Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
ASD is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior.
Why is it a Spectrum of Disorders?
The term "spectrum" in ASD refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity and includes conditions that were previously considered separate — autism, Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and an unspecified form of pervasive developmental disorder. Autism Spectrum Disorder begins in early childhood and eventually causes problems functioning in society — socially, in school and at work, for example. Often children show symptoms of autism within the first year. A small number of children appear to develop normally in the first year, and then go through a period of regression between 18 and 24 months of age when they develop autism symptoms.
What are the symptoms?
Some children show signs of autism spectrum disorder in early infancy, such as reduced eye contact, lack of response to their name or indifference to caregivers. Other children may develop as expected for the first few months or years of life, but then become withdrawn or aggressive or lose language skills they've already acquired. Signs usually are usually seen by age 2 years. Some children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty learning, and some have signs of lower than normal intelligence. Other children with the disorder have normal to high intelligence — they learn quickly yet have trouble communicating and applying what they know in everyday life and adjusting to social situations.
When to see a doctor?
Babies develop at their own pace, and many don't follow exact timelines found in some parenting books but children with autism spectrum disorder usually show some signs of delayed development before age 2 years. Signs of autism spectrum disorder often appear early in development when there are obvious delays in language skills and social interactions. Your doctor may recommend developmental tests to identify if your child has delays in cognitive, language and social skills, especially if your child:
- Doesn't respond with a smile or happy expression by 6 months.
- Doesn't mimic sounds or facial expressions by 9 months.
- Doesn't babble or coo by 12 months.
- Doesn't gesture — such as point or wave — by 14 months.
- Doesn't say single words by 16 months.
- Doesn't play "make-believe" or pretend by 18 months.
- Doesn't say two-word phrases by 24 months.
- Loses language skills or social skills at any age.
What causes Autism Spectrum Disorders?
ASD has no single known cause. Both genetics and environment may play a role.
What are the risk factors for ASD?
ASD affects children of all races and nationalities, but certain factors increase a child's risk:
- Your child's gender. Boys are about four times more likely to develop ASD than girls.
- Family history. Families who have one child with autism spectrum disorder have an increased risk of having another child with the disorder.
- Other disorders such as include fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis and Rett syndrome.
- Extremely preterm babies such as babies born before 26 weeks of gestation.
- Parents' ages. There may be a connection between children born to older parents and ASD.
Is there any way to prevent ASD?
There's no way to prevent autism spectrum disorder, but there are treatment options.
What are the treatment options?
No cure exists for autism spectrum disorder. The goal of treatment is to maximize your child's ability to function by reducing autism spectrum disorder symptoms and supporting development and learning. Early intervention during the preschool years can help your child learn critical social, communication, functional and behavioral skills:
- Behavior and communication therapies. Many programs address the range of social, language and behavioral difficulties associated with autism spectrum disorder. Some programs focus on reducing problem behaviors and teaching new skills. Other programs focus on teaching children how to act in social situations or communicate better with others. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) can help children learn new skills and generalize these skills to multiple situations through a reward-based motivation system.
- Educational therapies. Children with autism spectrum disorder often respond well to highly structured educational programs. Successful programs typically include a team of specialists and a variety of activities to improve social skills, communication and behavior. Preschool children who receive intensive, individualized behavioral interventions often show good progress.
- Family therapies. Parents and other family members can learn how to play and interact with their children in ways that promote social interaction skills, manage problem behaviors, and teach daily living skills and communication.
- Other therapies. Depending on your child's needs, speech therapy to improve communication skills, occupational therapy to teach activities of daily living, and physical therapy to improve movement and balance may be beneficial. A psychologist can recommend ways to address problem behavior.
- Medications. No medication can improve the core signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- Planning for the future. Children with ASD typically continue to learn and compensate for problems throughout life, but most will continue to require some level of support. Planning for your child's future opportunities, such as employment, college, living situation, independence and the services required for support can make this process smoother.
References
Autism spectrum disorder - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic