Autism in children - signs and symptoms, what is it and how is it diagnosed? Childhood autism: description of the syndrome and possible prognosis Causes of the development of autism in children.

Currently, there are a huge number of diseases that are inherited. But it also happens that it is not the disease itself that is transmitted, but a predisposition to it. Let's talk about autism.

Autism concept

Autism is a special mental disorder that most likely occurs due to disorders in the brain and is expressed in an acute deficit of attention and communication. An autistic child does not adapt well socially and practically does not make contact.

This disease is associated with disorders in genes. In some cases, this condition is associated with one gene or In any case, the child is born with an existing pathology in mental development.

Causes of autism

If we consider the genetic aspects of this disease, they are so complex that sometimes it is not at all clear whether it is caused by the interaction of several genes or is it a mutation in one gene.

Still, genetic scientists identify some provoking factors that can lead to the birth of an autistic child:

1. Old age of the father.
2. The country in which the baby was born.
3. Low birth weight.
4. Lack of oxygen during childbirth.
5. Prematurity.
6. Some parents believe that vaccinations can influence the development of the disease, but this fact has not been proven. Perhaps it is simply a coincidence of the timing of vaccination and the manifestation of the disease.
7. It is believed that boys are more likely to suffer from this disease.
8. The influence of substances that cause congenital pathologies that are often associated with autism.
9. Aggravating effects can be caused by: solvents, heavy metals, phenols, pesticides.
10. Infectious diseases suffered during pregnancy can also trigger the development of autism.
11. Smoking, drug use, alcohol, both during pregnancy and before it, which leads to damage to reproductive gametes.

Autistic children are born for various reasons. And, as you can see, there are a huge number of them. It is almost impossible to predict the birth of a baby with such a deviation in mental development. Moreover, there is a possibility that the predisposition to this disease may not be realized. But no one knows how to guarantee this with 100% certainty.

Forms of manifestation of autism

Although most children with this diagnosis have much in common, autism can manifest itself in different ways. These children contact the outside world in different ways. Depending on this, the following forms of autism are distinguished:

Most doctors believe that the most severe forms of autism are quite rare; most often we are dealing with autistic manifestations. If you work with such children and devote enough time to activities with them, then the development of an autistic child will be as close as possible to that of their peers.

Manifestations of the disease

Signs of the disease appear when changes begin in areas of the brain. When and how this happens is still not clear, but most parents notice signs of autistic children already in early childhood. If you take urgent measures when they appear, then it is quite possible to instill in your child communication and self-help skills.

At present, methods for a complete cure for this disease have not yet been found. A small proportion of children enter adulthood on their own, although some of them even achieve some success.

Even doctors are divided into two categories: some believe that it is necessary to continue the search for adequate and effective treatment, and others are convinced that autism is much broader and more than a simple disease.

Surveys of parents have shown that in such children one can often observe:

These qualities were most often demonstrated by older autistic children. Signs that are still often found in such children are certain forms of repetitive behavior, which doctors divide into several categories:

• Stereotypy. It manifests itself in swaying of the body, rotation of the head, and constant swaying of the whole body.
• Strong need for monotony. Such children usually begin to protest even when their parents decide to rearrange the furniture in their room.
• Compulsive behavior. An example is nesting objects and objects in a certain way.
• Auto-aggression. Such manifestations are directed towards oneself and can lead to various injuries.
• Ritual behavior. For such children, all actions are like a ritual, constant and everyday.
• Restricted behavior. for example, it is directed only at one book or one toy, but does not perceive others.

Another manifestation of autism is avoidance of eye contact, they never look into the eyes of the interlocutor.

Symptoms of Autism

This disorder affects the nervous system, and therefore manifests itself primarily as developmental disorders. They are usually noticeable at an early age. Physiologically, autism may not manifest itself in any way; outwardly, such children look quite normal, have the same physique as their peers, but upon careful study, one can see deviations in mental development and behavior.

The main symptoms include:

• Lack of learning ability, although intelligence may be quite normal.
• Seizures that most often begin to appear during adolescence.
• Inability to concentrate.
• Hyperactivity, which may occur when a parent or caregiver tries to assign a specific task.
• Anger, especially in cases where an autistic child cannot articulate what he wants, or strangers interfere with his ritual actions and disrupt his usual routine.
• In rare cases, Savant syndrome occurs when a child has some phenomenal abilities, for example, excellent memory, musical talent, the ability to draw, and others. There is a very small percentage of such children.

Portrait of an autistic child

If parents carefully monitor their baby, they will immediately notice deviations in his development. They may not be able to explain what worries them, but they will say with great accuracy that their child is different from other children.

Autistic children differ significantly from normal and healthy children. The photos clearly demonstrate this. Already in the revival syndrome, they react weakly to any stimuli, for example, to the sound of a rattle.

Such children begin to recognize even the closest person - their mother - much later than their peers. Even when they recognize her, they never reach out, smile, or react in any way to all her attempts to communicate with them.

Such children can lie for hours and look at a toy or a picture on the wall, or they may suddenly become afraid of their own hands. If you look at how autistic children behave, you will notice their frequent rocking in a stroller or crib, and monotonous hand movements.

As they get older, such children do not look more alive; on the contrary, they differ sharply from their peers in their detachment and indifference to everything that happens around them. Most often, when communicating, they do not make eye contact, and if they do look at a person, they look at clothes or facial features.

They do not know how to play group games and prefer loneliness. May be interested in one toy or activity for a long time.

The characteristics of an autistic child may look like this:

1. Closed.
2. Detached.
3. Unsociable.
4. Detached.
5. Indifferent.
6. Those who do not know how to make contact with others.
7. Constantly performing stereotypical mechanical movements.
8. Poor vocabulary. The pronoun “I” is never used in speech. They always talk about themselves in the second or third person.

In the children's group, autistic children are very different from ordinary children, the photos only confirm this.

The world through the eyes of an autist

If children with this disease have the skills to speak and construct sentences, then they say that the world for them is a complete chaos of people and events that is completely incomprehensible to them. This is due not only to mental disorders, but also to perception.

Those stimuli from the outside world that are quite familiar to us are perceived negatively by an autistic child. Since it is difficult for them to perceive the world around them and navigate the environment, this causes them increased anxiety.

When should parents be wary?

By nature, all children are different, even completely healthy children differ in their sociability, pace of development, and ability to perceive new information. But there are some points that should alert you:

If you notice at least some of the signs listed above in your child, then you should show him to the doctor. The psychologist will give the right recommendations for communication and activities with the baby. Helps determine how severe the symptoms of autism are.

Treatment of autism

It will not be possible to almost completely get rid of the symptoms of the disease, but if parents and psychologists make every effort, it is quite possible that autistic children will acquire communication and self-help skills. Treatment must be timely and comprehensive.

Its main goal should be:

• Reduce tension in the family.
• Increase functional independence.
• Improve quality of life.

Any therapy is selected individually for each child. Methods that give excellent results with one child may not work at all with another. Improvements are observed after using psychosocial assistance techniques, which suggests that any treatment is better than no treatment.

There are special programs that help the child master communication skills, self-help, gain work skills, and reduce the symptoms of the disease. The following methods can be used in treatment:

In addition to such programs, drug treatment is usually used. Anti-anxiety medications are prescribed, such as antidepressants, psychotropics, and others. You should not use such medications without a doctor's prescription.

The child’s diet should also undergo changes; it is necessary to exclude foods that have a stimulating effect on the nervous system. The body must receive a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals.

Cheat sheet for parents of autism

When communicating, parents must take into account the characteristics of autistic children. Here are some brief recommendations that will help you establish contact with your child:

1. You must love your baby for who he is.
2. Always consider the child's interests.
3. Strictly observe the rhythm of life.
4. Try to develop and observe certain rituals that will be repeated every day.
5. Visit the group or class where your child is studying more often.
6. Talk to your baby, even if he doesn't answer you.
7. Try to create a comfortable environment for games and learning.
8. Always patiently explain the stages of the activity to your child, preferably supporting this with pictures.
9. Don't get overtired.

If your child has been diagnosed with autism, then do not despair. The main thing is to love him and accept him for who he is, and also to constantly study and visit a psychologist. Who knows, maybe you have a future genius growing up.

There are more and more children diagnosed with autism every day. This prevalence of the disease is primarily due to improved diagnosis. Talented and gifted children in Russia often miss the diagnosis of autism. Such children require special attention and must be socialized in society.

What it is?

In simple words, “autism” is a mental disorder or disease characterized by mental changes, loss of social adaptation in society and altered behavior. Typically, the child experiences a persistent disruption of interaction within society.

Often autism is not diagnosed for a long time, since parents attribute changes in behavior to the child’s character traits.

The disease can indeed be mild. In this case, identifying the first characteristic signs and recognizing the disease is a very difficult task not only for parents, but also for doctors.

In Europe and the USA, the diagnosis of autism is much more common. This is due to the presence of excellent diagnostic criteria, which allow a commission of doctors to accurately make a diagnosis even in mild cases of illness or in complex clinical cases.

In autistic children, various changes occur in the cerebral cortex. They appear immediately after birth. However, they can appear much later, after many years. The disease occurs without periods of stable remission. With a long course of the disease and the use of various psychotherapeutic techniques that can improve the behavior of an autistic child, parents may see some improvements.

To date, no specific treatment has been developed. This means that a complete cure for the disease is, unfortunately, impossible.

Prevalence

Statistics on the incidence of autism in the USA and Europe differ markedly from Russian data. This is primarily due to the high detection rate of sick children abroad. Foreign doctors and psychologists use numerous questionnaires and diagnostic behavioral tests, which allow them to accurately diagnose children of any age.

