Autism Spectrum Disorders - complex developmental disorders, each of which is differently manifested and varies in its effects on the development and behavior of a person.
Speaking of autism, it is important to consider them all in a complex.
People seeking to learn more about the disorders of the autism spectrum first ask: autism is treated or not?
The answer to this question is quite simple: treated, but it is impossible to completely cure him at the moment. However, helping an autistic person to adapt to society is more than realistic.
How can parents understand that a child has autism?
Parents who have a small child you need to closely monitor how it developshow it interacts with the world, with people, what interests it, how quickly it acquires skills and abilities.
This will allow time to notice developmental abnormalities and contact specialists to examine the child, conduct a series of examinations and tests, and then diagnose and prescribe treatment.
Often parents do not notice signs of autism until a certain point. In some cases, the diagnosis is set, when the child has already gone to school.
The characteristic signs of autism spectrum disorders that are important for parents to pay attention to are:
- Problems with social interactions. Autistic children have difficulty in communicating, it is difficult for them to grasp the emotional state of people who talk to them. In some cases, this symptom can be noticed in a child under one year old: he does not react emotionally to his parents, does not seek to look into his eyes, and inanimate objects attract their attention more than people.
Also, autistic children do not smile, do not respond to their name (do not turn their heads, do not react) or respond with a delay.
- Speech difficulties, impaired speech development. Late autistic children begin to roar and babble, and their whole speech is formed with a delay.
- Small vocabulary. This symptom is not very characteristic of high-functioning autists and in children with Asperger syndrome: on the contrary, they often have a fairly good, sometimes more voluminous vocabulary than their peers. This is typical of low-functional autists who, in addition to autistic traits, have an IQ below average.
- Custom or delicate gestures. They make little use of gestures when communicating with others, do not point the finger at the object, they find it difficult to speak and gesticulate at the same time.
- Repetitive behavior and so-called "rituals." It is important for an autistic child that everything always be according to certain rules: for example, he will start to cry if he is given the wrong plate from which he is used to eating. Also, he will in a certain sequence lay out toys and other items.
- A child does not play like other children. His little interest in toys, he prefers to interact with ordinary objects. Also, he does not play according to certain plots, does not build houses from the designer, does not carry dolls in toy trucks, but lays out objects in a certain sequence, shifts from place to place with only one known purpose to him.
- Autoaggressiveness. Autistic children tend to hurt themselves: bite themselves, beat, scratch. Some autistic children may show aggression towards others in cases where usual daily rituals are not followed.
- Lack of learning. Even in children with high IQ there are difficulties in the process of mastering skills. This is largely due to the fact that they find it difficult to interact with others.
- Inadequate reactions to stimuli. These children are able to throw a tantrum, if the room in which they entered, too bright lighting. They may over-react to touch.
Also, autistic children often have various sleep disorders: they fall asleep worse, they can wake up several times during the night.
If at least some of these symptoms are observed in a child, it is important to show specialists. The sooner a diagnosis is made, the easier it will be to help the child adapt.
How is it diagnosed?
If parents notice that the child has signs of autism, it is important to take him to the pediatrician and tell clearly, with examples, how he behaves, how he develops, how he communicates with others, list the symptoms that may indicate that he has a violation.
The pediatrician will ask clarifying questions, examine the child and refer him to a child psychiatrist.
A child who is believed to have an autistic disorder is followed for a while by the following the specialists:
- pediatrician;
- psychiatrist;
- psychologist;
- speech therapist;
- neurologist.
The diagnosis is set if the child has symptomatic triad of autism:
- severe communication disorder;
- pronounced disruption of social interactions;
- stereotype, which manifests itself in behavior, in the activity and interests of the child.
Also, the child is sent to studies that show the state of his somatic health: in some cases, symptoms similar to autism may be observed in other pathologies.
Usually the child is sent to:
- electroencephalography;
- magnetic resonance and computed tomography.
If necessary, the child is examined by a gastroenterologist, audiologist, ophthalmologist and geneticist.
Widely used various diagnostic testswhich determine the level of the child’s intelligence, his ability to operate with abstract concepts, the ability to understand the material.
