Autism Spectrum Disorder – Mental health disorders don’t mean the end of life. Even in the 21st century, most societies in the United States see people struggling with mental health and disorders differently. Mental health disorders don’t mean getting mad.
There is a long list of mental health disorders, and people who are struggling with those disorders can live normal life. The Centers for Disease Control and prevention, along with other independent agencies, has been educating American societies for a very long period now.
Most parents do not want to talk about the mental health disorders their children might be struggling with. The pressure of society does not give them the confidence to work on those issues rather than suppressing them.
That is why today we are here to discuss autism spectrum disorder. It is among the most common mental health disorders, and the cases of autism spectrum disorder are rising at rapid speed.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder is a mental disorder that can directly influence brain development that impacts how a person precise and socializes with others. Most people who are struggling with autism spectrum disorder can have problems in social interactions and communication.
Autism spectrum disorder is also known to limit behavior which can convert into repeated patterns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe the United States records around one case of autism spectrum disorder in every 44 eight-year-old children.
That clearly means there are 2.3% chances that children below the age of 8 can get diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. That percentage can probably increase or decrease depending on your state. For example, in California, there are 3.9% chances. On the other hand, in Missouri, there are 1.7%.
Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder
In order to understand any disease in the world, you should learn about its symptoms. The symptoms associated with diseases like autism spectrum disorder might not be exclusive to the disease, but they can provide a huge signal if you compare the overall condition.
A similar thing is also happening with an autism spectrum disorder. Health experts around the world, including the center sport Disease Control and Prevention, suggest every parent in the country learn about the signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorder.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have divided symptoms of autism spectrum disorder into different sections. As you might already be aware, a child who is struggling with autism spectrum disorder can experience different symptoms, including social communication interactions and patterns.
Repetitive Behaviors
One of the biggest symptoms of a person suffering from autism spectrum disorder is that their behavior is going to get a pattern. The person who is traveling with the disorder is going to limit their behavior, interest, and activities.
- Keep performing single activities such as spinning overhead flapping.
- Do not hesitate to self-harm, such as biting and head banging.
- Develop a specific routine that can get disturbed before it gets slightly changed.
- Too much stiffness or exaggeration of body language.
- Can get fascinated with just one thing, such as playing with one single toy again and again.
- Sensitivity to light, sound, and touch.
- Will only eat some specific food items.
Poor Social Communication
If you are a parent, then you should take a look at your kid’s social interactions. Children who are struggling with Autism spectrum disorder are going to have a huge problem communicating socially.
- Usually fails to respond to their own name.
- Do not like to touch, cuddle or hold.
- No facial expressions and a lack of eye contact.
- I don’t know how to start a conversation or keep going.
- No filter while speaking.
- Keep repeating similar words again and again.
- Don’t know how to express feelings, emotions, etc.
- Only talk to the point things.
Other Symptoms
Apart from social interaction or repetitive behaviors, there are some other characteristics you should not have in your child.
- Delay in movement skills
- Anxiety, stress, and excessive worry
- Delayed in cognitive or learning skills
- Delayed in language skills
- Unusual mood and emotional reactions
- Unusual eating and sleeping habits
- Lack of fear or more fear than you can expect
- Several digestive issues
- Hyperactive behavior
Doctors Advise on Autism Spectrum Disorder
Health care experts around the world suggest every parent take a look at all of the above-given symptoms and compare it with the pattern of behavior of their own child.
In case you believe your children are also struggling with autism spectrum disorder, then you should consult with your healthcare provider. At the same time, you should also remember that all the above-given symptoms are not just associated with autism.
Most of the other given symptoms are also associated with several other diseases, and that is why you should be very careful while self-diagnosing your kid with autism. Babies develop at their own pace, but kids who are struggling with autism can experience much more delay in development before the age of two.
- You can consult with your healthcare provider if your kid is not having any facial expressions for six months.
- Your kid is not expressing any emotions. Chrome is nine months old.
- If your kid is not saying any word by 16 months.
Causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Similar to several other mental health disorders, autism spectrum disorder does not have any right cause. It is a complex disorder, and various things around the world can become cause autism spectrum disorder.
One of the biggest causes of autism spectrum disorder is genetics. Health experts around the world suggest every parent get their kids diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder if anyone in their family has a history of similar disorders.
Parents of kids who are struggling with autism can pass it on to their kids, but it is not the only cause of autism. There are several different causes, and environmental factors are another one. Researchers are also taking a look at viral infections, medications, and pregnancy. Some experts around the world believe that seeing things can also become one of the biggest causes of autism spectrum disorder.
Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Similar to any other mental health disorder, your doctor will diagnose autism spectrum disorder depending on the size and symptoms you or your kid is developing.
As you are already aware, there are a huge number of symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder that is not exclusively associated with the disease. If your health care advisor believes you have autism, then they will suggest you consult with a psychiatrist or psychologist.
Mental health professionals can diagnose autism spectrum disorder better than anyone else. Your psychiatrist or psychologist is going to monitor all the symptoms and behavior patterns.
- Usually, mental health professionals assess social interactions, communication skills, and behavior patterns.
- The professional is going to give a hearing, speech, language, and development test to your kid over the person who is struggling with autism.
- The American Psychiatric Association has released specific criteria for the diagnosis of mental health disorders, and your health care professional is going to follow that.
- Lastly, your healthcare provider might suggest you go for genetic testing to take a look at any genetic disorder.
Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Unfortunately, similar to any other mental health disorder, Organism spectrum disorder cannot be cured. Your healthcare provider might use different combinations of treatment to control the symptoms that can allow a person who is struggling with the disorder to have a normal life.
Your health care provider is only going to focus on minimizing the symptoms and maximizing the quality of life. If you or your health care provider is capable of detecting autism spectrum disorder during the preschool years, it can help a lot in the treatment and normal life.
Your healthcare provider might suggest you go for different types of therapies that are going to focus on behavior, education, and other things. Here is a list of some therapies which might help a person who is struggling with an autism spectrum disorder.
- Educational therapies
- Family Therapist
- Behavior therapies
- communication therapies
- Medications
Prevention and Home Remedies
You might get surprised to know that there is no way to prevent autism spectrum disorder or there are no home remedies. As you have already read in the above sections, early diagnosis and treatment can help the person who is struggling with the condition to get better, but it cannot be cured. There are some examples where kids got better from autism spectrum disorder, and they are living their life normally. Kindly do not hesitate to consult with your healthcare provider.
Can clinical trials help a person who is struggling with autism spectrum disorder?
Clinical trials are not just like any other therapy. No one can give a straight answer when it comes to clinical trials as they are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States. Most treatments in the world for any disease contain some side effects, and clinical trials can contain more.