Autism - A Closer Inspection!

By Richard H. Ealom

INTRODUCTION: Autism (ASD) is a developmental disorder of the brain that initially shows signs during infancy or childhood and continues without stopping or relapse. It is very heritable, but the genetics are complex and it is not known exactly which genes produces it. The disorder is characterized by a group of symptoms rather than a single symptom and the needs of persons who have it vary greatly. It is recognized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal/nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests.

SYMPTOMS: Symptoms often include problems with using and understanding language; difficulty relating to people, objects, and events; unusual play with toys and other objects; difficulty with changes in routine or familiar surroundings, and repetitive body movements or behavior patterns. They can range from mild to very severe. Parents often become aware of autistic symptoms in their child around the time of a routine vaccination.

Parental concern about vaccines has led to a decreasing rate of childhood immunizations and an increasing chance of measles outbreaks; However there is overwhelming scientific evidence showing no causal association between the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and autism, and there is no scientific evidence that the vaccine preservative thiomersal aids or causes the behavior.

The increasing popularity of drug treatment options and the expansion of benefits has given health providers incentives to diagnose ASD, resulting in some over diagnosis of children with uncertain symptoms. A person with ASD may respond atypically to medications and the medications can have adverse side effects. There is no known medication that relieves autism's core symptoms of social and communication impairments.

RESEARCH: Researchers have located several brain abnormalities in individuals with autism; however, the reasons for these abnormalities is not known nor is the influence that they might have on behavior. Research has shown that parents are usually correct about noticing developmental problems, although they may not realize the specific nature or degree of the problem.

Environmental conditions that have been claimed to aid or exacerbate the problem, or may be important in future research, include certain foods, infectious disease, heavy metals, solvents, diesel exhaust, PCBs, phthalates and phenols used in plastic materials, pesticides, brominated flame retardants, alcohol, smoking, illicit drugs, and vaccinations.

TREATMENT: Treatments include behavior and communication therapies, drugs to control symptoms and is most successful when aimed toward the child's particular needs. The primary goals are to reduce associated deficits and family distress, and to increase quality of life and functional independence. Over the years, families have tried various types of traditional and non-traditional ways to diminish autistic behaviors and to increase normal behaviors. The two which have gotten the most empirical support are Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA behavior modification) and the use of vitamin B6 plus magnesium supplements.

For great numbers of children, symptoms improve with therapy and with age. Parents should be ready to adjust treatment for their child when needed. The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that target the core signs of autism: impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and obsessive or repetitive routines and interests. Parents should exert caution before adopting any of these methods.

CONCLUSION: Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old. It is three times more likely to affect males than females. The disorder varies widely in its severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children or when it is masked by more debilitating handicaps. Autism is not treated with surgery or medicine (although some may be given medicine to improve certain symptoms, like aggressive behavior or attention problems). It remains a challenging condition for individuals and their families, but the outlook today is much better than it was a generation ago.