Child Autism Symptoms

Autism is a kind developmental disorder that delays the development of basic skills in a child. The exact cause behind autism has not yet been ascertained. Some research studies suggest that it could be genetic. In other words, is passed from parents to the child. Other possible causes are problems during pregnancy or at the time of childbirth, some kind of viral infections, exposure to environmental pollution, effects of some harmful chemicals and allergies due to food like dairy products or gluten. Another suspected cause of autism is side effects of some vaccines given to children during early childhood that have mercury content. Till date, there is no convincing evidence to back this suggestion. Even though autism could be congenital, child autism symptoms are rarely visible during infancy. Usually, they are observed between 1-3 years of age.

Symptoms

Each child has a unique pattern of autism symptoms. Child autism mainly affects three areas of the development of the child. They are social interaction, behavior and communication skills. The commonly observed symptoms of each of these areas have been mentioned below:

Communication

• Slow in the development of spoken language skills.
• Find it difficult to communicate verbally or non-verbally about their needs.
• Tend to repeat or echo certain words again and again but are unable to use them correctly in a sentence.
• Had acquired the ability to say certain words or sentences but are unable to say them anymore.
• Speaks with a typical tone which sounds like a robotic speech.

Social Interaction

• Poor use of non-verbal communication skills like eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, etc.
• Difficulty in understanding emotions like pleasure or distress.
• Does not have any interest in sharing joy and pleasure with others and prefers to be aloof.
• Does not like to get held or cuddled by elders or siblings and often shows resistance towards it.
• Does not give any response when the name of the child is being called.
• Does not want to start any conversation with others, nor interested in participating in a conversation.

Behavior

• Likes to follow a specific routine and any change in it can make them irritated and upset.
• Some of them are highly sensitive towards sound, light or touch but may not show any reaction towards pain.
• Repeats movements or actions again and again.
• Have an obsession to arrange things like toys in a specific order.
• Areas of interest are very limited.

Diagnosis and Treatment

If parents notice any of the warning signs of autism in their child, they should take the child to the pediatrician. They conduct some child autism tests to check out if any developmental problems exist. One of the most widely used screening test is Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) in which the child's behavior is observed with the help of some simple questions. It is further confirmed with the help of other developmental tests that cover issues related to speech, language, and psychology.

Unfortunately, autism cannot be cured. However, if the treatment is started at an early stage, then there can be significant improvement in the development skills of the child. Some medications are needed to control certain symptoms of autism like anxiety and hyperactivity. The treatment includes an educational therapy where the education program is structured in a special way to meet the need of children with autism. Then there is behavior therapy that focuses on reducing the problems related to communication, behavior, and social interaction.

We must understand one thing, that autism is not any kind of a mental illness nor is it a result of bad parenting or a bad home environment. These are all misconceptions associated with autism. If parents find child autism symptoms in their child, they should not be afraid and try to cover up the problem. Rather, they should give the child the much-needed help at an early stage itself. This will maximize the child's ability to speak and learn much more effectively.