic for their psyche. Autistic children have practically no friends. They experience difficulties making new friends throughout their lives.

The first serious problems in such children appear at the age of 2-3 years. Usually at this time children are sent to kindergarten. As a rule, this is where the disease is detected, since it becomes simply impossible not to notice the characteristic manifestations of the disease.

When visiting kindergarten, the behavior of autistic children stands out sharply. They seem more withdrawn than other children, they can stay aloof, and play with the same toy for hours, performing some stereotypical repetitive movements.

Children with autism exhibit more withdrawn behavior. Most kids ask for almost nothing. If they need something, they prefer to take it themselves without outside help.

Children under three years of age may have difficulty potty training.

If you ask a child to give you a toy or some object, most often he will not give it to you, but will simply throw it on the floor. This is a manifestation of impaired perception of any communication.

Autistic children are not always completely passive in a new, unfamiliar group. Often, when trying to introduce a sick child into a new society, he may experience vivid negative outbursts of anger or aggression towards others. This is a manifestation of a violation or invasion of the boundaries of one’s own and such a cozy, and most importantly, safe inner world for children with autism. Expansion of any contacts can lead to severe outbursts of aggression and deterioration of mental well-being.

Disturbed interests or use of special games

Very often, children with autism remain indifferent to any active recreational activities. They seem to be in their own inner world. Entry into this personal space is usually closed to other people. Any attempts to teach a child to play very often lead to the complete failure of this idea.

Children with autism choose 1-2 favorite toys, with whom they spend a huge amount of time. Even with a large selection of different toys, they remain completely indifferent to them.

If you carefully observe the play of a child with autism, you will notice a strict repetition of the sequence of actions that he performs. If a boy plays with boats, then very often he lines up all the ships he has in one line. A child can sort them by size, color, or some characteristics that are special to him. He performs this action every time before the game.

Strict orderliness often manifests itself in everything in children with autism. This is a manifestation of a world that is comfortable for them, in which all objects are in their place and there is no chaos.

All new objects that appear in the life of an autistic child cause him severe mental trauma. Even rearranging furniture or toys can cause a strong attack of aggression in a child or, conversely, put the child into a state of complete apathy. It is better that all items remain in their places at all times. In this case, the baby will feel more comfortable and calm.

Girls with autism also experience changes in the form of play. Notice how the little girl plays with her doll. During such a lesson, every day she will perform all movements and actions according to the established algorithm. For example, she will first comb her hair, then wash the doll, then change her clothes. And never vice versa! Everything is in a strictly established sequence.

Such systematic actions in children with autism are due to the peculiarity of disturbed mental behavior, and not to character. If you try to ask your child why he does the same actions every time, you will not get an answer. The child simply does not notice what actions he performs. For the perception of his own psyche, this is absolutely normal.

Repeating typical actions multiple times

The behavior of a child with autism is not always very different from the communication style of a healthy child. From the outside, such children look absolutely normal, since the appearance of the children practically does not change.

Children with autism often do not lag behind in physical development and are not at all different in appearance from their peers. However, with more careful observation of the child's behavior, it is possible to identify actions that differ slightly from usual behavior.

Often, children with autism may repeat various words or combinations of several letters or syllables. Such disorders can occur in both boys and girls.

This symptom can manifest itself in different ways:

• Repetition of counting or sequential naming of numbers. Autistic children often count repeatedly throughout the day. This activity brings comfort and even positive emotions to the child.
• Repeating words previously spoken by someone. For example, after the question “how old are you?”, a child can repeat “I’m 5 years old, 5 years old, 5 years old” several dozen times. Very often, such kids repeat one phrase or word at least 10-20 times.

In other cases, children with autism may perform the same activity for a long time. For example, they turn lights off and on repeatedly. Some kids often open or close water taps.

Another feature may be constant wringing of fingers or the same type of movements with legs and arms. Such typical actions, repeated many times, bring peace and tranquility to children.

In more rare cases, babies may perform other similar actions, for example, sniffing various objects. Many scientists attribute this to the fact that disturbances occur in those areas of the cerebral cortex that are active in the perception of odors. Smell, touch, vision and taste - these areas of sensory perception in a child with autism are also often damaged, and various manifestations appear.

Speech behavior disorders

Speech disorders occur quite often in children with autism. The severity of manifestations varies. In milder forms of the disease, as a rule, speech disturbances are mild. In more severe cases, there may be a complete delay in speech development and the acquisition of persistent defects.

The disease can manifest itself in different ways. Children with autism often start talking late. As a rule, after the child says the first few words, he may remain silent for a long time. A baby's vocabulary consists of only a few words. He often repeats them many times throughout the day.

Children with autism have difficulty expanding their vocabulary. Even when memorizing words, they try not to use a large number of different combinations in their speech.

A peculiarity of speech behavior in a child over two years old is the mention of objects in the third person. Most often, the child will call himself by name or say, for example, “girl Olya.” The pronoun “I” is almost never heard from a child with autism.

If you ask a baby if he wants to swim, the child may answer “he wants to swim” or call himself by name “Kostya wants to swim.”

Very often, children with autism do not answer direct questions that are addressed to them. They may remain silent or avoid answering, move the conversation to other topics, or simply ignore. This behavior is associated with a painful perception of new contacts and an attempt to invade personal space.

If a child is pestered with questions or asked too many questions in a short time, the child may even react quite violently, showing aggression.

The speech of older children often includes many interesting combinations and phrases. They perfectly remember various fairy tales and proverbs.

A child suffering from autism can easily recite an excerpt from Pushkin’s poem by heart at the age of five or recite a complex poem.

Such children often have a tendency to rhyme. At a younger age, children get great pleasure from repeating various rhymes over and over again.

The combination of words may seem completely meaningless, and in some cases even crazy. However, for children with autism, repeating such rhymes brings joy and positive emotions.

Changes in intelligence and different levels of mental development

It has long been believed that children with autism are mentally retarded. But this is a huge misconception! A large number of autistic children have the highest IQ levels.

With proper communication with a child, you can notice that he has a high level of intelligence. However, he will not show it to everyone.

The peculiarity of the mental development of an autistic person is that it is very difficult for him to concentrate and be purposeful in achieving specific goals.

The memory of such children has the property of selectivity. The child will not remember all events with equal ease, but only those that, according to his personal perception, will be closer to his inner world.

Some children have defects in logical perception. They perform poorly on tasks to construct an associative series.

The baby perceives ordinary abstract events well, can easily repeat a sequence or chain of events even after a long time. Long-term memory impairments are not observed in children with autism.

Children with a higher level of intelligence integrate very poorly at school. Often such a child becomes an “outcast” or a “black sheep.”

The impaired ability to socialize contributes to the fact that autistic children become even more distant from the outside world. As a rule, such kids have a penchant for various sciences. They can become real geniuses if the right approach is applied to the child.

Different variants of the disease may progress differently. In some cases, children experience a decrease in intellectual abilities. They do poorly in school, do not answer teachers' questions, and do not solve difficult geometric tasks that require good spatial and logical abilities.

Very often, such children require special training using special pedagogical programs that are designed specifically for children with autism.

It is important to note that any deterioration in the child’s condition can occur suddenly when exposed to any provoking cause. Often these can be severe stress or attacks from peers.

Children with autism have a very difficult time with such triggering events. This can even lead to severe apathy or, conversely, cause violent aggression.

Watch the following video about teaching children with autism.

Changing your sense of self

When any contact with other people is disrupted, autistic people often project any negative events onto themselves. This is called self-aggression. This manifestation of the disease in varying degrees of severity occurs quite often. Almost every third child with autism suffers from this unfavorable manifestation of the disease.

Psychotherapists believe that this negative symptom arises as a result of a disrupted perception of the boundaries of one’s own inner world. Any threat to personal safety is perceived excessively by a sick child. Children can cause various injuries to themselves: biting themselves or even cutting themselves on purpose.

Even in childhood, the child’s sense of limited space is disturbed. Such babies often fall out of the playpen after swaying violently. Some children may unfasten from the stroller and fall to the ground.

Usually such a negative and painful experience will force a healthy baby not to do such actions in the future. A child with autism, even despite the resulting pain syndrome, will still repeat this action over and over again.

It is quite rare for a child to show aggression towards others. In 99% of cases, the manifestation of such a reaction is self-defense. As a rule, kids are very sensitive to any attempts to invade their personal world.

Inept actions towards a child with autism or even a simple desire to make contact can cause an attack of aggression in the child, which provokes internal fear.

Psychomotor dysfunction

Quite often, children with autism experience an altered gait. They try to walk on tiptoes. Some children may bounce when walking. This symptom occurs every day.

All attempts to make comments to the baby that he is walking incorrectly and needs to walk differently do not evoke a response from him. The child remains faithful to his gait for quite a long time.

Children with autism do not notice the changes that appear in their everyday life. Older children try to choose routes that are familiar to him. A child with autism will almost always choose the same path to school, without changing his own habits.

Kids often remain true to their taste preferences. Such children should not be taught a certain diet. All the same, a child with autism will have his own idea and even a whole system in his head about what and when it is best for him to eat.

It will be almost impossible to force your baby to eat an unfamiliar product. They remain true to their taste preferences throughout their lives.

Basic characteristics by age

Up to a year

Children with symptoms of autism react poorly to any attempts to address them, especially by name. Children do not babble or utter their first words for a long time.

The child's emotions are quite impoverished. Gesticulation is also significantly reduced. A baby with autism gives the impression of a very calm child who cries little and practically does not ask to be held. Any contacts with parents and even mother do not give the child strong positive emotions.

Newborn babies and infants practically do not express various emotions on their faces. Such children even seem somewhat renounced. Often, when trying to make a child smile, he does not change his face or perceives this attempt rather coldly. Such children love to look at various objects. Their gaze stops on some object for a very long time.

Kids often try to choose one or a couple of toys with which they can spend almost the entire day. They absolutely do not need any outsiders to play. They feel great alone with themselves. Sometimes attempts to intrude on their play can cause an attack of panic or aggression.

Children in their first year of life with autism practically do not call on adults for help. If they need something, they try to take the item themselves.

As a rule, there are no intellectual impairments at this age. Most children do not lag behind their peers in terms of physical or mental development.

Up to 3 years

Before the age of 3 years, symptoms of limited personal space begin to manifest themselves to a greater extent.

When playing outside, children categorically refuse to play in the same sandbox with other children. All objects and toys that belong to a child with autism belong only to him.

From the outside, such children seem very closed and “on their own.” Most often, by the age of one and a half years, they can only utter a few words. However, this does not happen to all babies. They often repeat various verbal combinations that do not carry much meaning.

After the child utters the first word, he may suddenly become silent and practically not speak for quite a long time.

Children with autism almost never answer questions asked of them. Only with the people closest to them can they utter a few words or answer in the third person a question addressed to them.

Very often such children try to avert their eyes and do not look at the interlocutor. Even if the child answers the question, he will never use the word “I”. Children with autism identify themselves as “he” or “she.” Many children simply call themselves by name.

Some children are characterized by manifestations of stereotypical actions. They may sway violently in their chair. Parents' comments that doing this is wrong or ugly do not evoke any response from the child. This is not due to the desire to demonstrate one’s character, but simply to a violation of the perception of one’s own behavior. The baby really does not notice and does not see anything wrong in his action.

Some babies may have problems with fine motor skills. When trying to take any small objects from the table or floor, the child does it very clumsily.

Often babies cannot clench their hands well. Such a violation of fine motor skills necessarily requires special classes that are aimed at improving this skill.

If correction is not carried out in a timely manner, the child may develop writing impairments, as well as the appearance of gestures that are unusual for an ordinary baby.

Autistic children love to play with water taps or switches. They also really enjoy opening and closing doors. Any similar movements evoke excellent emotions in the child. He can perform such actions for as long as he wants until his parents intervene. When performing these movements, the baby absolutely does not notice that he is performing them repeatedly.

Autistic children eat only those foods that they like, play independently and practically do not get to know other children. Many people around them mistakenly consider such kids to be too spoiled. This is a huge misconception!

A child with autism, under the age of three, sees absolutely no differences in his behavior relative to the behavior of others. He simply tries to limit the boundaries of his inner world from any outside interference.

It used to be that children with autism had certain facial features. Often such features were called aristocratic forms. Autistic people were believed to have thinner and longer noses. However, this is not at all true.

To date, the connection between facial structural features and the presence of autism in a child has not been reliably established. Such judgments are just speculation and lack scientific evidence.

From 3 to 6 years

At this age, the incidence of autism peaks. Children begin to be sent to kindergarten, where disturbances in social adaptation become noticeable.

Children with autism perceive morning trips to preschool educational institutions without expressed delight. They would rather stay at home than leave their familiar safe home.

A child with autism practically does not meet new friends. At best, he makes one new acquaintance who becomes his best friend.

A sick child will never accept a large number of people into his inner world. Very often, such children try to close themselves off even more, to escape from the traumatic situation.

