Autism in children

The health condition, autism, affects children and adults, alike, but if detected early it can be properly managed by health professionals. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disease that can cause significant social, communication and behavioural challenges.

Common examples of the social difficulties which are manifested in children include: using few or no gestures by 12 months of age, for example waving goodbye; not noticing other children; not joining them in play by three years old; and not pointing to show something interesting by 18 months of age. Autistic children can also have restricted or repetitive behaviours. Some examples of this include lining up toys or other objects and getting upset when the order is changed, playing with toys the same way every time and repeating words or phrases over and over. Other symptoms include delayed language and movement skills.

There are also various categories of this disease that are caused by environmental and genetic factors.

The advocacy and charity organization, Autism Speaks, notes that some medical issues which present in children with autism. They are gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures, or sleep disorders, as well as mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and attention issues. “Autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges,” notes Autism Speaks.

So, autistic children will either be highly skilled or challenged in the way they learn or think. “Some children with ASD gain new skills and meet developmental milestones until around 18 to 24 months of age, and then they stop gaining new skills or lose the skills they once had,” documents the CDC.

But, some “people with ASD may require significant support in their daily lives, while others may need less support and, in some cases, live entirely independently,” notes the Autism organization. Raina Sawyer (not her real name) is an eight-year-old autistic patient who has challenges with her speech and getting along with her peers at school. “I noticed at a young age she was unable to speak clearly, you know at the rate at which she is supposed to speak at that age,” said Karen Sawyer (not her real name) mother of Raina. “So, she was unable to talk with her friends in a way they could understand,” the mother added.

Research from the CDC shows that ASD begins at the age of three years and can last throughout the life of an autistic patient. Some children show symptoms from early as one years old while for others at two years old. The CDC estimates that autism affects one in 44 children in the United States of America.

Since autism affects people differently, “treatment plans usually involve multiple professionals and are catered toward the individual”, notes the CDC.