Frequently Asked Questions About Autism Spectrum Disorder

1. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is often diagnosed in the first three years of life. Parents are generally worried when their kid exhibits delays in speech development, limited social relatedness, and limited interests and activities. The youngster may avoid direct eye contact and display unusual behaviours such as concentrating on sections of things (such as a toy car’s spinning wheel).

Unusual motor movements such as hand flapping, self-stimulation, or walking on toes may occur in an affected child. They are a group of neurological illnesses characterized by limited behavioural patterns and deficits in social communication and relationships. These illnesses have similar origins and characteristics, but they are classed as spectrum disorders since symptoms and severity differ between people.

2. What are the major disorders that are categorized under the mentioned spectrum?

• Asperger’s syndrome is a kind of autism. This is considered to be on the milder end of the autism spectrum. A person with Asperger’s syndrome may be quite clever and capable of managing their everyday lives. They could be very concentrated on issues that fascinate them and talk about them incessantly. However, they have a considerably more difficult social life.
• PDD-NOS stands for pervasive developmental disorder. This mouthful of a diagnosis encompassed the majority of youngsters with autism that was more severe than Asperger’s syndrome. Autism is a neurological condition. This older word is more severe than Asperger’s and PDD-NOS on the autism spectrum.
• Disintegrative condition in childhood. This was the most uncommon segment of the spectrum and is mostly manifested with severe symptoms. It describes youngsters who develop normally before rapidly losing numerous social, verbal, and mental skills, generally between the ages of 2 and 4.

3. What are the major causes of ASD?

No one can pinpoint a single factor as the cause of autism spectrum disease. Genetics and environment are two of the most pivotal factors that may influence the severity and intricacies of each of these disorders.

• Genetics: Autism spectrum disease appears to be caused by a combination of genes. Autism spectrum disorder can be accompanied by a genetic disease, such as Rett syndrome or Fragile X syndrome, in certain children. Some may influence brain growth or the way brain cells communicate, while others may influence the intensity of symptoms. Some genetic mutations appear to be inherited, whilst others appear to emerge spontaneously.
• Environmental factors: Researchers are presently investigating whether viral infections, drugs or difficulties during pregnancy, or air pollution might cause autism spectrum disease. There are quite high chances for these stimuli to be potential causal factors that may trigger these disorders.

4. Who is more vulnerable to developing the disorders within the mentioned spectrum?

According to CDC (Center for Disease Control) data from 2014, around one in every 68 children has been diagnosed or classified as having an autistic spectrum condition. Boys are five times more likely than girls to have ASD, with one in every 48 boys and one in every 252 girls diagnosed. The cause of the gender difference in susceptibility is still under research. Genetics might be the most potent element. Data reveal that children with an autistic parent or sibling have a greater risk of being autistic. One out of every 10 children with autism has a genetic condition. Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, chromosomal abnormalities, and tuberous sclerosis are examples of these.

Also Read: Modern interventions for the treatment of Autism Spectrum disorder

5. How are these disorders commonly manifested in a child? What are its major symptoms?

• Failure to react to their name by the age of one year.
• By fourteen months, the child may still not be capable enough to point at intriguing items.
• A distinct lack of eye contact and a desire to be alone.
• Inability to comprehend other people’s emotions or to express their own.
• Speech and communication abilities are delayed.
• Excessive repeating of certain phrases or single words is known as echolalia.
• Answering queries with unconnected responses.
• Being especially sensitive to little changes in one’s own environment and habits.
• Obsessively displaying one’s interests.
• Repetitive gestures such as flapping their hands, moving their bodies, or spinning in circles.
• Reacting strangely to commonplace objects’ flavour, smell, texture, appearance, or sound.

6. Are there any medical blood tests that could help detect the presence of Autism in a Child?

Unfortunately, no blood test run on the child can help detect the presence of any of the autism spectrum disorders in a child as they are all neurodevelopmental disorders and their consequences are manifested behaviorally and not physiologically.

7. Does being Autistic affect an individual daily life as they slowly turn into mature individuals?

Each of the disorders is manifested through different but almost overlapping manifestations. Individuals with autism have variable degrees of impairment, which implies that everyone is affected differently by this disorder. One individual may suffer from not being able to grasp nonverbal cues in conversations, whereas another may have an intellectual handicap. Thus, it could seriously depend upon the intensity of the disorder that may define the disability they may have to cope with.

Read More: ADHD: Diagnosis, Types and Treatment

8. Are there any medications or one-stop solutions for treating autism?

There is no one-stop solution to treat autism spectrum disorders. Children who are suffering from ASD are mostly referred to undergo behavioural therapies. The objective of therapy is to improve your child’s capacity to function by minimizing symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and promoting growth and learning. Many programs target the social, verbal, and behavioural issues that are common in autism spectrum disorder. Some programs attempt to focus on reducing the problem’s behavioural tendencies and also aid them in acquiring desirable novel abilities.

Other programs educate youngsters on how to behave in social situations or how to communicate more effectively with others. Highly organized educational programs generally work effectively for children with autism spectrum disorder. A team of professionals and a range of activities to promote social skills, communication, and behaviour are often included in successful programs.