The child tries to come up with some kind of magical story or fairy tale that explains why he should go to this kindergarten. Then he becomes the main character of this action. However, visiting kindergarten does not give the child any pleasure. He doesn't get along well with his peers and practically doesn't listen to his teachers.

All things in the baby’s personal locker are usually folded strictly in order. This becomes clearly visible from the outside. Such children cannot stand any chaos or scattered things. Any violation of the ordering of the structure can cause them to have an attack of apathy, and in some cases, aggressive behavior.

Trying to force a child to meet new kids in a group can cause him extreme stress.

Children with autism should not be scolded for doing the same type of behavior over a long period of time. You just need to find the “key” to such a child.

Often, kindergarten teachers simply cannot cope with a “special” child. Many features of disrupted behavior are perceived by teaching staff as excessive spoilage and character traits. In these cases, the mandatory work of a medical psychologist is required, who will work daily with the child in a preschool institution.

Over 6 years old

Children with autism in Russia attend regular schools. In our country there are no specialized educational programs for such children. Typically, children with autism do well in school. They have a penchant for various disciplines. Many guys even show the highest level of mastery of the subject.

Such children often focus on one subject. In other disciplines that do not resonate in the child’s inner world, they may have very mediocre performance.

Children with autism have difficulty concentrating and are also characterized by insufficient concentration on several objects at the same time.

Often in such children, if the disease was detected at an early stage and there were no severe defects in fine motor skills, brilliant abilities for music or creativity are discovered.

Kids can play various musical instruments for hours. Some children even compose various works on their own.

Children, as a rule, try to lead a rather secluded lifestyle. They have few friends. They practically do not attend various entertainment events, which can be attended by a huge number of people. Being at home is more comfortable for them.

Very often, children have a commitment to certain foods. In most cases, it occurs in early childhood. Children with autism eat at specific times according to their own schedule. All meals are accompanied by the performance of a specific ritual.

They often eat only from plates that are familiar to them and try to avoid dishes of new colors. All cutlery is usually laid out by the child on the table in a strictly defined sequence.

Children with autism can graduate from school very successfully, showing excellent knowledge in one discipline.

Only in 30% of cases, children suffering from this disease fall behind the school curriculum and have poor academic performance. As a rule, in such children the diagnosis of autism was made quite late or a good rehabilitation program was not carried out to reduce the unfavorable symptoms of the disease and improve social adaptation.

Problems

Very often, children with autism experience not only behavioral disorders, but also various pathological manifestations of internal organs.

Gastrointestinal disorders

They manifest themselves in the form of possible diarrhea or constipation, which are practically independent of the food that the child receives. Children with autism have special taste preferences. To normalize adverse manifestations and stool disorders, a gluten-free diet is effectively used. Such a diet, which contains a limited amount of gluten, promotes the smooth functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and reduces the negative symptoms of indigestion.

You can learn more about the diet for autism by watching the following video.

Sleep disorders

Babies are almost equally active during the day and at night. It is very difficult to put such children to sleep. Even if they fall asleep, they may only sleep for a few hours. Very often babies wake up very early in the morning. During the daytime, they may refuse to sleep. In some cases, when exposed to strong psychologically traumatic situations, insomnia may worsen or nightmares may appear, which further contribute to the disruption of the child’s general well-being.

When is a consultation with a psychiatrist necessary?

You should seek the help of a doctor immediately if parents suspect the first signs of illness in their baby. Only a psychiatrist can accurately establish a diagnosis and recommend the necessary therapeutic treatment.

As a rule, all children diagnosed with autism should be seen periodically by a doctor. Don't be afraid of this doctor! This does not mean that the child has severe mental disorders. Such observation is important primarily for preventing the development of unwanted long-term symptoms of the disease.

In our country, children diagnosed with autism practically do not undergo any specialized rehabilitation programs. European specialists and doctors from the United States use a whole range of different psychotherapeutic techniques that can greatly improve the quality of life of a child suffering from autism.

Medical psychologists, professional physical therapy instructors, defectologists and speech therapists work with children from a very early age. Throughout his life, such a patient must be observed by a psychiatrist.

At what age is the disease most often diagnosed?

According to statistics, The largest number of cases of newly registered disease occurs at the age of 3-4 years. It is at this time that the symptoms of the child’s social maladjustment begin to clearly manifest themselves.

There is scientific evidence that suggests that with the development of better diagnostic criteria, it will be much easier to identify cases of autism in children at an earlier age.

Determining the first manifestations of the disease in newborns is a very difficult task even for an experienced pediatrician. To conduct a full examination and establish a diagnosis, it is necessary to organize a full-fledged medical examination, which usually involves at least 5-6 different specialists with skills and knowledge in the treatment of autism in children.

Diagnostics

Diagnosing the disease is quite difficult. In Russia, the diagnosis of “autism” will most often be given upon detection of the following psychological disorders:

• social maladjustment of the child in the environment;
• pronounced difficulties in establishing new communications and contacts with other people;
• repeated repetition of typical actions or words over a long period of time.

If the course of the disease occurs in a typical or classic form, then the above symptoms occur in 100% of cases. Such children require mandatory consultation with a psychiatrist, and, if necessary, an extensive consultation with the involvement of specialists in related specialties who work with autistic children.

During a more detailed examination, doctors try to determine the presence or absence of not only the main signs, but also additional ones. To do this, they use several classifications of diseases.

For autism use:

• ICD-X is the main working document for Russian specialists.
• The DSM-5 rubricator or Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is used by psychiatrists around the world, including in Europe and the United States.

According to these medical reference books, a child with autism must exhibit at least six of the symptoms listed. To determine them, doctors resort to various questionnaires, using which they assess the baby’s condition in a playful way. Such research is carried out in the most gentle way possible, so as not to traumatize the disturbed child’s psyche.

An interview with parents is also required. This study makes it possible to clarify the presence and nature of violations in the child’s behavior that cause them concern.

Parents are interviewed by several psychiatrists, as well as a medical psychologist. Such diagnostic methods are mainly used only in Europe and the USA. In Russia, unfortunately, the diagnosis of autism is in an extremely deplorable state.

Children with this disease remain unexamined for a long time.

Over time, their negative manifestations of social maladaptation intensify; apathy and inability to establish contacts with people around them may increase. In our country, working diagnostic criteria have not yet been developed that would easily establish such a diagnosis. In this regard, there are quite a few cases of establishing a correct and timely diagnosis.

Is testing at home possible?

It is almost impossible to conduct a full inspection of the house. During such testing, you can only get an approximate answer. The diagnosis of autism can only be made by a psychiatrist. To do this, he uses several different tests that are used to diagnose the disease, as well as various other techniques to clarify the extent and level of damage.

When testing at home, parents can often get a false result. Very often, the information system automatically analyzes the answers without applying differential treatment to a specific child.

To make a diagnosis, a multi-stage medical examination is required to determine whether the child has autism.

How to treat?

Currently, no specific treatment for autism has been developed. Unfortunately, there is no special pill or magic vaccine that would reliably protect the baby from the possible development of the disease. A single cause of the disease has not been established.

Lack of understanding about the original source of the disease does not allow scientists to create a unique medicine that would completely cure children with autism.

Treatment of this mental illness is carried out comprehensively, taking into account the symptoms that arise. Such psychotropic drugs are prescribed only by a psychiatrist. They are written out on special prescription forms and issued according to strict records in pharmacies. Such medications are prescribed in courses or for the entire period of deterioration.

All treatment methods can be divided into several groups:

• Drug treatment. In this case, various medications are prescribed to eliminate the adverse symptoms that occur in various stages of the disease. Such drugs are prescribed by a doctor only after examining the baby and possibly conducting additional examinations.
• Psychological consultations. A child medical psychologist must work with a child suffering from autism. Using various psychological techniques, the specialist will help the child cope with emerging outbursts of anger and auto-aggression, as well as improve the internal feeling when integrating into a new team.
• General restorative health procedures. Playing sports is not at all contraindicated for children with autism. However, they must study in special groups with professional instructors or trainers who are trained in the elements of working with “special” children. Such children can show excellent results and achieve good sporting achievements. Success is only possible by applying the right pedagogical approach.
• Speech therapy classes. A speech therapist must conduct classes with a child under 3 years of age. At such lessons, children learn to speak correctly and refuse to use multiple repetitions of words. Speech therapy classes allow you to improve your child’s vocabulary and add even more words to his vocabulary. Such educational games help children adapt better to new groups and improve their social adaptation.

Drug treatment

Prescription of various medications on an ongoing basis is not required for children with autism. Such drugs are used only to eliminate the negative manifestations of the disease. In this case, untimely treatment can lead to the development of various adverse consequences and even worsen the baby’s condition.

The following medications are most often prescribed to children with autism.

Psychotropic drugs and neuroleptics

Used to treat attacks of aggressive behavior. They can be prescribed as a course of treatment or once to eliminate a violent outbreak of auto-aggression. Psychiatrists choose various medications that can eliminate the negative symptoms of the disease. For example, the antipsychotic drugs Rispolept and Seroquel can cope with acute attacks of severe aggression and calm the baby.

It is important to note that the prescription of antipsychotic drugs on an ongoing basis is carried out only in severe cases of the disease. In this case, the severity of symptoms is excessively high.

Long-term use of any antipsychotic drugs can cause addiction and various side effects. In order to prevent this, doctors resort to prescribing a course of treatment.

To eliminate panic attacks or improve mood, the doctor may prescribe special medications that affect the level of endorphins. These drugs also have a number of contraindications. They are used only in cases where various psychological methods for correcting behavior were carried out, but they were not successful and did not lead to an improvement in the child’s well-being.

Probiotics for the treatment of dysbiosis

In children with autism, in 90% of cases, doctors register persistent irritable bowel syndrome or dysbiosis. In this case, the microflora in the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted. It contains practically no beneficial lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, but microorganisms of pathogenic flora reproduce well. Very often, such children also exhibit increased yeast growth.

To eliminate these unfavorable symptoms, doctors resort to prescribing various medications enriched with lacto- and bifidobacteria. Children are prescribed: “Bifidobacterin”, “Acipol”, “Linex”, “Enterol” and many others. The prescription of these funds is carried out after additional research - stool culture and a test for dysbacteriosis. The drugs are prescribed as a course of treatment. It is usually designed for 1-3 months of daily use.

In addition to medications, the diet of a child with dysbacteriosis must include fresh fermented milk products with a high content of microorganisms beneficial to the intestines.

You can also make them at home. In this case, the beneficial properties of the product are not lost, and you can safely give it to your baby.

The effect of using fermented milk products usually occurs by the end of the first week.

Vitamin therapy

Children with autism have a pronounced and almost constant deficiency of a number of vitamins: B1, B6, B12, PP. To eliminate this condition, the prescription of a complex of biologically active substances is required. Such vitamin and mineral preparations can eliminate the deficiency of any vitamins, as well as normalize the microelement composition within the body.

Since children with autism are very committed to some type of food, their diet is often very monotonous. This leads to insufficient supply of vitamins and microelements from the outside.

In order to improve this condition, daily addition of various vegetables and fruits to the diet is required, especially in the summer. These products contain a high content of various vitamins and microelements, which are vital for the baby.

Sedatives

Used to eliminate anxiety. Very often, when exposed to a strong traumatic situation, a sick child may experience a severe state of panic. In this case, psychiatrists prescribe psychotropic drugs that can effectively eliminate this manifestation. A course of such medications is not required. Only a single dose is enough.

Children with autism often have trouble sleeping. They have difficulty falling asleep. The duration of sleep can be no more than 6-7 hours a day.

For a small child this is not enough. To improve night's sleep, as well as normalize the circadian rhythm, doctors recommend using mild medications that calm the nervous system and help you fall asleep quickly.

It is safe for children to use various herbs that have a sedative effect. Such natural medicines practically do not cause side effects and do not have numerous contraindications. To normalize sleep, decoctions of lemon balm or mint are used. You can give these herbs to your baby in the form of tea. It is better to drink such a sedative medicine no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.

The prescription of sedative medications is allowed only for severe sleep disturbances. Typically, such drugs are prescribed for quite a long time. It is not advisable to use these drugs in milder forms of the disease, since they can have a pronounced tranquilizing effect or be addictive. The prescription of medications is made by a psychotherapist after a preliminary examination.

Help from a psychologist

The use of various psychological techniques is an important element of therapy for children suffering from autism. American experts who conduct classes with sick children every day recommend conducting such classes at least 2-3 times a week.

It is better for the psychologist to also have a medical education. In this case, it can quickly help him or her when the condition worsens and send the child for consultation with a psychiatrist.

The psychologist does not prescribe medications. He treats only with words. Usually, for children with autism, the first meeting with a specialist is very important. It is at this time that you can understand whether such classes will be successful and whether the child will find a common language with the psychologist.

In order to penetrate into the inner world of a child suffering from autism, the psychologist must very delicately make friends with him. Only in this case will the baby make contact.