Tests are selected taking into account the child's age and allow specialists not only to diagnose autism and distinguish it from similar pathologies, but also to determine the most appropriate treatment regimen: if a child, in addition to autism, has oligophrenia, treatment methods will differ from those used if there is no oligophrenia.
Diagnostic criteria for age
Characteristic diagnostic signs of autism in different age periods:
- Early age. The child does not pronounce individual words at the age of 1.4 years; by the age of two, he is not able to put two words into a phrase, at the age of the year he does not use an indicating gesture.
- Preschool age. Violations of speech development, specific features of eye contact (the child either looks very short, or very long and avoids looking into the eyes), performing repetitive actions with objects, impaired ability to respond to the emotions of others and change behavior in accordance with the situation, non-standard reaction upon contact with certain stimuli, stereotypical behavior.
- School age. The child is not interested in others, practically does not communicate with peers, has no friends. In the sphere of his interests - inanimate objects. He does not need emotional support in situations where non-autistic children need it. He is fascinated by one particular sphere (this is called “special interest”), and his interest will not always help him to be realized anywhere, since quantum physics and picking up buttons can be a special interest of autistic children.
Autistic schoolchildren find it difficult to maintain a conversation with someone, they have difficulty understanding when to end the dialogue and when it is appropriate to begin it.
How to distinguish from oligophrenia?
Autism has features similar to mental retardation, especially when it comes to children under 4-5 years of age.
Therefore, specialists it is important to conduct a differentiated diagnosis.
Traits similar to oligophreniainherent in different groups of autism:
- difficulties in learning everyday skills;
- play activity is subject-manipulative, the child does not move to the role-play play activity;
- speech abnormalities;
- underdevelopment of fine motor skills;
- lack of initiative;
- small vocabulary;
- unexpressed mental activity.
Differences: oligophrenic children tend to maintain eye contact, show interest in communication, their vital needs are strongly pronounced.
Also they absent speech features characteristic of autism, emotional sensitivity, vulnerability, interest in signs.
Autistic children show the best results if they are in a comfortable environment for them, and this is not observed in the case of oligophrenics.
Treatment in children
Correctional work with autistic children is aimed at alleviating the severity of characteristic autistic symptoms, the formation of communicative skills. It is important for parents to follow the recommendations of specialists and exercise regularly with the child at hometo achieve high results.
The following specialists are involved in remedial work.:
- psychologist;
- psychotherapist;
- speech therapist;
- defectologist.
If necessary, the child should be transferred to a specialized educational institution (kindergarten, school) or trained at home. This is especially important, if the child has not only autism, but also mental retardation.
The main techniques that are used when working with autistic children:
- Applied behavioral analysis. A well-known therapeutic technique, which is used mainly in working with autistic children. But it is also used in many other areas. It helps children with autism change their behavior to a socially approved one using various techniques, learn important skills and better adapt to society. This method is based on the principles of behaviorism.
- PECS communication technique. The child is taught to communicate with others using image cards and to develop communication skills with them. Helps to initiate communication, increases vocabulary.
- Various therapies to help your child develop and improve his skills: art therapy, game therapy, occupational therapy, communication with animals (hippotherapy, feline therapy, dolphin therapy).
A psychologist helps an autistic child to adapt to a peer group, creates skills and abilities that allow him to socialize in society.
- In the process of working with a child, a psychologist must consider him individual characteristicsand his office should be adapted to the needs of autistic children: there should not be bright, noisy objects in it that can cause sensory overload in a child. Sound insulation is also important so that the child does not hear extraneous noises.
- You need to communicate with an autistic child in a quiet, calm voice, in some cases - in a whisper.
- Clothing psychologist must be monotonous and do not contain bright, eye-catching items.
- Psychologist should be able to involve the child in joint activities and apply his interests for his own purposes. For example, if a child likes to tear paper, you can suggest that he make an application based on torn pieces of paper.
- Psychologists working with autistic children, used in the game with water, sand, finger games, relaxing exercises, music therapy.
In most cases, specialists tend to avoid using medication during therapy. The priority is always teaching techniques and techniques that will help the child in development and adaptation.