In Russia, the statistics are completely different. Often, not all children show the first symptoms of the disease on time and at an early age. Russian children who suffer from autism often remain just withdrawn kids.

Symptoms of the disease are “attributed” to the child’s character and temperament, which leads to serious consequences. Such children subsequently integrate poorly into society, cannot find themselves in a profession, or they fail to create a good and happy family.

The prevalence of the disease is no more than 3%. Boys are most often affected by autism. Typically this ratio is 4:1. Girls from families where there are many cases of autism in relatives may also suffer from this mental illness.

Most often, the first clear symptoms of the disease are revealed only by the age of three. The disease, as a rule, manifests itself at an even earlier age, but remains unrecognized in most cases until 3-5 years of age.

Why are children born with autism spectrum disorder?

To date, scientists have not yet reached a consensus on this issue. In the development of autism, many experts believe that several genes are to blame, which cause disruption in the functioning of certain parts of the cerebral cortex. Often when analyzing cases of the disease it becomes obvious strongly expressed heredity.

Another theory of the disease is mutation. Scientists believe that the cause of the disease can be various mutations and breakdowns in the genetic apparatus of a particular individual.

Various factors can lead to this:

• exposure to ionizing radiation on the fetus during the mother's pregnancy;
• infection with bacterial or viral infections of the fetus during intrauterine development;
• exposure to hazardous chemicals that have a teratogenic effect on the unborn child;
• chronic diseases of the nervous system in the mother, for which she took various symptomatic psychotropic drugs for a long time.

According to American experts, such mutagenic effects quite often led to various disorders characteristic of autism.

This effect on the fetus is especially dangerous during the first 8-10 weeks from the moment of conception. At this time, the formation of all vital organs occurs, including the formation of the areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for behavior.

Genetic or mutational disorders that underlie the disease ultimately lead to specific damage to individual areas of the central nervous system. As a result, the coordinated work between the various neurons responsible for social integration is disrupted.

There is also a change in the functions of the mirror cells of the brain, which leads to the appearance of specific symptoms of autism, when the baby can repeatedly perform the same type of action and pronounce individual phrases several times.

Kinds

Currently, many different classifications of the disease are used. All of them are divided according to the variants of the course of the disease, the severity of manifestations, and also taking into account the stage of the disease.

There is no single working classification that would be used in Russia. In our country, specific criteria for the disease are currently being developed and streamlined, which will form the basis for diagnosing the disease.

Autism can usually occur in several forms or variations:

1. Typical. With this option, the signs of the disease appear quite clearly in childhood. Children are characterized by more withdrawn behavior, lack of involvement in games with other children, and have poor contacts even with close relatives and parents. To improve social integration, it is imperative to carry out a whole range of various psychotherapeutic procedures and the help of a child psychologist who is well versed in this problem.
2. Atypical. This atypical variant of the disease occurs at a much later age. As a rule, after 3-4 years. This form of the disease is characterized by the manifestation of not all specific signs of autism, but only some. Atypical autism is diagnosed quite late. Often, failure to diagnose in time and delay in making a diagnosis leads to the development of more persistent symptoms in the child, which are much more difficult to treat.
3. Hidden. There are no exact statistics on the number of children with this diagnosis. With this form of the disease, the manifestation of the main clinical symptoms is extremely rare. Very often, children are considered simply overly withdrawn or introverted. Such children practically do not allow strangers into their own inner world. Establishing communication with a child diagnosed with autism is very difficult.

How does the mild form differ from the severe form?

Autism can occur in several forms depending on severity. The mildest form occurs in most cases. It is characterized by violations of social adaptation, when the baby does not want to establish contacts or communicate with other people.

It is important to understand that he does this not because of modesty or excessive isolation, but simply due to the manifestations of the disease. Such children, as a rule, start speaking late.

Violations of one's personality in mild forms of the disease practically do not occur. Kids can make contact with the people closest to them. Usually the child chooses several family members who, in his opinion, treat him with more care and attention. Autistic children do not perceive physical contact well. Usually the child tries to shy away from hugs or does not like kisses.

Babies with more severe illness They try in every possible way to avoid contact with other people. Even touching or hugging from close relatives can cause them severe mental trauma. Only the closest people, according to the child, can touch him. This is a very important clinical sign of the disease. A child with autism is very sensitive to any interference in his personal space from a very young age.

Some severe variants of the disease are characterized by mental tendencies to cause harm to themselves. Such babies may even bite themselves or attempt to inflict various injuries at an older age.

This manifestation is rare, but requires urgent consultation with a psychiatrist and the prescription of special medications that reduce manifestations of aggression towards one’s own personality.

The mild form of the disease often goes undiagnosed, especially in Russia. Manifestations of the disease are simply attributed to the developmental characteristics of the child or the uniqueness of his character. Such children can grow up and carry the disease into adulthood. The course of the disease may change at different ages. However, the classic violation of social integration is observed almost constantly, without remission.

Severe forms of the disease, which often manifest as complete forced isolation of the baby from the outside world, are much easier to identify.

The behavior of a child with severe autism is manifested by a pronounced reluctance to communicate with any people. Such kids are more willing to be alone. This brings them peace of mind and does not disrupt their usual way of life.

Failure to provide therapeutic psychotherapy can lead to deterioration of the child’s condition and complete social maladjustment.

Symptoms and first signs

Manifestations of the disease can be checked already in the first years of a child’s life. With a thorough and attentive analysis of the baby’s behavior, even at a very young age, the first characteristic signs of autism syndrome can be identified. There are special psychological traits and characteristics for this disease.

The main characteristics of the disease can be divided into several main categories:

• Reluctance to create new social contacts.
• Disturbed interests or use of special games.
• Repeating typical actions many times.
• Speech behavior disorder.
• Changes in intelligence and different levels of mental development.
• Changing your own sense of personality.
• Psychomotor dysfunction.

The reluctance to create new social contacts is evident in children from birth. At first, children are reluctant to respond to any touch from those closest to them. Even hugs or kisses from parents do not evoke positive emotions in children with autism. From the outside, such children seem overly calm and even “cold.”

Babies practically do not respond to smiles and do not notice the “grimas” that their parents or close relatives make to them. They often fix their gaze on some object that is of great interest to them.

Newborn babies with autism syndrome They can stare at a toy for hours or stare at one point.

Children practically do not experience any expressed joy from new gifts. Children of the first year of life can be absolutely neutral towards any new toys. Most often, it is difficult to even get a smile from such kids in response to a gift. In the best case, an autistic child will simply twirl the toy in his hands for a few minutes, and then put it aside indefinitely.

Children older than one year are very selective in choosing people close to them. They usually choose no more than two people. This is due to the reluctance to create close contacts, as this leads to severe discomfort for the baby.

They usually choose one of their parents as their “friend.” This could be either dad or mom. In some cases - grandmother or grandfather.

Autistic children have virtually no contact with their peers or children of a different age. Any attempt to disturb their own comfortable world can bring such children significant discomfort.

They try in every possible way to avoid any situation that is traumatic for their psyche. Autistic children have practically no friends. They experience difficulties making new friends throughout their lives.

The first serious problems in such children appear at the age of 2-3 years. Usually at this time children are sent to kindergarten. As a rule, this is where the disease is detected, since it becomes simply impossible not to notice the characteristic manifestations of the disease.

When visiting kindergarten, the behavior of autistic children stands out sharply. They seem more withdrawn than other children, they can stay aloof, and play with the same toy for hours, performing some stereotypical repetitive movements.

Children with autism exhibit more withdrawn behavior. Most kids ask for almost nothing. If they need something, they prefer to take it themselves without outside help.

Children under three years of age may have difficulty potty training.

If you ask a child to give you a toy or some object, most often he will not give it to you, but will simply throw it on the floor. This is a manifestation of impaired perception of any communication.

Autistic children are not always completely passive in a new, unfamiliar group. Often, when trying to introduce a sick child into a new society, he may experience vivid negative outbursts of anger or aggression towards others. This is a manifestation of a violation or invasion of the boundaries of one’s own and such a cozy, and most importantly, safe inner world for children with autism. Expansion of any contacts can lead to severe outbursts of aggression and deterioration of mental well-being.

Disturbed interests or use of special games

Very often, children with autism remain indifferent to any active recreational activities. They seem to be in their own inner world. Entry into this personal space is usually closed to other people. Any attempts to teach a child to play very often lead to the complete failure of this idea.

Children with autism choose 1-2 favorite toys, with whom they spend a huge amount of time. Even with a large selection of different toys, they remain completely indifferent to them.

If you carefully observe the play of a child with autism, you will notice a strict repetition of the sequence of actions that he performs. If a boy plays with boats, then very often he lines up all the ships he has in one line. A child can sort them by size, color, or some characteristics that are special to him. He performs this action every time before the game.

Strict orderliness often manifests itself in everything in children with autism. This is a manifestation of a world that is comfortable for them, in which all objects are in their place and there is no chaos.

All new objects that appear in the life of an autistic child cause him severe mental trauma. Even rearranging furniture or toys can cause a strong attack of aggression in a child or, conversely, put the child into a state of complete apathy. It is better that all items remain in their places at all times. In this case, the baby will feel more comfortable and calm.

Girls with autism also experience changes in the form of play. Notice how the little girl plays with her doll. During such a lesson, every day she will perform all movements and actions according to the established algorithm. For example, she will first comb her hair, then wash the doll, then change her clothes. And never vice versa! Everything is in a strictly established sequence.

Such systematic actions in children with autism are due to the peculiarity of disturbed mental behavior, and not to character. If you try to ask your child why he does the same actions every time, you will not get an answer. The child simply does not notice what actions he performs. For the perception of his own psyche, this is absolutely normal.

