For the first time hearing the diagnosis of "autism" in the address of their child, many parents are lost and lowered their hands. After all, this means that it will be extremely difficult to find a common language with the baby, and maybe this will not happen at all. But to sound an alarm is not to act idly! Syndrome of early childhood autism is treatable and corrected. So, there are all chances to give the child a normal, happy and fulfilling life! In this article, we will share some facts and details of classes with autistic kids.
Early Childhood Autism - Signs and Causes
For the first time children's autism was described in 1943 thanks to Dr. L. Kanner. He examined several cases of the disease and revealed all the common signs of childhood autism in them: inability to contact the surrounding eyes, almost complete absence of facial expressions, unusual reaction to external stimuli, stereotyped behavior.
Parents who suspect their children of such a diagnosis as children's autism, from infancy, can see the following symptoms:
- lack of the baby's need for communication;
- breakdown of speech skills;
- monotonous activity;
- fear of something new.
In addition, children with autism syndrome can manifest aggression, refuse or can not walk, they do not smile, and do not recognize emotions on the faces of others, often tend to order things and create their own special rituals, in eating, dressing, etc. All these symptoms are detected up to three years. And the first time they noticed, it is important not to confuse them with similar manifestations of other mental disorders. This will help diagnose children with autism:
- Mental retardation - although initially the decline in intelligence is similar to RDA (early childhood autism), but unlike it, children suffering, for example, Down's Syndrome, in any way, seek to establish contact and emotional relationships with others.
- Schizophrenia in children - originally autism was treated precisely as a subtype of schizophrenia. However, children with autism do not show any disorders accompanied by delusions or hallucinations. In addition, childhood schizophrenia begins to develop after a period of normal development.
- Disintegrative disorders. A very large similarity of autism has two syndromes, but on closer examination only some of their features are similar:
- Geller's syndrome. He is diagnosed only after 3-4 years, when a normally developing child becomes irritable and disobedient, quickly loses motor skills, speech and suffers from a decrease in intelligence
- Rett syndrome. The loss of targeted actions diagnosed with this disease, loss of intelligence and other neurological symptoms occur only after 6-20 months of normal development.
Children's autism - treatment
The problem of childhood autism is that, despite well-studied symptoms, the approach to every child suffering from this disorder should be individualized. In addition, per 10000 population, this disease occurs only in 2-4 toddlers. Parents whose children are diagnosed with autism should understand that their child will be special throughout their lives. And the sooner the correction work begins, the faster the baby can find a common language with the world that surrounds him.
Today, classes for children with autism have several options. Classical psychotherapy helps the child cope with his fears, establish contact with others, remove psychological barriers, etc. Popular today dolphin
Help for a child with autism should be continuous. Parents who have such special children should remember that their babies will always differ from those around them. However, autism is not a verdict, but an opportunity to look at the world with other eyes. Through the eyes of his child.