Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them. It is a spectrum condition, which means that while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways. Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives, but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of special support.
People with autism have said that the world, to them, is a mass of people, places, and events which they struggle to make sense of and which can cause them considerable anxiety. Autism is part of the autism spectrum and is sometimes referred to as an autism spectrum disorder, or an ASD. The three main areas of difficulty which the people with autism share are sometimes known as the ‘triad of impairments.’ They are:
1. Difficulty with social communication
2. Difficulty with social interaction
3. Difficulty with social imagination
It can be hard to create awareness of autism as people with the condition do not look disabled. Parents of children with autism often say that other people simply think their child is naughty, while adults find that they are misunderstood. All people with autism can benefit from a timely diagnosis and access to appropriate services and support.
Until recently, most scientists believed that autism is caused mostly by genetic factors. But currently new research indicates that environmental factors may also be important in the development of autism. Babies may be born with a genetic vulnerability to autism that is then triggered by something in the external environment, either while he or she is still in the womb or sometime after birth. It’s important to note that the environment, in this context, means anything outside the body. It’s not limited to things like pollution or toxins in the atmosphere. In fact, one of the most important environments appears to be the prenatal environment.
Taking antidepressants during pregnancy, especially in the first 3 months Nutritional deficiencies early in pregnancy, particularly not getting enough folic acid.
The age of the mother and father
Complications at or shortly after birth, including very low birth weight and new-born anemia
Maternal infections during pregnancy
Exposure to chemical pollutants, such as metals and pesticides, while pregnant.
If autism is caught in infancy, treatment can take full advantage of the young brain’s remarkable plasticity. Although autism is hard to diagnose before 24 months, symptoms often surface between 12 and 18 months. If signs are detected by 18 months of age, intensive treatment may help to rewire the brain and reverse the symptoms.
The earliest signs of autism involve the absence of normal behaviors not the presence of abnormal ones so they can be tough to spot. In some cases, the earliest symptoms of autism are even misinterpreted as signs of a “good baby,” since the infant may seem quiet, independent, and undemanding. However, you can catch warning signs early if you know what to look for. Some autistic infants don’t respond to cuddling, reach out to be picked up, or look at their mothers when being fed.
Make eye contact, such as looking at you when being fed or smiling when being smiled at
The following delays warrant an immediate evaluation by your child’s pediatrician:
By 6 months: No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions
By 9 months: No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions
By 12 months: Lack of response to name
By 12 months: No babbling or “baby talk”
By 12 months: No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving
By 16 months: No spoken words
By 24 months: No meaningful two-word phrases that don’t involve imitating or repeating
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