Repeating typical actions multiple times

The behavior of a child with autism is not always very different from the communication style of a healthy child. From the outside, such children look absolutely normal, since the appearance of the children practically does not change.

Children with autism often do not lag behind in physical development and are not at all different in appearance from their peers. However, with more careful observation of the child's behavior, it is possible to identify actions that differ slightly from usual behavior.

Often, children with autism may repeat various words or combinations of several letters or syllables. Such disorders can occur in both boys and girls.

This symptom can manifest itself in different ways:

• Repetition of counting or sequential naming of numbers. Autistic children often count repeatedly throughout the day. This activity brings comfort and even positive emotions to the child.
• Repeating words previously spoken by someone. For example, after the question “how old are you?”, a child can repeat “I’m 5 years old, 5 years old, 5 years old” several dozen times. Very often, such kids repeat one phrase or word at least 10-20 times.

In other cases, children with autism may perform the same activity for a long time. For example, they turn lights off and on repeatedly. Some kids often open or close water taps.

Another feature may be constant wringing of fingers or the same type of movements with legs and arms. Such typical actions, repeated many times, bring peace and tranquility to children.

In more rare cases, babies may perform other similar actions, for example, sniffing various objects. Many scientists attribute this to the fact that disturbances occur in those areas of the cerebral cortex that are active in the perception of odors. Smell, touch, vision and taste - these areas of sensory perception in a child with autism are also often damaged, and various manifestations appear.

Speech behavior disorders

Speech disorders occur quite often in children with autism. The severity of manifestations varies. In milder forms of the disease, as a rule, speech disturbances are mild. In more severe cases, there may be a complete delay in speech development and the acquisition of persistent defects.

The disease can manifest itself in different ways. Children with autism often start talking late. As a rule, after the child says the first few words, he may remain silent for a long time. A baby's vocabulary consists of only a few words. He often repeats them many times throughout the day.

Children with autism have difficulty expanding their vocabulary. Even when memorizing words, they try not to use a large number of different combinations in their speech.

A peculiarity of speech behavior in a child over two years old is the mention of objects in the third person. Most often, the child will call himself by name or say, for example, “girl Olya.” The pronoun “I” is almost never heard from a child with autism.

If you ask a baby if he wants to swim, the child may answer “he wants to swim” or call himself by name “Kostya wants to swim.”

Very often, children with autism do not answer direct questions that are addressed to them. They may remain silent or avoid answering, move the conversation to other topics, or simply ignore. This behavior is associated with a painful perception of new contacts and an attempt to invade personal space.

If a child is pestered with questions or asked too many questions in a short time, the child may even react quite violently, showing aggression.

The speech of older children often includes many interesting combinations and phrases. They perfectly remember various fairy tales and proverbs.

A child suffering from autism can easily recite an excerpt from Pushkin’s poem by heart at the age of five or recite a complex poem.

Such children often have a tendency to rhyme. At a younger age, children get great pleasure from repeating various rhymes over and over again.

The combination of words may seem completely meaningless, and in some cases even crazy. However, for children with autism, repeating such rhymes brings joy and positive emotions.

Changes in intelligence and different levels of mental development

It has long been believed that children with autism are mentally retarded. But this is a huge misconception! A large number of autistic children have the highest IQ levels.

With proper communication with a child, you can notice that he has a high level of intelligence. However, he will not show it to everyone.

The peculiarity of the mental development of an autistic person is that it is very difficult for him to concentrate and be purposeful in achieving specific goals.

The memory of such children has the property of selectivity. The child will not remember all events with equal ease, but only those that, according to his personal perception, will be closer to his inner world.

Some children have defects in logical perception. They perform poorly on tasks to construct an associative series.

The baby perceives ordinary abstract events well, can easily repeat a sequence or chain of events even after a long time. Long-term memory impairments are not observed in children with autism.

Children with a higher level of intelligence integrate very poorly at school. Often such a child becomes an “outcast” or a “black sheep.”

The impaired ability to socialize contributes to the fact that autistic children become even more distant from the outside world. As a rule, such kids have a penchant for various sciences. They can become real geniuses if the right approach is applied to the child.

Different variants of the disease may progress differently. In some cases, children experience a decrease in intellectual abilities. They perform unsatisfactorily in school, do not answer teachers' questions, and do not solve difficult geometric tasks that require good spatial and logical abilities.

Very often, such children require special training using special pedagogical programs that are designed specifically for children with autism.

It is important to note that any deterioration in the child’s condition can occur suddenly when exposed to any provoking cause. Often these can be severe stress or attacks from peers.

Children with autism have a very difficult time with such triggering events. This can even lead to severe apathy or, conversely, cause violent aggression.

Watch the following video about teaching children with autism.

Changing your sense of self

When any contact with other people is disrupted, autistic people often project any negative events onto themselves. This is called self-aggression. This manifestation of the disease in varying degrees of severity occurs quite often. Almost every third child with autism suffers from this unfavorable manifestation of the disease.

Psychotherapists believe that this negative symptom arises as a result of a disrupted perception of the boundaries of one’s own inner world. Any threat to personal safety is perceived excessively by a sick child. Children can cause various injuries to themselves: biting themselves or even cutting themselves on purpose.

Even in childhood, the child’s sense of limited space is disturbed. Such babies often fall out of the playpen after swaying violently. Some children may unfasten from the stroller and fall to the ground.

Usually such a negative and painful experience will force a healthy baby not to do such actions in the future. A child with autism, even despite the resulting pain syndrome, will still repeat this action over and over again.

It is quite rare for a child to show aggression towards others. In 99% of cases, the manifestation of such a reaction is self-defense. As a rule, kids are very sensitive to any attempts to invade their personal world.

Inept actions towards a child with autism or even a simple desire to make contact can cause an attack of aggression in the child, which provokes internal fear.

Psychomotor dysfunction

Quite often, children with autism experience an altered gait. They try to walk on tiptoes. Some children may bounce when walking. This symptom occurs every day.

All attempts to make comments to the baby that he is walking incorrectly and needs to walk differently do not evoke a response from him. The child remains faithful to his gait for quite a long time.

Children with autism do not notice the changes that appear in their everyday life. Older children try to choose routes that are familiar to him. A child with autism will almost always choose the same path to school, without changing his own habits.

Kids often remain true to their taste preferences. Such children should not be taught a certain diet. All the same, a child with autism will have his own idea and even a whole system in his head about what and when it is best for him to eat.

It will be almost impossible to force your baby to eat an unfamiliar product. They remain true to their taste preferences throughout their lives.

Basic characteristics by age

Up to a year

Children with symptoms of autism react poorly to any attempts to address them, especially by name. Children do not babble or utter their first words for a long time.

The child's emotions are quite impoverished. Gesticulation is also significantly reduced. A baby with autism gives the impression of a very calm child who cries little and practically does not ask to be held. Any contacts with parents and even mother do not give the child strong positive emotions.

Newborn babies and infants practically do not express various emotions on their faces. Such children even seem somewhat renounced. Often, when trying to make a child smile, he does not change his face or perceives this attempt rather coldly. Such children love to look at various objects. Their gaze stops on some object for a very long time.

Kids often try to choose one or a couple of toys with which they can spend almost the entire day. They absolutely do not need any outsiders to play. They feel great alone with themselves. Sometimes attempts to intrude on their play can cause an attack of panic or aggression.

Children in their first year of life with autism practically do not call adults for help. If they need something, they try to take the item themselves.

As a rule, there are no intellectual impairments at this age. Most children do not lag behind their peers in terms of physical or mental development.

Up to 3 years

Before the age of 3 years, symptoms of limited personal space begin to manifest themselves to a greater extent.

When playing outside, children categorically refuse to play in the same sandbox with other children. All objects and toys that belong to a child with autism belong only to him.

From the outside, such children seem very closed and “on their own.” Most often, by the age of one and a half years, they can only utter a few words. However, this does not happen to all babies. They often repeat various verbal combinations that do not carry much meaning.

After the child utters the first word, he may suddenly become silent and practically not speak for quite a long time.

Children with autism almost never answer questions asked of them. Only with the people closest to them can they utter a few words or answer in the third person a question addressed to them.

Very often such children try to avert their eyes and do not look at the interlocutor. Even if the child answers the question, he will never use the word “I”. Children with autism identify themselves as “he” or “she.” Many children simply call themselves by name.

Some children are characterized by manifestations of stereotypical actions. They may sway violently in their chair. Parents' comments that doing this is wrong or ugly do not evoke any response from the child. This is not due to the desire to demonstrate one’s character, but simply to a violation of the perception of one’s own behavior. The baby really does not notice and does not see anything wrong in his action.

Some babies may have problems with fine motor skills. When trying to take any small objects from the table or floor, the child does it very clumsily.

Often babies cannot clench their hands well. Such a violation of fine motor skills necessarily requires special classes that are aimed at improving this skill.

If correction is not carried out in a timely manner, the child may develop writing impairments, as well as the appearance of gestures that are unusual for an ordinary baby.

Autistic children love to play with water taps or switches. They also really enjoy opening and closing doors. Any similar movements evoke excellent emotions in the child. He can perform such actions for as long as he likes until his parents intervene. When performing these movements, the baby absolutely does not notice that he is performing them repeatedly.

Autistic children eat only those foods that they like, play independently and practically do not get to know other children. Many people around them mistakenly consider such kids to be too spoiled. This is a huge misconception!

A child with autism, under the age of three, sees absolutely no differences in his behavior relative to the behavior of others. He simply tries to limit the boundaries of his inner world from any outside interference.

It used to be that children with autism had certain facial features. Often such features were called aristocratic forms. Autistic people were believed to have thinner and longer noses. However, this is not at all true.