Usually drugs are prescribed in cases where prolonged work with a child has not shown significant effectiveness.
The following groups of drugs may be prescribed.:
- antidepressants (fluoxetine, setralin);
- antipsychotics (clozapine);
- tranquilizers (Atarax);
- mood stabilizers (risperidone).
Correctional classes at home
Parents first need patience and realize that they will be able to help the child if they are attentive to him and take into account all his features.
Important:
- follow the daily schedule and make sure that everything that surrounds the child is familiar to him;
- notice his special interests and use them to advance in learning;
- to accustom the child to everyday habits;
- accompany him when visiting various events;
- create a comfortable zone for him where it will be convenient to practice and relax;
- observe his behavior, notice the signs of fatigue.
These tips are important when working with an autistic child. any age.
It is also important to remember that the child will achieve great success in a comfortable environment. Avoid making radical changes in his life.
Homework for autistic children:
- Puzzles and puzzles. This activity is tied to a sequence of actions, therefore it is understandable to autistic children and is of interest.
- Games. The development of autistic children is favored by sensory play, which forces him to analyze the signals that he receives through sensory organs. Games like “Where does the bell ring?”, “Magic bag”, “Learn by voice”, “Auditory lotto”, “Tactile beads” will be suitable. It is also important to leave the child time for his own stereotypical games: they help him calm down and feel better.
- Drawing. Autistic children are given drawing more easily, not modeling, because it does not involve close sensory effects. Usually, children move to a sculpture later. To make it easier for your child, offer him photos of objects and places that he likes to copy. It is important that the drawing does not cause rejection in the child. Also in the process of drawing you can develop the knowledge and skills of the child, to stimulate him to communicative activity. For example, you can ask him questions like "What color is this pencil?".
- Collecting. The autistic systematization effort can be applied to gain benefits: encourage the child to start collecting something. It can be candy wrappers, photos, stones, shells. It is important that the work with the collection is consistent with the daily plan.
- An activity built on repetition. Autistic children can easily adapt to the plan and perform certain actions in accordance with it. For example, you can offer him to keep calendars, feed the animals at the same time.
Highly functional autistics and children with Asperger Syndrome usually learn early to readbecause they are interested in signs, symbols. It is important to encourage their interest in reading and giving books, offering to read aloud and tell about what they read.
Diet
It is widely believed that gluten-free and casein-free diets can reduce the severity of autism symptoms in children.
But this is not the case: There are no official data on the effectiveness of these diets in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders.
Moreover: the observance of a caseinless diet leads to impaired bone development: The bones of children who follow such a diet are thinner than those of those who did not observe it.
The only "diet" that really should be followed - proper nutrition. An autistic child, like any other, it is important to get the necessary amount of nutrients from food daily.
How to treat in adults?
Correction to help children adapt and acquire the necessary skills in the case of adults, it practically does not work. Therefore, it is necessary to start it as soon as possible.
There are programs and institutions that help adult autistic people to adapt, offer them support, but in Russia this area is not developed.
Some of the autistic people, even despite working with them in childhood, are not able to exist in society, so they will live in specialized boarding schools (in the case of Russia - in commercial boarding schools).
Autistic people important is the support of others. Despite the fact that they, it would seem, are not interested in social contacts, they need communication, especially with relatives: with relatives, friends, with people who will help.
Some autistic people prescribe antidepressants, mood monitors, antipsychotics, tranquilizers that help them to control themselves better, to cope with anxiety, fears.
Forecast
So is autism curable in children?
Autism Spectrum Disorders incurable, but their severity can be mitigated.
Some children (3-25%, depending on the sample), with whom they were actively engaged, are in remission, and the diagnosis is removed.
Forecast depends largely on how diligently you studied with a person in childhood, when he was diagnosed, what type and what group of autism he has, whether there are oligophrenia and concomitant diseases.
Some people with autism adapt to society, work, even have a family and children.
To an autistic child managed to adapt in society, I found my place in it, it is important to regularly engage with it, maintain, take into account its individual characteristics.
Autism Home Treatment:
