Autism is one of the prevalent diseases today, but you should not panic or fear when hearing about autism or the autism spectrum In this article, we will show you the signs and symptoms of autism,
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| The Main Signs of autism in toddlers |
signs of autism in children There are many signs of autism in children, which may be more difficult to notice in girls, due to their ability to hide their feelings and calmness,
which may make them seem more able to act in social situations, and the symptoms vary according to the age group, and can be indicated This is as follows:
Signs of autism in young children: These include:
Signs related to social skills Children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty interacting with others, the child may want to form close relationships with others, but he does not know how to do so usually, and some social symptoms appear in the child at the age of (8-10) months, and these symptoms include:
- Not returning the smile when smiling at them.
- Avoid eye contact.
- Not interested in playing with others, or talking to them.
- Not responding to their name call.
- The child's preference is to stay alone.
- Lack of their speaking compared to other children.
- Extreme discomfort about certain things, such as sounds, smells, or flavors.
- Repeat the same sentences.
- Avoid and refuse physical contact.
- Inability for the child to understand his emotions or the emotions of others.
Signs related to communication skills Children with autism face many problems with communication skills with others, including:
- Do not speak before the age of 16 months.
- Do not point out the things that the child needs, and do not share things with others.
- Repeat what others say, without understanding the meaning.
- Not responding to the call, and responding to other sounds, such as car sirens or cat meows.
- Confusion between pronouns, where the child refers to himself as you, and to others as me.
- Not wanting to talk or talk, not starting it, or wanting to continue it.
- The power of memory in all subjects, especially numbers, letters, and songs.
Patterns of behavior in autistic children Children with autism may have different behavioral patterns or repetitive activities, including:
- Repeating various movements, such as vibration, rotation, and fluttering hands.
- Doing activities that cause self-harm, such as: biting or hitting the head.
- Get used to certain rituals and get upset when any change occurs to this routine.
- Having problems in coordination, and doing strange movement patterns, such as: walking on the toes.
- Insensitivity to light, sound, or unusual touch, pain, or heat.
- Having specific food preferences, such as eating a few foods or rejecting a certain type of food.
Signs of autism in older children: These include the following:
- Keen interest in certain matters or activities.
- Difficulty expressing feelings.
- Inability to understand or analyze the thoughts or feelings of others.
- Extreme resentment when asked to perform tasks.
- Difficulty making friends.
- Preference for or heavy reliance on routine, and great resentment of changes that are taking place.
- Understanding sentences in their literal sense, and not being able to analyze what they mean.
Diagnosis of autism in children
Diagnosing autism may pose some challenges, due to the lack of laboratory tests capable of detecting this condition, so doctors rely on monitoring children's behaviors and listening to parents' observations for early diagnosis, which makes a big difference in the lives of children with the autism spectrum. The diagnosis of this disease is carried out in two stages, which can be explained as follows:
Developmental tests:
Developmental examinations are conducted to detect his disorders for all children at the age of 9 months, one and a half years, and at the age of two years, in which the pediatrician assesses the child's ability to learn basic skills by asking questions to parents, playing with the child,
talking to him and monitoring him, and if any problems are observed, the second stage of diagnosis will be performed. The child may need more developmental examination sessions if there are risk factors that make him more susceptible to autism, including the following:
- Premature birth of the baby, which makes him more vulnerable to developmental problems.
- Low birth weight compared to normal.
- The presence of brothers or sisters with autism.
- The child shows some behaviors associated with autism.
Comprehensive diagnostic assessment:
This type of evaluation is done by using a pediatrician, such as psychiatrists, neurologists, and pediatricians specialized in child development, and this evaluation includes several tests, including the following:
- Examine the child's behavior and development.
- Interviewing parents.
- Hearing and vision tests.
- Genetic and neurological tests
In the end: parents should know that if their son or daughter has autism is not a scary thing or the end of their life, an autistic patient under good organization, discipline, and perseverance can have a normal quiet life, so I advise every mother or father to be patient with your children and adapt and persevere in repeating behavior modification methods to reach fruitful results to obtain a normal life in the future.
There is nothing wrong with seeking the necessary help from specialists, and individuals surrounding children must follow the steps and methods that the specialist will refer to to get the best benefit.
If there is any inquiry or question, feel free to leave it in the comments on the site and we will answer you
I wish you all a happy family and a bright future