To date, the connection between facial structural features and the presence of autism in a child has not been reliably established. Such judgments are just speculation and lack scientific evidence.

From 3 to 6 years

The incidence of autism peaks at this age. Children begin to be sent to kindergarten, where disturbances in social adaptation become noticeable.

Children with autism perceive morning trips to preschool educational institutions without expressed delight. They would rather stay at home than leave their familiar safe home.

A child with autism practically does not meet new friends. At best, he makes one new acquaintance who becomes his best friend.

A sick child will never accept a large number of people into his inner world. Very often, such children try to close themselves off even more, to escape from the traumatic situation.

The child tries to come up with some kind of magical story or fairy tale that explains why he should go to this kindergarten. Then he becomes the main character of this action. However, visiting kindergarten does not give the child any pleasure. He doesn't get along well with his peers and practically doesn't listen to his teachers.

All things in the baby’s personal locker are usually folded strictly in order. This becomes clearly visible from the outside. Such children cannot stand any chaos or scattered things. Any violation of the ordering of the structure can cause them to have an attack of apathy, and in some cases, aggressive behavior.

Trying to force a child to meet new kids in a group can cause him extreme stress.

Children with autism should not be scolded for doing the same type of behavior over a long period of time. You just need to find the “key” to such a child.

Often, kindergarten teachers simply cannot cope with a “special” child. Many features of disrupted behavior are perceived by teaching staff as excessive spoilage and character traits. In these cases, the mandatory work of a medical psychologist is required, who will work daily with the child in a preschool institution.

Over 6 years old

Children with autism in Russia attend regular schools. In our country there are no specialized educational programs for such children. Typically, children with autism do well in school. They have a penchant for various disciplines. Many guys even show the highest level of mastery of the subject.

Such children often focus on one subject. In other disciplines that do not resonate in the child’s inner world, they may have very mediocre performance.

Children with autism have difficulty concentrating and are also characterized by insufficient concentration on several objects at the same time.

Often in such children, if the disease was detected at an early stage and there were no severe defects in fine motor skills, brilliant abilities for music or creativity are discovered.

Kids can play various musical instruments for hours. Some children even compose various works on their own.

Children, as a rule, try to lead a rather secluded lifestyle. They have few friends. They practically do not attend various entertainment events, which can be attended by a huge number of people. Being at home is more comfortable for them.

Very often, children have a commitment to certain foods. In most cases, it occurs in early childhood. Children with autism eat at specific times according to their own schedule. All meals are accompanied by the performance of a specific ritual.

They often eat only from plates that are familiar to them and try to avoid dishes of new colors. All cutlery is usually laid out by the child on the table in a strictly defined sequence.

Children with autism can graduate from school very successfully, showing excellent knowledge in one discipline.

In only 30% of cases, children suffering from this disease fall behind the school curriculum and have poor academic performance. As a rule, in such children the diagnosis of autism was made quite late or a good rehabilitation program was not carried out to reduce the unfavorable symptoms of the disease and improve social adaptation.

Problems

Very often, children with autism experience not only behavioral disorders, but also various pathological manifestations of internal organs.

Gastrointestinal disorders

They manifest themselves in the form of possible diarrhea or constipation, which are practically independent of the food that the child receives. Children with autism have special taste preferences. To normalize adverse manifestations and stool disorders, a gluten-free diet is effectively used. Such a diet, which contains a limited amount of gluten, promotes the smooth functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and reduces the negative symptoms of indigestion.

You can learn more about the diet for autism by watching the following video.

Sleep disorders

Babies are almost equally active during the day and at night. It is very difficult to put such children to sleep. Even if they fall asleep, they may only sleep for a few hours. Very often babies wake up very early in the morning. During the daytime, they may refuse to sleep. In some cases, when exposed to strong psychologically traumatic situations, insomnia may worsen or nightmares may appear, which further contribute to the disruption of the child’s general well-being.

When is a consultation with a psychiatrist necessary?

You should seek the help of a doctor immediately if parents suspect the first signs of illness in their baby. Only a psychiatrist can accurately establish a diagnosis and recommend the necessary therapeutic treatment.

As a rule, all children diagnosed with autism should be seen periodically by a doctor. Don't be afraid of this doctor! This does not mean that the child has severe mental disorders. Such observation is important primarily for preventing the development of unwanted long-term symptoms of the disease.

In our country, children diagnosed with autism practically do not undergo any specialized rehabilitation programs. European specialists and doctors from the United States use a whole range of different psychotherapeutic techniques that can greatly improve the quality of life of a child suffering from autism.

Medical psychologists, professional physical therapy instructors, defectologists and speech therapists work with children from a very early age. Throughout his life, such a patient must be observed by a psychiatrist.

At what age is the disease most often diagnosed?

According to statistics, The largest number of cases of newly registered disease occurs at the age of 3-4 years. It is at this time that the symptoms of the child’s social maladjustment begin to clearly manifest themselves.

There is scientific evidence that suggests that with the development of better diagnostic criteria, it will be much easier to identify cases of autism in children at an earlier age.

Determining the first manifestations of the disease in newborns is a very difficult task even for an experienced pediatrician. To conduct a full examination and establish a diagnosis, it is necessary to organize a full-fledged medical examination, which usually involves at least 5-6 different specialists with skills and knowledge in the treatment of autism in children.

Diagnostics

Diagnosing the disease is quite difficult. In Russia, the diagnosis of “autism” will most often be given upon detection of the following psychological disorders:

• social maladjustment of the child in the environment;
• pronounced difficulties in establishing new communications and contacts with other people;
• repeated repetition of typical actions or words over a long period of time.

If the course of the disease occurs in a typical or classic form, then the above symptoms occur in 100% of cases. Such children require mandatory consultation with a psychiatrist, and, if necessary, an extensive consultation with the involvement of specialists in related specialties who work with autistic children.

During a more detailed examination, doctors try to determine the presence or absence of not only the main signs, but also additional ones. To do this, they use several classifications of diseases.

For autism use:

• ICD-X is the main working document for Russian specialists.
• The DSM-5 rubricator or Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is used by psychiatrists around the world, including in Europe and the United States.

According to these medical reference books, a child with autism must exhibit at least six of the symptoms listed. To determine them, doctors resort to various questionnaires, using which they assess the baby’s condition in a playful way. Such research is carried out in the most gentle way possible, so as not to traumatize the disturbed child’s psyche.

An interview with parents is also required. This study allows us to clarify the presence and nature of violations in the child’s behavior that cause them concern.

Parents are interviewed by several psychiatrists, as well as a medical psychologist. Such diagnostic methods are mainly used only in Europe and the USA. In Russia, unfortunately, the diagnosis of autism is in an extremely deplorable state.

Children with this disease remain unexamined for a long time.

Over time, their negative manifestations of social maladaptation intensify; apathy and inability to establish contacts with people around them may increase. In our country, working diagnostic criteria have not yet been developed that would easily establish such a diagnosis. In this regard, there are quite a few cases of establishing a correct and timely diagnosis.

Is testing at home possible?

It is almost impossible to conduct a full inspection of the house. During such testing, you can only get an approximate answer. The diagnosis of autism can only be made by a psychiatrist. To do this, he uses several different tests that are used to diagnose the disease, as well as various other techniques to clarify the extent and level of damage.

When testing at home, parents can often get a false result. Very often, the information system automatically analyzes the answers without applying differentiated treatment to a specific child.

To make a diagnosis, a multi-stage medical examination is required to determine whether the child has autism.

How to treat?

Currently, no specific treatment for autism has been developed. Unfortunately, there is no special pill or magic vaccine that would reliably protect the baby from the possible development of the disease. A single cause of the disease has not been established.

Lack of understanding about the original source of the disease does not allow scientists to create a unique medicine that would completely cure children with autism.

Treatment of this mental illness is carried out comprehensively, taking into account the symptoms that arise. Such psychotropic drugs are prescribed only by a psychiatrist. They are written out on special prescription forms and issued according to strict records in pharmacies. Such medications are prescribed in courses or for the entire period of deterioration.

All treatment methods can be divided into several groups:

• Drug treatment. In this case, various medications are prescribed to eliminate the adverse symptoms that occur in various stages of the disease. Such drugs are prescribed by a doctor only after examining the baby and possibly conducting additional examinations.
• Psychological consultations. A child medical psychologist must work with a child suffering from autism. Using various psychological techniques, the specialist will help the child cope with emerging outbursts of anger and auto-aggression, as well as improve the internal feeling when integrating into a new team.
• General restorative health procedures. Playing sports is not at all contraindicated for children with autism. However, they must study in special groups with professional instructors or trainers who are trained in the elements of working with “special” children. Such children can show excellent results and achieve good sporting achievements. Success is only possible by applying the right pedagogical approach.
• Speech therapy classes. A speech therapist must conduct classes with a child under 3 years of age. At such lessons, children learn to speak correctly and refuse to use repeated repetitions of words. Speech therapy classes allow you to improve your child’s vocabulary and add even more words to his vocabulary. Such educational games help children adapt better to new groups and improve their social adaptation.

Drug treatment

Prescription of various medications on an ongoing basis is not required for children with autism. Such drugs are used only to eliminate the negative manifestations of the disease. In this case, untimely treatment can lead to the development of various adverse consequences and even worsen the baby’s condition.

The following medications are most often prescribed to children with autism.

Psychotropic drugs and neuroleptics

Used to treat attacks of aggressive behavior. They can be prescribed as a course of treatment or once to eliminate a violent outbreak of auto-aggression. Psychiatrists choose various medications that can eliminate the negative symptoms of the disease. For example, the antipsychotic drugs Rispolept and Seroquel can cope with acute attacks of severe aggression and calm the baby.

