Autism

Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how people communicate and interact with others. Autistic people view the world in a different way to others, they see, hear and experience the world differently from people without autism. If you are autistic, you are autistic for life; autism is not an illness or disease and cannot be 'cured'. Often people feel being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity. It affects people in different ways.  The main signs of autism are differences in how autistic people communicate and interact with others. There are 2 main signs:
·        difficulties with social communication and interaction – autistic people may find it hard to join in conversations or to make friends
·        repetitive behaviour, routines and activities – such as fixed daily routines, repetitive body movements and a hypersensitivity to certain sounds
The possible signs of Autism in preschool children are:
·        Delayed speech development
·        Not responding to their name being called
·        Limited interest in communicating with people
·        Avoiding eye contact
·        Repetitive movements
The exact cause of autism is currently unknown. Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition. The causes are still being investigated, although evidence suggests that autism may be caused by many factors that affect the way the brain develops. Most researchers believe that certain genes a child inherits from their parents could make them more likely to have autism. This is called a genetic predisposition. Also environmental triggers are said to play an important role. It is believed that there are some possible triggers that may increase the likelihood of being autistic:
  • Being born prematurely (before 35 weeks of pregnancy)
  • Being exposed to alcohol in the womb
  • Being exposed to certain medicines, such as sodium valproate (sometimes used to treat epilepsy), in the womb
Getting a diagnosis involves a detailed assessment. This should be done by either a specialist autism team (if available in your area) or a healthcare professional who specialises in diagnosing autism. A diagnosis of autism is based on the range of signs and characteristics your child is showing.
For most children:
  • Information will be needed about your child's development, health and behaviour
  • A speech and language therapist will carry out an assessment
  • A detailed physical examination will need to be carried out to rule out possible physical causes of your child's symptoms, such as an underlying condition like neurofibromatosis or Down's syndrome
  • The assessment will include a check for any other physical health conditions and mental health problems
Although Autism is lifelong and uncuttable there are ways which parents can build a bond and help their child with there communication difficulties for example when interacting with your child:
  • Use your child's name so they know you're addressing them
  • Keep background noise to a minimum
  • Keep language simple and literal
  • Speak slowly and clearly
  • Some parents find it useful to accompany what they say with simple gestures or pictures
  • Allow extra time for your child to process what you have said
Autism can be a negative or a positive based on how its viewed and how its overcome.
Thank you for reading
Kethujah Sethurajah

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/treatment/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/treatment/

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