World Autism Awareness Day 2022: All you need to know about the neurological condition

The exact cause though cannot be defined; however, genetics and heritability play a significant role. Autism includes impairment of social communication and repetitive behaviour and can have associated delayed/aberrant language development. Around 30 per cent of these children can also have intellectual disabilities.

Asperger’s disorder, however, does not include language impairment criteria. Whereas, Rett syndrome is diagnosed when a female child shows normal development until 6 months of age and thereafter shows repetitive hand movements, decreasing language use, decreasing social engagement etc.

Children with autism might display insistence on having the same thing/activity, may be sensitive to some stimuli whereas, they might not respond to a certain stimulus like sound. They might show unstable moods and might cry, laugh, get irritated suddenly and at times for a prolonged duration.

Such a child can also have poor attention and might be hyperactive. It can also be associated with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). These children might display insomnia.

They are also known to have special abilities like prodigious memories, calculation skills much better than the children of their age group.

A two-year-old boy was brought by his parents to me with a history of speech delay. They had read about speech delay seen in autism and were worried about their son. However, upon detailed evaluation, there were no other clear features of Autism in the boy. We suspected a diagnosis of speech delay and advised the parents to encourage talking more to the child, involving grandparents, and avoiding gadgets. Within six months, the child’s vocabulary improved significantly and no other signs of Autism were seen.

Early diagnosis is essential for early intervention (Source: Getty Images/File)

A child with Autism should never be labelled as ‘Autistic child’. They are special and with the right therapy, they can show improvement. Also, if there is an associated intellectual disability, the child can be admitted to a special school wherein they can learn a curriculum designed according to the special child’s abilities and also do not feel overwhelmed with competition which can happen if they are admitted to other schools.

Early diagnosis is essential for early intervention; hence parents, teachers and overall society need increased awareness about the pointers of autism. Management includes speech therapy, social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy as per the age of the child. Mild autism might not be clearly evident, and might not interfere significantly with the daily routine. In severe cases, Science has developed several medications to manage agitation, mood swings, insomnia and hyperactivity which can improve the quality of life.

(The author is a Visiting Consultant Psychiatrist, Altius Hospital, Bangalore)

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