It is important to note that the prescription of antipsychotic drugs on an ongoing basis is carried out only in severe cases of the disease. In this case, the severity of symptoms is excessively high.

Long-term use of any antipsychotic drugs can cause addiction and various side effects. In order to prevent this, doctors resort to prescribing a course of treatment.

To eliminate panic attacks or improve mood, the doctor may prescribe special medications that affect the level of endorphins. These drugs also have a number of contraindications. They are used only in cases where various psychological methods for correcting behavior were carried out, but they were not successful and did not lead to an improvement in the child’s well-being.

Probiotics for the treatment of dysbiosis

In children with autism, in 90% of cases, doctors register persistent irritable bowel syndrome or dysbiosis. In this case, the microflora in the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted. It contains practically no beneficial lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, but microorganisms of pathogenic flora reproduce well. Very often, such children also exhibit increased yeast growth.

To eliminate these unfavorable symptoms, doctors resort to prescribing various medications enriched with lacto- and bifidobacteria. Children are prescribed: “Bifidobacterin”, “Acipol”, “Linex”, “Enterol” and many others. The prescription of these funds is carried out after additional research - stool culture and a test for dysbacteriosis. The drugs are prescribed as a course of treatment. It is usually designed for 1-3 months of daily use.

In addition to medications, the diet of a child with dysbacteriosis must include fresh fermented milk products with a high content of microorganisms beneficial to the intestines.

You can also make them at home. In this case, the beneficial properties of the product are not lost, and you can safely give it to your baby.

The effect of using fermented milk products usually occurs by the end of the first week.

Vitamin therapy

Children with autism have a pronounced and almost constant deficiency of a number of vitamins: B1, B6, B12, PP. To eliminate this condition, the prescription of a complex of biologically active substances is required. Such vitamin and mineral preparations can eliminate the deficiency of any vitamins, as well as normalize the microelement composition within the body.

Since children with autism are very committed to some type of food, their diet is often very monotonous. This leads to insufficient supply of vitamins and microelements from the outside.

In order to improve this condition, daily addition of various vegetables and fruits to the diet is required, especially in the summer. These products contain a high content of various vitamins and microelements, which are vital for the baby.

Sedatives

Used to eliminate anxiety. Very often, when exposed to a strong traumatic situation, a sick child may experience a severe state of panic. In this case, psychiatrists prescribe psychotropic drugs that can effectively eliminate this manifestation. A course of such medications is not required. Only a single dose is enough.

Children with autism often have trouble sleeping. They have difficulty falling asleep. The duration of sleep can be no more than 6-7 hours a day.

For a small child this is not enough. To improve night sleep, as well as normalize the circadian rhythm, doctors recommend using mild medications that calm the nervous system and promote rapid sleep.

It is safe for children to use various herbs that have a sedative effect. Such natural medicines practically do not cause side effects and do not have numerous contraindications. To normalize sleep, decoctions of lemon balm or mint are used. You can give these herbs to your baby in the form of tea. It is better to drink such a sedative medicine no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.

The prescription of sedative medications is allowed only for severe sleep disturbances. Typically, such drugs are prescribed for quite a long time. It is not advisable to use these drugs in milder forms of the disease, since they can have a pronounced tranquilizing effect or be addictive. The prescription of medications is made by a psychotherapist after a preliminary examination.

Help from a psychologist

The use of various psychological techniques is an important element of therapy for children suffering from autism. American experts who conduct classes with sick children every day recommend conducting such classes at least 2-3 times a week.

It is better for the psychologist to also have a medical education. In this case, it can quickly help him or her when the condition worsens and send the child for consultation with a psychiatrist.

The psychologist does not prescribe medications. He treats only with words. Usually, for children with autism, the first meeting with a specialist is very important. It is at this time that you can understand whether such classes will be successful and whether the child will find a common language with the psychologist.

In order to penetrate into the inner world of a child suffering from autism, the psychologist must very delicately make friends with him. Only in this case will the baby make contact.

Often, treatment may not bring a pronounced positive effect in the absence of primary contact between the autistic child and the psychologist.

All classes are conducted in a specially equipped room. Often, to work with children with autism, all lessons are held in only one room. This helps create a calmer and more comfortable atmosphere for the child.

Psychologists try not to move or rearrange toys without reason, as this can bring severe mental discomfort to the baby.

Usually, game forms of conducting classes are chosen. During such games, children are as “open” as possible and can demonstrate real emotions. Each lesson usually lasts no more than an hour.

With longer communication, the baby may become very tired and reluctant to make contact with a specialist.

Working with children who suffer from autism usually continues throughout the child's life. At the same time, only the types and forms of psychological techniques change.

Very often, psychologists become real family members or very close friends. In America, several cases of families turning to psychologists have been recorded. In this case, not only the child, but also one of the parents suffered from autism.

It is important to note that family activities also have a good therapeutic effect.

Classes with a psychologist for children under 3-5 years old are often carried out together with one of the parents. Usually the parent with whom the baby has a closer relationship is chosen. The psychologist, in a playful way, creates various everyday situations that can occur in everyday life. During such a game, he teaches the baby how to react correctly to new people. Children learn to communicate better with other kids, and also acquire new useful skills that can be useful to them every day.

Classes

To improve the integration into society of a child suffering from autism, additional activities are required to help him with this. Typically, such a complex of various activities is compiled together with a child psychologist or on the recommendation of a psychiatrist.

Usually, before choosing any hobby that will be interesting to the child, a good analysis of his abilities and a qualitative assessment of the level of health and physical development are required. Not all children with autism will perform the same tasks with the same interest. The correct choice of activities greatly improves the prognosis of treatment and has a beneficial effect on the mental and mental development of the baby.

Typically, children with autism are recommended various correctional activities that can improve the child’s social integration in society. Sports are recommended for children. However, not all sports training can be chosen. For autistic children, calm sports are more suitable: learning to swim, playing chess or checkers, golf. It is worth choosing those sports that require concentration on one subject.

Sports that require high speed or a high risk of injury are best left aside. Children with autism should not engage in running, jumping, boxing and various types of strength wrestling.

Team games are also not suitable. It is better to give preference to calmer sports that will help improve the baby’s health and have a positive effect on his nervous system.

Children with autism are very warm towards various animals. In such children, doctors often even note a certain “cult” of animals. An autistic child may have a whole collection of cats or dogs. Direct contact and touching of pets can evoke strong positive emotions in the baby and even improve the prognosis of treatment.

Children with autism benefit from spending time interacting with a variety of animals. Doctors recommend hippotherapy or dolphin therapy sessions. Such contacts with animals will bring great joy to the baby and will have a positive impact on his development.

When a baby touches any living creature, special endorphin molecules begin to be produced in the cerebral cortex, which evoke a sea of ​​positive emotions in him.

If possible, such exercises with animals should be carried out as often as possible. It is better that the child has the opportunity to constantly observe living beings and communicate with them. While communicating with a dog or cat, the baby learns to contact the environment. This has a positive effect on his ability to make new contacts and improves social adaptation in society.

What toys should I buy?

Parents often rack their brains over what gift to give to their baby, who has been diagnosed with autism by doctors. It seems that every new toy brings virtually no joy to the child. However, this is not quite true. Every child with autism has their own personal preference for a particular type of toy.

Often boys choose different planes or ships, and girls choose different animals or dolls. It is important to note that autistic children can be delighted with donated animals. The main thing is to determine which specific animal your child likes. Usually this does not pose any difficulty: an autistic child will never let go of the animal toy he likes.

If a plush dog once presented is the child’s favorite, then any other dogs will also cause great delight.

Children diagnosed with autism are not at all prone to hoarding. They only need 2-3 different toys to feel comfortable and happy. A huge number of different gifts can even scare them!

Children under three years old should choose toys that improve fine motor skills of their fingers. Typically, children with autism are quite poor at performing any tasks related to drawing or modeling.

You can try to interest your baby in putting together various puzzles consisting of large and bright parts. Construction sets are perfect, from the elements of which you can build numerous combinations of figures.

For children aged 1.5-2 years, rugs that consist of several large parts are perfect. The upper surface of such products has small elevations or irregularities. This is necessary so that your legs are massaged while walking. This effect has a beneficial effect on the entire musculoskeletal system of the child. You should choose a rug in more neutral colors, avoiding overly bright colors.

For older children and those especially prone to aggression, you can choose a spinner. This fashionable toy normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and even helps fight the effects of stress. Kids often like to spin the spinner, as any repeated action brings them calm and even positive emotions.

In adolescence, it is better not to buy computer games for your child. Most of these toys can cause a spontaneous attack of aggression in a child or, on the contrary, increase an apathetic state.

Very often, children with autism love to play computer games, since it does not require any real contact with the outside world. However, the consequences can be very negative.

Can autistic people have healthy children in the future?

Scientists note a pronounced genetic pattern in the possibility of inheriting the disease. There are also theories about the presence of special genes that are responsible for the development of the disease in children in whose families cases of autism have previously been established.

Autistic people can have healthy children. Inheritance of genes occurs at the stage of intrauterine development. If a baby was born into a family where only one of the parents has autism, then he may well turn out to be healthy.

If both parents have autism, the chance of having an affected child is 25%, and the chance of having a child who is a carrier of this gene is 50%. This disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.

If more than one baby is born in such families, then the risk of having sick babies may increase. It also increases when exposed to various provoking factors on the unborn child during intrauterine development in the body of a pregnant mother.

To determine hidden autism in newborns, the “heel” method is used. It suggests the presence of this mental illness in the baby. It is usually carried out in autistic parents or in cases where there is a suspicion that the child may develop the disease.

