The more prevalent Autism becomes, the more the public needs to know. Every parent should be familiar with autism symptoms as they would any other pediatric disease or disorder. Autism is more prevalent than diabetes, cancer and AIDS combined in children. There is also a 4 to 1 chance for boys to be diagnosed than girls. Autism will strike one in one-hundred and fifty children. There is no cure, but knowing about this disorder will bring help the parent as well as the child.
The biggest challenge associated with autism is the broad range of disorders it covers. This is called ASD, autism spectrum disorder. There are symptoms of autism that are mild and those that are severe. They will all show disorders in social development skills, their communication, interests and their behavior.
The first 6 months of a child's life he is smiling, cooing, hearing and recognizing voices of his parents and siblings. These are all key factors in a child's development. As a child grows, he will continue to learn communication through an extensive vocabulary that grows with age and experience. An autistic child is not able to progress in these areas.
Autism Symptoms Include:
- Not smiling by age 6 months
- No babbling or cooing, or gesturing by 12 months
- Minimal word usage; should be speaking single words by 16 months and two-word phrases by the age of 2
- Regression in development, loss of language and social skills
- Repetitive movement and ritualistic behaviors
Education on the symptoms of autism will provide parents the information they will need to recognize early signs and obtain help. They will be able to obtain a referral for a child psychiatrist by the child pediatrician. Tests will be done to identify autism and the severity of the disorder. There will be treatment options available for the severity of the disorder that need to be implemented immediately, and will help your child have a better life.
The key is to getting an early diagnosis in order to start treatment. This will improve the outcome for almost all autistic children. There will be children that are high-functioning autistic who will be able to get along well in society. There are some great organizations such as the Center for Autism and Related Diseases, and the Autism Society of America and the Autism Research Institute. All of these organizations will provide you a great deal of information and help with your treatment.
As a parent, observe your little ones, watch the different stages of development. If you notice they are abnormal, contact your pediatrician and share your observations.
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