Most of you must have heard the term AUTISM or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), may be in relation with your own child or in relation with other children. The blog will give you basic information about Autism.
Autism spectrum disorder is a group of neuro-
developmental disorders which include difficulties in:
-social skills,
-verbal and nonverbal communication,
-stereotypic or repetitive behaviors.
The cause of autism varies from genetic to environmental factors which includes emotional trauma during pregnancy. Many times the features of autism are observed in the child because of some other sensory deficit, for example hearing impairment. Incidence of ASD is increasing largely in the past few years.
You as a parent should be aware of the red flags for Autism which are:
Ø Inability of the child to play with others (inability to socialize)
Ø Poor eye contact
Ø Stereotypic or any other repetitive behavior
Ø Hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity (no or less response) to sounds and/or smell and/or touch
Ø Difficulty in non-verbal and verbal communication
Ø Echolalia which means repetition of the word or sentence
Early detection and intervention can always give better results and which will be possible only when you as a parent are alert to the signs of autism.
Diagnosis of autism should always be done by the team of a pediatrician, a psychologist, an occupational therapist, a speech language therapist, behavioral therapist, a teacher and parents.
Team work with the child with autism or who shows some features of autism by parents and these professionals early in his/her life could be a life-changer!!
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