Is the child given a disability?

In Russia, the diagnosis of autism requires the establishment of a disability group. However, it is not shown to all children. In our country, special medical and social criteria are used that take into account various factors.

The decision to establish a group is made strictly collectively. This involves specialists from several specialties: psychiatrist, psychologist, rehabilitation specialist.

In order for a child to have a disability group established, all necessary medical documentation must be provided to the medical and social examination authorities. The child’s child’s record must contain the conclusions of the psychiatrist and child psychologist who observed him. In this case, expert doctors can have a more informative picture about the duration of the disease.

Before undergoing a medical and social examination, the baby is often prescribed additional tests and examinations. This can be either various laboratory tests or specialized brain studies that make it possible to clarify the nature and extent of disorders. Usually in our country an EEG or electroencephalography of the brain is prescribed.

Using this method, it is possible to establish various disorders of the conduction of nerve impulses in the cerebral cortex. The method is quite informative and is quite often used in child psychiatric and neurological practice.

The test results allow doctors to determine the nature and extent of impairments resulting from the disease.

Not all forms of autism can be assigned a disability group. As a rule, it is determined in the presence of persistent disorders of nervous activity, which lead to pronounced maladaptation of the baby.

The level of mental development and intelligence also significantly influence the prognosis of the course of the disease and the establishment of a group.

Often, disability is established after three years. Cases of establishing a group at an earlier age in Russia practically do not occur and are episodic in nature.

Autism is a disease that in most cases occurs without persistent periods of remission. This leads to the fact that the disability group is usually set for life.

Children with mental disabilities must undergo a whole range of rehabilitation measures. Speech therapists, psychologists, and rehabilitation doctors work with such children. The rehabilitation course is usually designed for a fairly long period, since the treatment of the disease is carried out throughout the life of a person suffering from autism.

Parents who are faced with establishing a disability group for their child often note some difficulties when conducting a medical and social examination. They most often note: a huge amount of pre-prepared medical documentation and long queues for examination. The disability group was not always determined upon initial treatment. Often, only on the second or third attempt did expert doctors make a positive decision about the presence of disabling signs in the child.

Establishing a group is a highly complex and often controversial task. However, for children with autism, this step is often forced, but truly necessary. To conduct full-fledged classes with a child, quite large financial costs are required: training with a psychologist, consultations with a speech therapist, hippotherapy courses, the use of special psychotropic medications. All this without a disability group becomes very difficult and financially burdensome for many families.

For parents raising autistic children, the main thing is to understand that this disease will remain with the child for life. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for autism.

With the right approach, autistic children develop well and, from the outside, do not even differ at all from their peers. Only a few strangers may notice that the baby is a little different from the others. However, they often believe that such a child is simply overly spoiled or has a bad character.

In order to improve your baby’s quality of life and help him with social adaptation, use the following tips:

• Try to communicate correctly with your child. Autistic children categorically do not accept raised voices or swearing. It is better to communicate with such children in the same calm tone, without using curse words. If your child does something wrong, try not to react too violently and aggressively, but simply explain to your child how to do this action correctly. You can also show this as a kind of game.
• Both parents should be involved in raising a child. Even though, as a rule, the baby chooses to communicate with dad or mom, they both must participate in his life. In this case, the child feels more comfortable and gets a correct idea of ​​the family organization. In the future, when creating his own life, he will largely be guided by the principles laid down in childhood.
• Potty training children with autism can be quite difficult. Child psychologists usually help with this. In a playful way, they create a similar everyday situation and work through the correct sequence of actions with the baby. For independent training at home, remember that you should potty train your child gradually and consistently. Never raise your voice or punish your child if he has done something wrong. In the case of an autistic child, this measure will not lead to a positive result.
• You can teach a child with autism to read only with daily lessons. Try to choose educational books without overly bright pictures. A huge number of different colors can alarm and even frighten a child. Choose publications without colorful pictures. Training is best done in a playful way. So the baby will perceive this process as a normal game.
• During a severe hysteria, the baby needs to be carefully calmed. It would be better to do this by the family member with whom the child has closer contact. If your child is overly aggressive, try to quickly take him to the nursery. A familiar environment will help your baby calm down more easily. Never raise your voice at a child, trying to shout to him! This won't lead to anything good. Explain to your baby that he has nothing to be afraid of and that you are nearby. Try to switch your attention to another event or object.
• Try to establish contact with your autistic child. The child communicates calmly only with the people closest to him. To do this, never ask your baby a million questions. Frequent hugs will also not lead to establishing contact. Try to spend more time with your baby, just watching his games. After some time, the child will perceive you as part of his game and will make contact more easily.
• Teach your child to the correct daily routine. Typically, autistic children respond well to a clearly organized routine. This gives them a feeling of complete comfort and security. Try to have your child fall asleep and wake up at the same time. Be sure to follow the feeding schedule. Even on weekends, maintain your baby's usual daily routine.
• Be sure to undergo regular examination and observation by a child psychotherapist and psychologist. Such consultations are very important for assessing the prognosis of the disease and establishing the dynamics of the child’s condition. Typically, young patients with autism should see a therapist at least twice a year. If your health worsens, more often.
• Provide proper nutrition for your baby. Considering the characteristics of the disturbed microflora, all children with autism need to eat fermented milk products. They must be as fresh as possible. It is in this case that the concentration of beneficial lactobacilli and bifidobacteria will be sufficient. Only such products will be beneficial for the child and improve his digestion.
• From the very first days of your child’s birth, try to show him care and affection more often. Autistic children react very poorly to various physical manifestations of love and tenderness. However, this does not mean at all that this should not be done. Doctors advise hugging and kissing your child more often. This must be done without causing him mental pressure. If the baby is not in the mood, it is better to postpone hugs for a while.
• Give your baby a new friend. Most autistic children love pets. Communication with furry animals not only brings positive emotions to the baby and has a beneficial effect on the course of his illness, but also has a real therapeutic effect on tactile sensitivity. A cat or dog will become real friends for your baby and will help him more easily establish contacts not only with animals, but also with new people.
• Don't scold your child! A child suffering from autism perceives any raising of his voice very painfully. The reaction can be the most unpredictable. Some kids fall into severe apathy and become more indifferent to everything that happens in everyday life. Other children may experience excessive aggression that may even require medication.
• Try to choose an interesting hobby for your child. Very often, children with autism are excellent at drawing or playing musical instruments. Studying in a specialized art school will help your child achieve high professional success. Often such children become real geniuses. Be sure to monitor the load that falls on the baby. Excessive enthusiasm can lead to severe fatigue and impaired attention.
• Do not move furniture in the children's room or throughout the apartment. Try to keep all toys and objects that belong to the child in their place. Strong changes can cause real panic attacks and excessive aggression in a child suffering from autism. Purchase new items carefully, without attracting much attention to it.
• Don't limit your child to just being at home! Children with autism should not be confined to four walls all the time. This will only exacerbate your inability to make new friends and connections. Gradually expand the conditions where the baby spends a lot of time. Try to motivate him to go for a walk, visit close relatives. However, this should be done gradually, without psychological pressure. The baby should be very comfortable in new conditions.

Autism is not a death sentence. This is just a disease that requires increased and special attention to a child who is sick with this mental illness.

The right approach to organizing life and establishing personal contact helps such children feel more protected and improves the prognosis of the course and development of the disease.

Moms and dads should remember that a child diagnosed with autism requires your attention and care every day throughout his life. Such children are often called “special” because you need to build a unique approach with them.

Children with autism, with good rehabilitation, integrate quite well into society and are quite successful in later life.

Useful videos

Yana Summ (ex-wife of Konstantin Meladze) in the next video from my own experience talks about what you should pay attention to in order to suspect a child has autism.

You will learn a lot of nuances about autism by watching the programs of Dr. Komarovsky and “Live Healthy.”

When preparing the article, materials from the website “autism-test.rf” were used.

Autism is a type of congenital disease, the main manifestations of which boil down to the child having difficulties in trying to communicate with people around him. Autism, which also includes an inability to express one's emotions and an inability to understand them in relation to others, is accompanied by difficulty speaking and, in some cases, a decrease in intellectual abilities.

general description

The disorder relevant to this disease occurs due to the impossibility of coordinated work of different parts of the brain. Most people diagnosed with autism will always have problems organizing adequate relationships with other people. Meanwhile, diagnosing autism within the early stages of its manifestation in a patient, as well as subsequent treatment, all this allows more and more people to gradually realize their own potential.

The disease tends to appear in a certain type of family, based on which there is an assumption about the possible inheritance of autism. Currently, a study is being carried out to identify specific genes responsible for the inheritance of this disease.

There is an assumption in society that childhood vaccinations, in particular those used in vaccinations against mumps, rubella and measles, can lead to autism. However, there is no confirmation of this fact, which has been verified in some studies. Moreover, it is extremely important that all required types of vaccinations are given to the child.

So what is autism? Symptoms of this disease, as we have already noted, appear in children (this is a congenital disease) under the age of three. As a rule, parents begin to notice that the child is somewhat behind in development, which is manifested in his inability to speak and behave in a way that is typical for children of his age. It is also possible for a development option in which the child nevertheless begins to speak at the age of his peers, but over time the acquired skills are gradually lost.

The child lags behind in development, and often does not say anything at all, which may give the impression that he is deaf. A hearing test confirms the absence of this type of deviation. Also, with autism, the patient uses excessive repetition regarding certain behavior patterns, games and interests. For example, this could be repeated body swaying or an inexplicable attachment to certain objects. A particular disorder causes the need to change the usual routine in this case.