Often, treatment may not bring a pronounced positive effect in the absence of primary contact between the autistic child and the psychologist.

All classes are conducted in a specially equipped room. Often, to work with children with autism, all lessons are held in only one room. This helps create a calmer and more comfortable atmosphere for the child.

Psychologists try not to move or rearrange toys without reason, as this can bring severe mental discomfort to the baby.

Usually, game forms of conducting classes are chosen. During such games, children are as “open” as possible and can demonstrate real emotions. Each lesson usually lasts no more than an hour.

With longer communication, the baby may become very tired and reluctant to make contact with a specialist.

Working with children who suffer from autism usually continues throughout the child's life. At the same time, only the types and forms of psychological techniques change.

Very often psychologists become real family members or very close friends. In America, several cases of families turning to psychologists have been recorded. In this case, not only the child, but also one of the parents suffered from autism.

It is important to note that family activities also have a good therapeutic effect.

Classes with a psychologist for children under 3-5 years old are often carried out together with one of the parents. Usually the parent with whom the baby has a closer relationship is chosen. The psychologist, in a playful way, creates various everyday situations that can occur in everyday life. During such a game, he teaches the baby how to react correctly to new people. Children learn to communicate better with other kids, and also acquire new useful skills that can be useful to them every day.

Classes

To improve the integration into society of a child suffering from autism, additional activities are required to help him with this. Typically, such a complex of various activities is compiled together with a child psychologist or on the recommendation of a psychiatrist.

Usually, before choosing any hobby that will be interesting to the child, a good analysis of his abilities and a qualitative assessment of the level of health and physical development are required. Not all children with autism will perform the same tasks with the same interest. The correct choice of activities greatly improves the prognosis of treatment and has a beneficial effect on the mental and psychological development of the baby.

Typically, children with autism are recommended various correctional activities that can improve the child’s social integration in society. Sports are recommended for children. However, not all sports training can be selected. For autistic children, calm sports are more suitable: learning to swim, playing chess or checkers, golf. It is worth choosing those sports that require concentration on one subject.

Sports that require high speed or a high risk of injury are best left aside. Children with autism should not engage in running, jumping, boxing and various types of strength wrestling.

Team games are also not suitable. It is better to give preference to calmer sports that will help improve the baby’s health and have a positive effect on his nervous system.

Children with autism are very warm towards various animals. In such children, doctors often even note a certain “cult” of animals. An autistic child may have a whole collection of cats or dogs. Direct contact and touching of pets can evoke strong positive emotions in the baby and even improve the prognosis of treatment.

Children with autism benefit from spending time interacting with a variety of animals. Doctors recommend hippotherapy or dolphin therapy sessions. Such contacts with animals will bring great joy to the baby and will have a positive impact on his development.

When a baby touches any living creature, special endorphin molecules begin to be produced in the cerebral cortex, which cause a sea of ​​positive emotions in him.

If possible, such exercises with animals should be carried out as often as possible. It is better that the child has the opportunity to constantly observe living beings and communicate with them. While interacting with a dog or cat, the baby learns to contact the environment. This has a positive effect on his ability to make new contacts and improves social adaptation in society.

What toys should I buy?

Parents often rack their brains over what gift to give to their baby, who has been diagnosed with autism by doctors. It seems that every new toy brings virtually no joy to the child. However, this is not entirely true. Every child with autism has their own personal preference for a particular type of toy.

Often boys choose different planes or ships, and girls choose different animals or dolls. It is important to note that autistic children can be delighted with donated animals. The main thing is to determine which specific animal your child likes. Usually this does not pose any difficulty: an autistic child will never let go of the animal toy he likes.

If a plush dog once presented is the child’s favorite, then any other dogs will also cause great delight.

Children diagnosed with autism are not at all prone to hoarding. They only need 2-3 different toys to feel comfortable and happy. A huge number of different gifts can even scare them!

Children under three years old should choose toys that improve fine motor skills of their fingers. Typically, children with autism are quite poor at performing any tasks related to drawing or modeling.

You can try to interest your baby in putting together various puzzles consisting of large and bright parts. Construction sets are perfect, from the elements of which you can build numerous combinations of figures.

For children aged 1.5-2 years, rugs that consist of several large parts are perfect. The upper surface of such products has small elevations or irregularities. This is necessary so that your legs are massaged while walking. This effect has a beneficial effect on the entire musculoskeletal system of the child. You should choose a rug in more neutral colors, avoiding overly bright colors.

For older children and those especially prone to aggression, you can choose a spinner. This fashionable toy normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and even helps fight the effects of stress. Kids often like to spin the spinner, as any repeated action brings them calm and even positive emotions.

In adolescence, it is better not to buy computer games for your child. Most of these toys can cause a spontaneous attack of aggression in a child or, on the contrary, increase an apathetic state.

Very often, children with autism love to play computer games, since it does not require any real contact with the outside world. However, the consequences can be very negative.

Can autistic people have healthy children in the future?

Scientists note a pronounced genetic pattern in the possibility of inheriting the disease. There are also theories about the presence of special genes that are responsible for the development of the disease in children in whose families cases of autism have previously been established.

Autistic people can have healthy children. Inheritance of genes occurs at the stage of intrauterine development. If a baby was born in a family where only one of the parents has autism, then he may well turn out to be healthy.

If both parents have autism, the chance of having an affected child is 25%, and the chance of having a child who is a carrier of this gene is 50%. This disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.

If more than one baby is born in such families, then the risk of having sick babies may increase. It also increases when exposed to various provoking factors on the unborn child during intrauterine development in the body of a pregnant mother.

To determine hidden autism in newborns, the “heel” method is used. It suggests the presence of this mental illness in the baby. It is usually carried out in autistic parents or in cases where there is a suspicion that the child may develop the disease.

Is the child given a disability?

In Russia, the diagnosis of autism requires the establishment of a disability group. However, it is not shown to all children. In our country, special medical and social criteria are used that take into account various factors.

The decision to establish a group is made strictly collectively. This involves specialists from several specialties: psychiatrist, psychologist, rehabilitation specialist.

In order for a child to have a disability group established, all necessary medical documentation must be provided to the medical and social examination authorities. The child’s child’s record must contain the conclusions of the psychiatrist and child psychologist who observed him. In this case, expert doctors can have a more informative picture about the duration of the disease.

Before undergoing a medical and social examination, the baby is often prescribed additional tests and examinations. This can be either various laboratory tests or specialized brain studies that make it possible to clarify the nature and extent of disorders. Usually in our country an EEG or electroencephalography of the brain is prescribed.

Using this method, it is possible to establish various disorders of the conduction of nerve impulses in the cerebral cortex. The method is quite informative and is quite often used in child psychiatric and neurological practice.

The test results allow doctors to determine the nature and extent of impairments resulting from the disease.

Not all forms of autism can be assigned a disability group. As a rule, it is determined in the presence of persistent disorders of nervous activity, which lead to pronounced maladaptation of the baby.

The level of mental development and intelligence also significantly influence the prognosis of the course of the disease and the establishment of a group.

Often, disability is established after three years. Cases of establishing a group at an earlier age in Russia practically do not occur and are episodic in nature.

Autism is a disease that in most cases occurs without persistent periods of remission. This leads to the fact that the disability group is usually set for life.

Children with mental disabilities must undergo a whole range of rehabilitation measures. Speech therapists, psychologists, and rehabilitation doctors work with such children. The rehabilitation course is usually designed for a fairly long period, since the treatment of the disease is carried out throughout the life of a person suffering from autism.

Parents who are faced with establishing a disability group for their child often note some difficulties when conducting a medical and social examination. They most often note: a huge amount of pre-prepared medical documentation and long queues for examination. The disability group was not always determined upon initial treatment. Often, only on the second or third attempt did expert doctors make a positive decision about the presence of disabling signs in the child.

Establishing a group is a highly complex and often controversial task. However, for children with autism, this step is often forced, but truly necessary. To conduct full-fledged classes with a child, quite large financial costs are required: training with a psychologist, consultations with a speech therapist, hippotherapy courses, the use of special psychotropic medications. All this without a disability group becomes very difficult and financially burdensome for many families.

For parents raising autistic children, the main thing is to understand that this disease will remain with the child for life. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for autism.

With the right approach, autistic children develop well and, from the outside, do not even differ at all from their peers. Only a few strangers may notice that the baby is a little different from the others. However, they often believe that such a child is simply overly spoiled or has a bad character.

In order to improve your baby’s quality of life and help him with social adaptation, use the following tips:

• Try to communicate correctly with your child. Autistic children categorically do not accept raised voices or swearing. It is better to communicate with such children in the same calm tone, without using curse words. If your child does something wrong, try not to react too violently and aggressively, but simply explain to your child how to do this action correctly. You can also show this as a kind of game.
• Both parents should be involved in raising a child. Even though, as a rule, the baby chooses to communicate with dad or mom, they both must participate in his life. In this case, the child feels more comfortable and gets a correct idea of ​​the family organization. In the future, when creating his own life, he will largely be guided by the principles laid down in childhood.
• Potty training children with autism can be quite difficult. Child psychologists usually help with this. In a playful way, they create a similar everyday situation and work through the correct sequence of actions with the baby. For independent training at home, remember that you should potty train your child gradually and consistently. Never raise your voice or punish your child if he has done something wrong. In the case of an autistic child, this measure will not lead to a positive result.
• You can teach a child with autism to read only with daily lessons. Try to choose educational books without overly bright pictures. A huge number of different colors can alarm and even frighten a child. Choose publications without colorful pictures. Training is best done in a playful way. So the baby will perceive this process as a normal game.
• During a severe hysteria, the baby needs to be carefully calmed. It would be better to do this by the family member with whom the child has closer contact. If your child is overly aggressive, try to quickly take him to the nursery. A familiar environment will help your baby calm down more easily. Never raise your voice at a child, trying to shout to him! This won't lead to anything good. Explain to your baby that he has nothing to be afraid of and that you are nearby. Try to switch your attention to another event or object.
• Try to establish contact with your autistic child. The child communicates calmly only with the people closest to him. To do this, never ask your baby a million questions. Frequent hugs will also not lead to establishing contact. Try to spend more time with your baby, just watching his games. After some time, the child will perceive you as part of his game and will make contact more easily.
• Teach your child to the correct daily routine. Typically, autistic children respond well to a clearly organized routine. This gives them a feeling of complete comfort and security. Try to have your child fall asleep and wake up at the same time. Be sure to follow the feeding schedule. Even on weekends, maintain your baby's usual daily routine.
• Be sure to undergo regular examination and observation by a child psychotherapist and psychologist. Such consultations are very important for assessing the prognosis of the disease and establishing the dynamics of the child’s condition. Typically, young patients with autism should see a therapist at least twice a year. If your health worsens, more often.
• Provide proper nutrition for your baby. Given the characteristics of the disturbed microflora, all children with autism need to eat fermented milk products. They must be as fresh as possible. It is in this case that the concentration of beneficial lactobacilli and bifidobacteria will be sufficient. Only such products will be beneficial for the child and improve his digestion.
• From the very first days of your child’s birth, try to show him care and affection more often. Autistic children react very poorly to various physical manifestations of love and tenderness. However, this does not mean at all that this should not be done. Doctors advise hugging and kissing your child more often. This must be done without causing him mental pressure. If the baby is not in the mood, it is better to postpone hugs for a while.
• Give your baby a new friend. Most autistic children love pets. Communication with furry animals not only brings positive emotions to the baby and has a beneficial effect on the course of his illness, but also has a real therapeutic effect on tactile sensitivity. A cat or dog will become real friends for your baby and will help him more easily establish contacts not only with animals, but also with new people.
• Don't scold your child! A child suffering from autism perceives any raising of his voice very painfully. The reaction can be the most unpredictable. Some kids fall into severe apathy and become more indifferent to everything that happens in everyday life. Other children may experience excessive aggression that may even require medication.
• Try to choose an interesting hobby for your child. Very often, children with autism are excellent at drawing or playing musical instruments. Studying in a specialized art school will help your child achieve high professional success. Often such children become real geniuses. Be sure to monitor the load that falls on the baby. Excessive enthusiasm can lead to severe fatigue and impaired attention.
• Do not move furniture in the children's room or throughout the apartment. Try to keep all toys and objects that belong to the child in their place. Strong changes can cause real panic attacks and excessive aggression in a child suffering from autism. Purchase new items carefully, without attracting much attention to it.
• Don't limit your child to just being at home! Children with autism should not be confined to four walls all the time. This will only exacerbate your inability to make new friends and connections. Gradually expand the conditions where the baby spends a lot of time. Try to motivate him to go for a walk, visit close relatives. However, this should be done gradually, without psychological pressure. The baby should be very comfortable in new conditions.

Autism is not a death sentence. This is just a disease that requires increased and special attention to a child who is sick with this mental illness.

The right approach to organizing life and establishing personal contact helps such children feel more protected and improves the prognosis of the course and development of the disease.

Moms and dads should remember that a child diagnosed with autism requires your attention and care every day throughout his life. Such children are often called “special” because you need to build a unique approach with them.

Children with autism, with good rehabilitation, integrate quite well into society and are quite successful in later life.

Useful videos

Yana Summ (ex-wife of Konstantin Meladze) in the next video from my own experience talks about what you should pay attention to in order to suspect a child has autism.

You will learn a lot of nuances about autism by watching the programs of Dr. Komarovsky and “Live Healthy.”

When preparing the article, materials from the website “autism-test.rf” were used.

All people are different, and it is impossible to find two absolutely identical individuals. But sometimes there are special boys and girls. They can be distinguished from others at first glance. They are passionate about their own world, shy away from strangers and are extremely sensitive to their belongings. Sometimes this behavior indicates a special syndrome - autism. An autist is a person who is unable to form emotional closeness with others. This term was introduced into psychiatry by Bleuler to designate signs of a psychopathological state of personality. What are the features of this phenomenon?

Why does this happen?

Of course, this is not the norm, but a deviation, although not very common. Although they say that in girls and women autism can occur without external manifestations, since representatives of the fairer sex hide aggression and emotions within themselves. With the help of increased attention and special classes, some changes can be achieved in a person’s development, but they cannot be completely corrected.

It is worth noting that an autist is not a person with mental disabilities. On the contrary, such children may have the beginnings of genius, since they develop internally faster than externally. They may shun society in one form or another, refuse to speak, have difficulty seeing, but at the same time they can solve complex problems in their minds, masterfully navigate in space and have a photographic memory. With mild autism, the person seems almost normal, if a little peculiar. He can become gloomy for no reason, talk to himself in especially exciting moments, sit for hours in one place, looking at one point. But such moments can happen all the time in life.

It is more difficult to classify a severe degree of autism as normal, because it is a complete destruction of brain function. Previously, it was believed that an autistic child was a schizophrenic or even a psychopath. Over time, scientists figured out the essence of this deviation and differentiated them by symptoms. Today it is not difficult to make a diagnosis, so confusion at this stage can be avoided. There is no answer to the question about specific disorders in the brain activity of an autistic person, because there is no single mechanism. It is not even possible to say with certainty what exactly provokes autism - a group of disorders with certain mutations or a disorder of a specific area of ​​the brain. Many scientists agree that the refusal to work in one lobe of the brain entails the active work of the opposite, which is why such children show remarkable mathematical or creative abilities.

Autistic children

All future parents during pregnancy believe that their child will be the smartest, strongest and most beautiful. Long before birth, they begin to make plans, but no one can predict such a diagnosis for their child.

Autism is a congenital disease, not an acquired one. Its appearance is influenced by many factors both at the stage of fetal development and during its formation. All functional systems of the brain are affected, therefore it is impossible to completely eradicate autism. You can only make some adjustments to an individual’s behavior and adapt it to society. An autistic person is not an outcast of society, but a victim of it. The fear of communication does not allow him to comprehend much, but only a persistent and understanding person can break through his misunderstanding.

Reasons

Work with autistic children is carried out everywhere, starting from nurseries. At this stage, it is necessary to clarify and leave behind all questions about the causes of the deviation. Often parents look for answers in their past, blame themselves for alcohol abuse and come to belated repentance. Well, these factors could influence the child’s diagnosis, but this is not an axiom.

Sometimes absolutely healthy people are parents of autistic people. Scientists cannot determine the reasons for this phenomenon, although they have been trying to understand this mystery for many years. In truth, until recently the nature of autism was not really studied, so it would not be entirely correct to talk about a long period of observation. In general, the phenomenon itself was identified for study only in the 20th century. A range of risk factors that provoke autism has even been identified. In particular, these are disorders at the genetic level, hormonal abnormalities, complications during pregnancy and childbirth, poisoning, disruptions in chemical and biological processes, and cancerous tumors.

Genetics?

A large percentage of people with this disorder are characterized by the presence of a certain gene. Scientists believe that in such cases the neurexin-1 gene plays a significant role. The presence of the gene on chromosome 11 also remains suspicious. A conflict between parental genes can also result in a deviation. After conception, genes are blocked in the egg and can negatively affect the woman's health. In the male cell - the sperm - potentially dangerous genes for the child are turned off, which can ultimately provoke gene changes when shifted towards the male side. Scientists have documented a connection between autism and X-chromosome syndrome. Extensive research has been carried out, but in general the area of ​​​​knowledge remains unplowed virgin soil. Parents of autistic children worry about the future of their children and talk about the role of heredity in the appearance of this disorder. Various rumors and stories are cited to support this hypothesis. They say that the likelihood of developing autism increases if there is one such child in the family. There are also experts with a sharply opposite opinion, who claim that there are no families with several autistic people.

If hormones are playing

Hormones may be the cause of developmental abnormalities. In particular, the notorious testosterone can be blamed. Perhaps it is because of this that, according to statistics, boys are more often born with autism. So elevated testosterone levels can be considered a risk factor, since, together with other factors, it can result in brain dysfunction and depression of the left hemisphere. This can also explain the fact that among autistic people there are people gifted in one or another area of ​​knowledge, because the hemispheres of the brain begin to work in a compensatory mode, that is, one hemisphere compensates for the slowness of the other. There are risk factors during an adverse birth or difficult pregnancy. For example, a woman who suffered from infectious diseases or suffered stress during pregnancy should worry about the fate of her baby. Some doctors in such cases recommend terminating the pregnancy out of concern for the potential inferiority of the fetus. Rapid labor or birth injuries can also negatively affect the condition of the child. Other possible causes include heavy metal poisoning, radiation, viruses and vaccines. But official medicine categorically objects to the dangers of vaccinations, although statistics inexorably testify against them.

From the field of chemistry

Finally, many scientists believe that autism can develop against the background of a deficiency of a special protein - Cdk5. It is responsible for the production of synapses in the body, that is, structures that influence mental abilities. In addition, the concentration of serotonin in the blood may influence the development of autism. What conclusion can be drawn from this? Yes, that autism involves a number of disorders in the functioning of the human brain. Some of these violations were discovered experimentally. In particular, it was possible to determine the fact that changes were observed in the amygdala, which is responsible for emotions in the brain. Thus, human behavior changes. Also, through experiments, it was possible to establish the fact that in childhood, autistic people experience increased brain growth without any apparent reason.

