Facts about Autism Symptoms and Signs in Children Showing Shocking
Increase
Autism was once considered rare, and that was not so long ago.
What is Autism? Why autism is increasing?Autism is one a number of developmental disorders covered under the heading “Autism Spectrum
Disorders” which includes Asperger Syndrome, autistic disorder, Infantile Autism, childhood disintegrative
disorder, and Rett syndrome.
However, the number of cases being diagnosed now are increasing at rates that the medical community consider
quite alarming.
In fact, there are doctors in this country and others that actually consider autism to be a sort of epidemic
now with so many signs of autism in children in every part of the country.
Many physicians are aggressively pushing for earlier testing in cases where this condition might be suspected
and an autism fact sheet is often given to teachers and parents to help identify early symptoms.
Although all children with ASD will exhibit problems in the main areas of social interaction with others and
communication, and will additionally engage in behaviors that would be considered abnormally repetitive,
it is often between the ages of a year to three years, that the autism symptoms for toddlers is most noticeable.
Autism – From Shameful to Recognized
Facts about Autism Symptoms and Signs in Children Showing Shocking Increase
Autism symptoms vary greatly, but follow a general pattern. Not every symptom of autism is present in autistic
children. Infants who suffer from this problem seem to act and respond normally during the first few months
after their birth, before less responsive signs to stimuli are recognized. Parents face problems in feeding
or toilet training the babies. Infants neither smile in recognition of the parent’s face nor like it
when they are cuddled. Once these infants become toddlers, it becomes apparent that they live in a world
of their own as they show more signs of autism. They do not like playing with toys or other children and
remain aloof.
Non-verbal or verbal communication skills like facial expressions and speech develop peculiarly in such kids.
Autism symptoms range from mutism to prolonged stilted language or echoing. When language develops, it is
unimaginative, often immature. Extreme resistance to any kind of change is another autism symptom. The main
question that arises is –what is autism? It is a condition in which children are not able to develop
normal relationship with others. The presence of characteristic disturbances in their development is also
a reason to have the problem diagnosed.
Approximately 4 out of every 10,000 are autistic and about 2 per 10,000 have some form of pervasive developmental
disorder or PDD. PDD means that some symptoms of autism are present in a child. Autism is a lifelong disease
ranging from severity to mild cases. The person can live independently in mild cases and in severe cases
the person requires social support and medical supervision throughout. Autism is caused due to a combination
of environmental and biological factors, including some kind of a viral exposure prior to birth or a problem
with the genetics or immune system.
There are some signs of autism that can tell if a baby is autistic or not. Infants who are diagnosed with
autism fail to respond when someone calls their name. They are responsive to selective sounds, ignore some
sounds and respond to other sounds that are of the same loudness. They might fail to respond when their parents
call them, but respond to the television immediately. They face difficulties in attending social gatherings
and rarely follow points highlighted. They tend to shift their gaze back and forth from people to objects
and show less imitation of facial and body movements. Another sign of autism is that kids are not able to
respond emotionally to others and they are not interested in objects at all, paying more attention towards
the movement of their hands or a string.
There has been an apparent increase in the number of children who suffer from autism. Since the development
of the brain can be influenced in early childhood, treatment for autism have a greater chance of being successful
if they are initiated at an early stage. When children suffering from autism are treated early, parents can
also reduce the long-term care cost.
Studies on Nutrition and Autism
Science is showing evidence that substantiates that children are unable to absorb some important nutrients.
To help, products like digestive enzymes along with potent probiotics have been found to be successful in
helping children with Autism in a number of severe cases.
- Beta
Glucan - CoQ10
- Colostrum
- Zinc
- Vitamins A, C and E
These are positive supplements that substantially boost the immune system and can help children lessen some
effects of Autism.
Where to find help and information – If you have a child diagnosed with one of the Autism Spectrum Disorders,
please visit: The National Autistic Society for educational information and resources.