It should be noted that there is no “typical” behavior in patients with autism, and therefore generalization and creation of a single image of the patient for all cases is impossible. People with autism may behave differently, which determines the specific form of the disease in each case. Also, parents of children with autism highlight such a feature as their avoidance of eye contact, as well as their preference for playing alone.

Intellectual development, which is to a certain extent altered due to autism, for this reason corresponds in most cases to below average indicators.

Often, in adolescence, children fall into depression, experiencing it greatly, especially if their intelligence is defined as average or above average. Also, some children during this period experience manifestations in the form of seizures, in particular epileptic ones.

Autism in adults

In adults, signs of autism appear depending on how severe the disease is overall. The main symptoms include the following:

• Poor gestures and facial expressions;
• Lack of understanding of the basic rules accepted in communication. An autistic person may look too closely into the eyes or, conversely, avoid eye contact with the interlocutor. He may come too close or, conversely, move away too much, talk too quietly or, conversely, do it too loudly, etc.
• Lack of awareness by an autistic person of the peculiarities of his behavior (that he can cause harm or offend by this, etc.).
• Lack of understanding of the emotions, feelings, intentions of other people.
• The ability to form friendships or romantic relationships is almost impossible.
• Difficulty in approaching someone (first).
• Poor vocabulary, frequent repetition of the same phrases and words.
• Lack of intonation in speech, the similarity of the speech features of an autistic person with the speech of a robot.
• Calmness and confidence in a familiar and routine environment, excessive worry due to changes in it and in life in general.
• The presence of a serious attachment to certain objects, habits, places. Great fear of change.

The course of autism in a mild form indicates the ability of a person at the age of 20-25 to live separately from his parents, in a certain independence. In particular, this opportunity opens up if the mental abilities of the autistic person are sufficiently developed and the skills of communication with the environment are formed. Partial independence is noted in every third case.

A more severe course of the disease requires constant supervision of the patient with autism from others, especially if he cannot speak and his intelligence is below average.

Diagnosing autism

The presence of alarming symptoms requires contacting your doctor, after which, as a rule, a medical commission convenes. It consists of an attending physician, a psychologist/psychiatrist, a neurologist, and other specialists. In addition, the commission may include the child’s parents, educator or teachers - information from them allows a more accurate determination of the child’s condition based on the presence of various points of observation of the listed persons.

Diagnosis of autism determines the need to determine the important features that distinguish this disease from diseases of the type and genetic diseases, accompanied by mental retardation, etc.

Treatment of autism

Unfortunately, there are no methods for treating this disease, so it is impossible to say anything about the complete recovery of a child or an adult. Meanwhile, there are a number of techniques with the help of which people with autism can not only live independently, but also communicate with their environment.

It is noteworthy that the earlier parents were able to identify autism in a child, and the earlier, accordingly, treatment began with existing methods, the better the subsequent prognosis for him, the higher his chances for a full life in society.

It is noteworthy that some parents of children with autism subscribe to the idea that an autism diet can have a beneficial effect on the core symptoms of autism.

The basis for this is the assumption that the intestines of people with autism are not capable of digesting proteins such as gluten and casein. As a result, by eliminating foods with these proteins, the child will supposedly be cured of autism. Scientists have refuted this idea, pointing to the normal digestion of patients with autism, on the basis of which a gluten-free diet will not give anything to such children, accordingly, leading neither to an improvement nor to a cure.

It should be taken into account that remission of the disease is often observed in childhood, due to which autism is removed as a diagnosis and classified as an autism spectrum disorder. This often happens, again, when intensive therapy is used. In general, at the moment, it is not possible to indicate exact figures in determining recovery; unselected samples of children with recovery from this disorder have indicators in this regard in the range of 3-25%.

If symptoms similar to those of autism appear, you should contact your pediatrician.

Previously, few people had heard of this disease, but today autistic children (called “rain children”) are often born. The statistics look depressing. In the seventies of the last century, there was one autistic person per ten thousand healthy children; now the ratio is 1 to 88. Perhaps the rapid growth can be partly explained by the fact that previously they were unable to diagnose the disease. Many children with autism remained unaccounted for.

Nowadays, more babies are born with this pathology, which frightens potential parents and those who have recently become parents. Young mothers and fathers anxiously look closely at their child, trying to understand whether the child has autistic traits. The article will help you get answers to many questions about the essence, causes, symptoms and possible treatment of the disease.

Description of the syndrome

Let's start with a description of the pathology. According to medical sources, autism is a general disorder of human development, manifested by a violation of his speech, psyche in general and social adaptation. The disease is a genetic pathology and has several forms, characterized by individual symptoms. In simple words, autism is a person’s inability to fully communicate with the outside world. His actions, words, gestures, etc., are directed inward - there is no social load.

As a rule, the mental abilities of autistic people are reduced. Unless we are talking about high-functioning autism, which is rare. It is characterized by normal or even high IQ, excellent memory, rich vocabulary, and developed speech. But people with this diagnosis experience difficulties in communication, they have no abstract thinking at all, and there are other typical behavioral features.

Important! Autism is a genetic disease, it fully manifests itself before the age of three. Sometimes the disease is first diagnosed later.

Causes of autism

Every potential parent would like to know what causes the birth of a child with disabilities. Knowing this, you can try to reduce the risks. Experts believe that it makes sense to talk not about just one factor, but about the whole complex. In addition, the exact causes of autism in children have not yet been identified. Among the possible ones are:

• mutations at the gene level;
• organic type lesions of the central nervous system;
• metabolic disease;
• hormonal imbalances;
• viral or bacterial infections;
• mercury poisoning from other chemicals;
• antibiotic abuse.

In approximately 9 out of 10 cases, autistic children are born as such as a result of genetic failures. Moreover, both parents can be absolutely healthy. That is, we are talking about a completely spontaneous mutation, which can be provoked by the negative external factors listed above.

Attention! Autism is a genetic disease, but not hereditary! Nepotism is unusual for him.

Behavioral manifestations of autism

Children with the syndrome are born seemingly absolutely healthy, outwardly no different from others. Therefore, it is impossible to recognize autism in a child immediately after birth. The first signs appear a little later. To identify the disease, parents need to monitor the baby very carefully, paying attention to any features in its development.

If newborn children (both with and without the syndrome) have almost the same behavior, then by the age of three months the difference begins to appear. Children with autism do not smile at their parents, there is no reaction to their voice or to toys. In many ways they resemble blind or deaf people.

The signs of autism in children under 1 year of age are still somewhat erased, but some things can already be understood. Breasts at the right age do not go out. The sounds they make are very monotonous. They are not drawn to their parents and often aggressively stop attempts to pick them up, hug them, or kiss them. They treat their own people and strangers in exactly the same way. There is practically no interest in toys. Signs of autism in a baby also include the following remarkable feature: the baby does not gesture independently, but tries to express his desires using the hand of another. He remains indifferent to changes in position during feeding or the tone and facial expressions of the parent.

Later, identifying autism becomes even easier. A sign such as stereotypical movements appears. The child copies some element in the behavior of an adult and repeats it endlessly. The same applies to words. But he doesn’t start speaking normally. Typically, 2-year-old children already have a vocabulary of 15-20 units. Autistic people can remember a few words and repeat them, out of any context, endlessly. Or they repeat what adults have said, like an echo.

As time goes by, the symptoms become more and more obvious. A 3-year-old child with autism lacks the ability to put words into phrases. But he can come up with his own concepts, calling familiar objects the way he wants. When trying to make contact with him, the baby often reacts aggressively or hides. Changes in routine or other circumstances are painful.

Atypical use of toys is often observed in children aged 4 years. That is, instead of rolling the car on the floor, the child spins its wheel for hours. At the same time, children cannot perform actions associated with abstract thinking. For example, “stir tea” for a doll, using a stick instead of a spoon. They can only copy what they see.

In most cases, 7-year-old children already have a serious lag behind their peers. This applies to reading, writing, speaking, and other skills. In addition, they do not know how to play with peers - they stay apart. They have a hard time in kindergarten and school.

In adolescents, against the background of hormonal changes, the signs of the disease worsen. The guys are already aware of their difference from others, suffering about this. They need psychological support.

Comment! In children under 3 years of age, not all symptoms of autism may appear, but only some of them, which often confuses parents, and the diagnosis remains unconfirmed for a long time.

Physiological signs

In addition to behavioral ones, others are often present. These are called physiological signs of autism in children. They are quite typical and usually appear from the very beginning. Such signals include:

• sleep disorders (frequent awakenings in the middle of the night, difficulty falling asleep);
• decreased muscle tone;
• impaired coordination of movements;
• convulsions;
• dulled or, conversely, heightened sensory perception;
• problems with the pancreas and thyroid glands;
• irritable bowel syndrome.

Physiological symptoms of autism in children, just like behavioral ones, are not necessarily present in bulk. It could be one sign, two, three. In addition, they are not observed in all autistic people.

Forms of the disease

As for the classification of the disease, there are two main forms of autism: severe and mild. In the first case, most of the typical symptoms are pronounced, the child needs the help of parents and teachers. He needs to be under the supervision of a doctor.

A mild form of autism may not even be completely noticeable to others. The quality of life is slightly reduced. Symptoms are mild. With proper care from parents, such a child can grow into a fairly socialized, almost mentally normal adult.

There are also the following types of autism:

• with a complete lack of need for contact with people (the patient is silent and does not know how to care for himself);
• with a sharp rejection of the surrounding reality and lack of a sense of self-preservation (at the same time, the autistic child repeats sounds, words, gestures, actions);
• with the replacement of the real world (a person lives in his fantasies and illusions, is practically not attached to loved ones);
• with hyperinhibition (this is the mildest form, in which the child is very vulnerable, afraid of everything, gets tired quickly, but otherwise is quite normal).