Symptoms

Parents of young children try to detect the slightest signs of deviation from the norm in their children at the initial stage. And scientists, to help them, identify some signs and symptoms of autism for children of a conscious age. First of all, it is a violation of social interaction. Does your child have poor contact with peers? Hides from other kids or refuses to talk to them? A wake-up call and a reason for thought. But this is by no means an exact symptom, since the child may be tired, upset or angry. In addition, a child’s isolation may indicate some other mental disorders, such as schizophrenia.

What to do?

A person with such a disease cannot independently build relationships with other people. In especially serious cases, the child does not even trust his parents, shuns them and suspects them of evil intent. If an adult who gave birth to a child suffers from autism, then he may not feel any parental instincts and abandon the baby. But more often than not, autistic people are very tender and caring towards those people who care about them. True, they express their love in a slightly different way than other children. In society, they remain lonely, voluntarily withdrawing from attention, avoiding communication. An autistic person has no interest in games or entertainment. In some cases, they suffer from selective memory disorder and therefore do not recognize people.

Communication

Work with autistic people is carried out with a focus on their views and positions. From the point of view of such people, they do not leave society, but simply do not fit into it. Therefore, others cannot understand the meaning of the games; they consider topics interesting to autistic people boring. The speech of autistic people is often excessively monotonous and devoid of emotion. Phrases often turn out “short”, since autistic people give out specific information without unnecessary additions. For example, an autistic person will express his desire to drink water with one word “drink.” If other people are talking nearby, the child will repeat their sentences and words with deviation. For example, an adult says: “Look, what an airplane!”, and an autistic boy will unconsciously repeat: “Airplane,” without even realizing the moment that he is speaking out loud. This feature is called echolalile. By the way, repeating other people’s words is often considered a sign of intelligence, but autistic people do not understand the content of their statements. In their behavior, they are sensitive people, both tactile and sensory. This suggests that they have a strong tolerance for loud noises, bright lights, noisy crowds, or visual simulations. At a disco or party, autistic people can experience severe shock. Playing with modeling objects, sparkling candles on a cake, or walking barefoot will be painful for a person. It is important to remember that it is impossible to predict the behavior of an autistic person and his next step. The most ordinary things for him represent a whole ritual. For example, to take a bath you need a certain water temperature, volume, towel and soap of the same brand.

If any characteristic is violated, the autistic person will not adhere to the ritual. In an active state, he may behave nervously, clap his hands, smack his lips or pull his hair, and this behavior is unfocused and unconscious.

An ordinary child will not be able to play with autistic children, since they do not tolerate variety: having chosen one game, they do not get distracted, and remain faithful to one toy. Games can be unique, for example, all the toys are lined up against one wall, and then rearranged to the opposite one. There is no need to interfere with such a child, otherwise you can achieve a non-standard and unpredictable reaction, including aggression. Autistic people may become fascinated with objects with handles. For hours they turn the shutters and open the doors. In specialized kindergartens, classes with autistic people involve the use of construction sets. Sometimes children develop a love for small objects and elevate them to the rank of their friends. In such cases, a simple paper clip or a teddy bear replaces a loved one, and if anything happens to them, the child will become depressed or even furious. In modern developmental groups, a program for autistic people allows them to use tablets and experience sensory games. The only difference between toys for autism is their lightness and ergonomics so that they cannot harm the child.

Autism in a child begins to manifest itself before the age of three, and by the age of seven the developmental delay becomes obvious. This may be small stature or an equal level of development of both limbs. In such children, both arms are maximally developed. Children with autism are also sluggishly interested in people’s voices, do not ask to be held, hide from direct gaze, and are not inclined to naturally flirt with their parents. But they are not afraid of the dark and are not shy about strangers. We can say that the child is cold towards others, but he simply hides his emotions too deeply and expresses his desires by crying or screaming. Autistic people are afraid of everything new, so special institutions for their development rarely hire new employees. Teachers do not raise their voices, do not wear high heels, so as not to click with them. Any stress can develop into a real phobia. A memorable photo can be considered a real achievement. An autistic person who is not afraid of the camera most likely has a mild form of the disorder. Almost everyone is intimidated by the flash, the sound of the camera, or the process of developing film if using a Polaroid.

Public appearances

It is not for nothing that they say that many autistic people are geniuses in some areas. There are rumors that the philosopher Immanuel Kant suffered from autism. And so was the artist Niko Pirosmanishvili. Perhaps this is precisely what explains the strange unsociability and childish imagery of Hans Christian Andersen's thoughts. But, one way or another, these are pleasant exceptions, but a significant part of these children do not have the simplest social and everyday skills. As far as we know, autism is not inherited, since close relationships in people with such a diagnosis are not expected in principle.

There are very educational documentaries and feature films about autism. In particular, I would like to recall the painting “Rain Man”. A stunning film starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise has captivated many generations of viewers. The plot centers on two brothers who lost their father. One of the brothers (Cruz) is young, charming and callous in soul. He has a beautiful girlfriend and big debts. The second (Hoffman) suffers from autism. His home is a center for autism, and all his joys in life lie in organizing books, solving problems and eating the same breakfasts. A huge inheritance, not quite fairly divided, forces one brother to kidnap the other and take him with him, demanding a ransom. They have to communicate with each other, which, surprisingly, is beneficial for the autistic person. He is also a human being, which Tom Cruise’s character couldn’t understand at first.

Films about autism are philosophical and educational. They always have morality and double truth. With increased attention and love, an autistic person can be re-educated and accustomed to society. For this purpose, many methods have been developed, the main goal of which is to develop independence in the baby. If a child has a severe form of the disease, then there is a school for autism, where he will be taught non-verbal communication and primary adaptation skills. The teachers act with affection and kindness.

We are constantly working with a psychologist who teaches some behavioral techniques. In the process of teaching and socializing the child, the parents themselves learn. They learn that autism is a complex neurobiological developmental disorder. In group photos, the autistic person exhibits stereotypical behavior: he stands alone, trying to isolate himself from other people.

Verdict of medical workers

Doctors prefer to classify people with autism according to various characteristics, but consider the general disorder to be autism spectrum disorder with a number of features. This autism spectrum disorder can vary in severity, but invariably indicates the presence of a disorder. Autistic people in Moscow undergoing treatment and adaptation undergo several tests to determine their level. Among the signs sought may be autistic disorders, which is the classic form of autism, or Asperger's syndrome, but there is also atypical autism, in which doctors note profound developmental disorders. During complex treatment, relatives of autistic people are also tested. According to statistics, they are united by a low level of development and heterogeneity of reaction to stimulation of electromagnetic fields. The earlier the disease is detected, the greater the likelihood of a successful outcome.