Recently, autism and related conditions have begun to be considered a disease. In particular, Rett syndrome, the main difference of which is that until about one and a half years the child develops completely normally, and then begins to lose the skills he has mastered. In this case, the musculoskeletal system is deformed, motor activity is impaired, and ultimately severe mental retardation occurs. This syndrome occurs only in girls. It is caused by a damaged gene on the X chromosome.

Features of the perception of the world by an autistic person

Parents of children with the syndrome are very worried, believing that the child is doomed to an unhappy life. This opinion is unfounded. Of course, autistic people are different from other people, but they also have unique needs. They do not need communication, therefore, without receiving it, they will not experience negative emotions.

Observing autistic behavior, it may seem that the person is withdrawn, gloomy, and dissatisfied. And he is focused on something important to him personally. An autistic person can spend days looking at cracks in the wall, finding more and more new patterns. And at the same time experience happiness from your little discoveries.

An autist is a person who tends to systematize and organize everything around him. And this also brings him true satisfaction. With a mild degree of the disease, it is sometimes possible to distinguish it from others only by the lack of sensitivity and flexibility in communication. Being captivated by some object, a person can talk in detail about it to his interlocutor for hours, without noticing that the other person is not interested. Autistic people do not know how to analyze people's facial expressions, tone of voice, etc. By the way, their face also resembles a mask. You can't read the emotions on it.

Parents of children with autism are also concerned about their attitude towards themselves. Sometimes it seems that it is indifferent. Children love their parents and need their care. Moreover, they suffer if something changes in the family. For example, at the usual time, mom didn’t serve dinner, or dad didn’t read a book. An autist is a born conservative and traditionalist.

Diagnosis of the disease

Diagnosing autism is not easy. Much depends on the literacy and attentiveness of parents. If the child is the first, and there is nothing to compare with, they may not attach importance to deviations, considering them the norm.

Today, a test for autism in children is mandatory, which is done in the maternity hospital (newborn screening - blood from the heel). But its results are not always adequate. It often happens that the test comes back negative and symptoms appear later. Screening is aimed at identifying several genetic abnormalities. If the result is bad, it is impossible to understand what kind of pathology we are talking about without additional examinations.

In the West, there are special programs that allow you to identify autism in a child. These are professionally compiled questionnaires, and a conclusion is drawn based on the parents' responses. In Russia, such programs are not particularly widespread yet. Therefore, we have to rely on the attentiveness of parents and the literacy of doctors.

When diagnosing autism in children, the following studies are carried out:

• electroencephalography;

A psychiatrist, audiologist and neurologist should work with the child to rule out other diseases and make an accurate diagnosis of autism. The symptoms of the syndrome are similar to epilepsy, mental retardation, schizophrenia, deprivation symptom that develops against the background of prolonged separation of the baby from the mother, etc. Also, the child may be deaf or blind - hence his specific behavior.

Important! The first signs of autism appear in infancy, but an accurate diagnosis can be made when the child reaches three years of age, when the picture is already complete.

Autism correction

There is no point in talking about treating autism in children. Recovery is impossible; it is advisable to talk about complex correction carried out by parents, teachers, psychologists and psychiatrists. The disease will not go away, but the child, with successful correction, will be a full-fledged member of society.

There are various techniques that parents will need to learn. Recommendations:

1. Autism in a child requires strict adherence to a daily routine.
2. It is prohibited to abruptly change the environment surrounding the baby.
3. You should spend a lot of time talking and playing with your child.
4. The baby should be hugged, kissed and spoken of tenderness more often.
5. Physical exercise is required, without overwork.
6. Childhood autism is manifested by the mechanical inheritance of the actions of others. You should take advantage of this by instilling useful skills in your child.
7. The initiative shown by the child cannot be suppressed.

Praise is important for autistic children. Therefore, when instilling skills in them, you should come up with various methods of encouragement: kind words, sweets, gifts in the form of toys. Gradually, the negativity in the child’s behavior will disappear.

Now there are many ways to correct autism: dolphin therapy, treatment with horses, dogs, hydrotherapy. It is useful to visit theaters, concerts, and watch movies with your child. This will help him develop communication skills.

It is advisable to treat autism with the support of a psychologist. Children with the syndrome benefit from group and individual classes. In severe cases, you will have to use the services of a psychiatrist.

Behavior Therapy and Education

Education and behavioral therapy play a role in the correction of autism. They are carried out in specialized centers. The child’s behavior and communication disorders are corrected using:

• hydrotherapy;
• classes with a speech therapist;
• music;
• theater and film arts;
• dolphin therapy, hypotherapy (walking with horses), canistherapy (treatment with dogs).

Doctors advise parents of autistic children to undergo training. They learn how to develop the child's abilities and respond to his behavior. Home is a place where a child acquires the skills of independence, calmness, and sociability.

Doctors advise starting correction by teaching the child basic skills:

• dressing independently;
• correct behavior;
• eating technique;
• fixation of visual and auditory contact.

The child must get used to being praised for good behavior. You can encourage him with hugs, kisses, sweet dessert, toys. Properly selected tactics will correct the child’s behavior.

Drug treatment

Autism has physiological symptoms and treatment is often indicated with medication. It depends on the abnormalities observed in the child. If the baby suffers from dysbiosis, probiotics are prescribed. If vitamin deficiency is diagnosed, appropriate medications are prescribed. Omega-3 fatty acids have a good effect on the psyche, balancing and calming it. To eliminate stomach and intestinal upsets, it will not hurt to give the patient digestive enzymes.

In order to receive adequate drug treatment, parents of a child diagnosed with autism need to tell the pediatrician how it manifests itself physiologically. You may need to undergo a number of additional examinations. Having found out all the nuances, you can treat the child with medications.

Advice! It is advisable to consult a nutritionist, since autism in children requires special nutrition.

Traditional medicine and diet

Traditional medicine recipes for the correction of autism can be used to reduce anxiety levels. Herbs will help solve the problem. You can give your child tea made from mint and lemon balm (a tablespoon of herbal mixture per glass of boiling water).

Baikal skullcap has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and brain. The dried root of the plant is crushed and given to the child in the morning for three months. For a two-year-old child, a volume equal to a match head is enough. Every year the dose increases by a couple of grams.

You should not follow a specific diet if you have autism. But it is important for parents to remember that the disease often provokes a deficiency of B vitamins. They should be replenished by including beef liver, chicken eggs, parsley, dill, avocado, nuts, and brown bread in the child’s diet. Some children with autism have gluten or milk protein intolerance. Products containing them will have to be excluded from the menu.

Calming herbs

Calming folk recipes based on the use of herbs are useful for reducing aggression, irritability, and anxiety in an autistic child. They also normalize sleep. Therapy continues annually in courses of 2 months. Children are allowed to drink soothing decoctions from the age of two.

1. Tea with lemon balm and mint leaves. The plants are mixed in equal proportions, poured with boiling water: a glass for 1 tbsp. l. herbs You can add honey. Dosage: 2-4 years – 50 ml 2 times a day; 5-8 years – 100 ml three times a day; from six years – a glass 3 times a day.
2. Oregano tea. It is made concentrated - 0.5 liters of water per 50 g of herb. Oregano is poured with boiling water in some container, covered with a lid, wrapped in a blanket or jacket, and infused for 2-3 hours. Two-year-old children drink 25 ml 3 times a day. The dosage increases by 25 ml every year.
3. Infusion of lemon balm with valerian. It has a calming effect and has a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, relieves fear, and increases mental productivity. Valerian roots are crushed and mixed with lemon balm leaves, proportions 2:1. Art. l. The mixture is boiled for 5 m in 300 ml of water, then filtered. Dosage as in the first recipe.
4. A calming herb that increases brain activity and eliminates fear. The fruits of rose hips, red rowan, hawthorn, calendula flowers, licorice root, and loosestrife leaves are mixed in equal proportions. The collection is carefully crushed. Take a glass of boiling water for 20 g and leave for an hour. The baby should drink a quarter glass before meals.

The information will be useful for correcting childhood autism.

1. Popular people in certain circles suffered from autism spectrum disorders: Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison.
2. Parents should maintain contact with their child's doctor.
3. Autistic children often exhibit a difficult character from infancy.
4. Early diagnosis of a child’s developmental delay, together with surgical intervention, will improve the prognosis of the further course of the pathology.
5. The child should be involved in cultural events.
6. Autism cannot be cured.

Tips and warnings will help you monitor your baby and correct his behavior:

• some children develop mental retardation and epilepsy;
• sometimes mental and neurological disorders appear;
• autistic children often experience sensory problems and lack of attention from their parents;
• It is forbidden to tell a child that he is suffering from an incurable disease!

Disease prognosis

Autism is not a death sentence. As for the patient’s life, the prognosis is favorable. If we talk about its quality, it all depends on the form of the disease and its correction. There are many known cases where people with autism receive an education, create families, work and make scientific discoveries, and create masterpieces in the field of art.

Parents who hear the diagnosis should not panic or despair. It is important for children with autism to be loved. The family plays a dominant role here. The more care, understanding, and patience the relatives show, the higher the child’s chances for a full, happy life.

We have found that the causes of autism in children are usually not related to the parents’ lifestyle and are not hereditary. There is no point in throwing ashes on your head and blaming yourself for the birth of a child with disabilities. Nature is an unpredictable thing.

It is important to identify autism in a child as early as possible and begin corrective measures. At a tender age, a person succumbs to them better. You should not rely on your own strengths when trying to socialize your child. The help of specialists is necessary. But the role of parents in this situation is paramount.

Watch the video of Dr. Komarovsky - Autism in children: