What does the word autistic mean? Autism in children: symptoms, signs and treatment. The main objects and situations that cause fear

Autism also known in children as infantile autism, is an autism spectrum disorder or resistant developmental disorder. Autism begins in childhood, often continuing into adulthood.

Epidemiology. According to various data, the frequency is from 2 to 6 children per 1,000.

"Classic" autism accounts for ¼ to ½ of all autistic disorders. The male-to-female ratio among autistic individuals is approximately 3:1. A clear relationship of the disorder with socioeconomic status was not found, as previously suggested.

What provokes / Causes of Autism in children:

Approximately 10-15% of autistic children have identifiable medical conditions. There is a greater chance of finding the cause of autism if the child has severe or profound generalized learning disabilities. Autistic disorders in children often occur in some diseases, which usually lead to generalized learning disabilities. This, for example, with seizures.

Scientists suggest that hereditary (genetic) causes play a role in the development of classic autism. The role is played not by one gene, but by many interacting ones. It is assumed that genetic factors play a lesser role in the development of autism associated with severe and profound generalized learning disabilities. These signs can be mostly explained by widespread brain damage.

Dysfunctional childbirth as a cause of autism is unlikely. There is no evidence that psychosocial dysfunction plays any role in the etiology of autism. Nor has this disorder been shown to be associated with an early traumatic event, parental insensitivity, or lack of responsiveness to their child. But some scientists still hold the opposite opinion.

Pathogenesis (what happens?) during Autism in children:

Many researchers believe that the cause of autism is a primary defect in one neurological system or one psychological function. But there is also an opinion that autism occurs due to a specific combination of structural or functional anomalies.

Neurobiological studies showed no focal deficit - virtually all parts of the brain were involved, no single localization was systematically confirmed.

A proportion of children with autism have abnormally large head circumference and large brains, suggesting that common neurodevelopmental anomalies - more than focal - are important.

It was assumed that the cause of autism in children lies in the primary psychological deficit, but attempts to prove this were not very successful. Two theories have received recognition. The first believes that the primary deficit in autism is in the "Theory of Mind", i.e. in the ability to attribute independent mental states to oneself and others in order to predict and explain actions. Therefore, it is difficult for autistic people to represent the point of view of another person (with all the ensuing behaviors and consequences). But it is easy for them to master skills that require a mechanical or behavioral understanding of objects and people.

Another theory is that the primary deficiency in autism is in executive function and the sort of problems with planning and organizational skills that result in poor performance on "frontal lobe" tests.

Other researchers who have studied the topic of primary psychological deficits in autism speak of an innate impairment in the ability to emotionally adjust to others and an impaired ability to synthesize different information, draw conclusions from it and produce their own ideas.

But none of these theories explains the repetitive and stereotypical behavior of children with autism, as well as the low one that is typical for most of these children.

Symptoms of Autism in Children:

Social violations about interactions with others. Children with autism are aloof, have poor eye contact, show a lack of interest in the person as a person (may treat people like candy dispensers, a source of entertainment, etc.). An autistic person does not seek solace from other people if he is in pain.

In half of autistic children, social interests (interest in other people) develop over time, but there are still problems with reciprocity, social responsiveness, and the ability to empathize. It is difficult for such children to regulate their behavior depending on the social context. The social context refers to the purpose of the event, as well as the pre-existing relationships between the participants.

Autistic people are bad at recognizing other people's feelings, so they react badly or not at all. Most often, children with autism are attached to their parents, they can be affectionate, even very affectionate. But it is more likely that an autistic child will hug his parents himself, approach them, than accept hugs and attempts at communication from mom, dad and others who are close to him.

An autistic child communicates with others according to his own rules, which may not please children of his age at all. Therefore, as a rule, interactions with peers are very limited.

If an autistic person starts talking (not in specific cases, but in principle), then speech its usually not only delayed, but also abnormal. Among the possible deviations: "parroting" - the repetition of words or phrases (), which occurs immediately or with a delay; inversion of pronouns (for example, "you" instead of "I"), the use of phrases and words invented by him, reliance on clichés and repeated questions.

Some autistic children speak only when they want to demand something from others, they are not inclined to engage in dialogue. Some children with autism may talk in detail about their hobbies or current activities, not paying attention to whether the conversation is interesting to the interlocutor (do not recognize the appropriate social cues). Speech often differs from that of a normal person in tone or intonation. Often it is monotonous, the child "mumbles". Gestures are also abnormal.

Limited and repetitive activities and interests an autistic child include:

Resistance to change (for example, a small rearrangement of furniture causes a heavy one),

An insistent demand to observe established procedures and rituals,

twisting,

hand waving,

A game with ordering (arrange objects according to their system), attachment to unusual objects (for example, to a pencil case or prop for indoor plants),

The attraction of unusual aspects of the world (for example, the feeling of touching zippers or people's hair),

An all-consuming preoccupation with limited topics (eg, gas prices, TV schedules).

Fantasy game for autism in children, as a rule, is absent (with the exception of adolescents). When symbolic play is present, it is often limited to simply reenacting just one or two episodes from a favorite story or television program.

Early onset as a sign of autism in a child

In the first year of life, this disorder is rarely detected. But what in infancy is considered a feature of the child, turn out to be signs of abnormal development. For example, if he never liked to be hugged, even in infancy, or the development of speech was significantly delayed.

But in about a third of cases, in the 2nd or 3rd year of life, after some period of normal or almost normal development, these children go through a regression stage, losing previously acquired skills in social interaction, communication and play.

Some children are diagnosed with atypical or unspecified developmental disorder if they do not meet all criteria for autism.

Associated features

Generalized learning disabilities

Most have. In children with the most severe forms of autism, the IQ distribution is as follows: 50% have an IQ below 50, 70% have an IQ below 70, and almost 100% have an IQ below 100.

Milder autistic disorders, such as Asperger's syndrome, are increasingly being identified in toddlers with normal and high intelligence, and are often accompanied by generalized learning disabilities.

The IQ of autistic people is most conveniently measured by non-verbal texts. In severe autism, verbal IQ is almost always lower than non-verbal IQ due to associated speech problems. In Asperger's syndrome and high functioning autism, non-verbal IQ is often lower than verbal IQ.

Seizures

It occurs in ¼ of autistic children with generalized learning disabilities and about autistic children with normal IQ. Seizures often begin in adolescence. If seizures occur in children with generalized learning disabilities, but without autistic problems, then they often do not have an onset in adolescence, but in early childhood.

Other psychiatric problems

In addition to the typical signs already described, many children with autistic disorders have additional problems with hyperactivity, behavior and emotions. Complaints are received from educators, teachers and parents about poor concentration of attention and excessive activity of the child. From a carefully collected anamnesis, one can understand what is an immediate response to tasks imposed by adults. This also applies to school work. But at the same time, the child is well focused on tasks that he has set for himself, which are interesting to him - for example, lining up a number of objects. In other cases, a small autistic person's attention is poorly concentrated in absolutely any kind of activity.

For children with the diagnosis in question, severe and frequent outbursts of anger are typical. They are caused by the fact that the child himself cannot convey the idea to adults about his needs, or by the fact that someone violates their usual order and rituals. The interference of others can cause aggressive attacks.

Autistic people with generalized learning disabilities are prone to self-injurious behavior. They gouge their eyes, bite their hands, and may bang their heads against walls. Among the rituals to which they are subject are also excessive fads in eating habits.

Intense fears can cause phobic avoidance. Moreover, fears can be those that are inherent in ordinary children, and idiosyncratic - for example, the fear of gas stations. Autism is not the cause of delirium.

Classification

Asperger's Syndrome some scientists consider it as a mild variant of autism. It differs from classical autism in that:

1. There is very little or no delay in the development of vocabulary and grammar, but there are abnormalities in other aspects of language, as in autism. Often the speech is pedantic and stilted, intonations are abnormal. Gesticulation may be limited or excessive. The child easily starts monologues on any topic that is very difficult to stop.
2. Early withdrawal is less common than in autism. A child with Asperger's Syndrome is often interested in other people. But interactions with other people are clumsy.
3. Restricted and repetitive behavior is most evident in hobbies or limited interests. For example, parking a toy car.
4. Severe clumsiness is presumably more common in autism than in autism.

Generalized learning disabilities without signs of autism. Speech is absent, as is symbolic play, if the child's mental age is less than 12 months. Social responsiveness in such children is at a fairly high level, corresponding to mental age.

Generalized learning disabilities with signs of autism. Many children diagnosed with generalized learning disabilities have impairments affecting communication, social interactions, and play. They also exhibit varying degrees of repetitive and restricted behavior. Only a small proportion of these children have every reason to be diagnosed with childhood autism. But most people can be diagnosed with atypical autism.

Rett Syndrome - this X-linked dominant disorder occurs almost exclusively in girls and is very similar to autism. Around the age of 1 year, the child experiences a global developmental regression. He loses the abilities acquired before, head growth slows down, characteristic stereotypes appear in the form of “washing hands” and limiting the ability to use hands. Children also have occasional deep sighs and laughter for no reason. Mobility disorders are progressing.

Most children diagnosed with Rett syndrome have a reasonable level of social responsiveness given their low mental age and physical limitations.

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Other diseases from the group Diseases of the child (pediatrics):

Autism cannot be cured. In other words, there are no pills for autism. Only early diagnosis and long-term qualified pedagogical support can help a child with autism.

Autism as an independent disorder was first described by L. Kanner in 1942, in 1943 similar disorders in older children were described by G. Asperger, and in 1947 by S. S. Mnukhin.

Autism is a severe disorder of mental development, in which, first of all, the ability to communicate and social interaction suffers. The behavior of children with autism is also characterized by rigid stereotyping (from repeated repetition of elementary movements, such as shaking hands or jumping up, to complex rituals) and often destructiveness (aggression, self-harm, screaming, negativism, etc.).

The level of intellectual development in autism can be very different: from deep mental retardation to giftedness in certain areas of knowledge and art; in some cases, children with autism do not have speech, there are deviations in the development of motor skills, attention, perception, emotional and other areas of the psyche. Over 80% of children with autism are disabled...

The exceptional diversity of the range of disorders and their severity makes it possible to reasonably consider the education and upbringing of children with autism as the most difficult section of correctional pedagogy.

Back in 2000, the prevalence of autism was thought to be between 5 and 26 per 10,000 children. In 2005, there was an average of one case of autism per 250-300 newborns: this is more often than isolated deafness and blindness combined, Down syndrome, diabetes mellitus or childhood cancer. According to the World Autism Organization, in 2008, 1 case of autism occurs in 150 children. In ten years, the number of children with autism has increased 10 times. It is believed that the upward trend will continue in the future.

According to the international classification of diseases ICD-10, autistic disorders proper include:

• childhood autism (F84.0) (autistic disorder, infantile autism, infantile psychosis, Kanner's syndrome);
• atypical autism (with onset after 3 years) (F84.1);
• Rett syndrome (F84.2);
• Asperger's syndrome - autistic psychopathy (F84.5);

What is autism?

In recent years, autistic disorders have come to be grouped under the acronym ASD - "autism spectrum disorders".

Kanner syndrome

Kanner's syndrome in the strict sense of the word is characterized by a combination of the following main symptoms:

1. the inability to establish full-fledged relationships with people from the beginning of life;
2. extreme isolation from the outside world with ignoring environmental stimuli until they become painful;
3. lack of communicative use of speech;
4. lack or insufficiency of eye contact;
5. fear of changes in the environment ("the phenomenon of identity", according to Kanner);
6. immediate and delayed echolalia ("gramophone or parrot speech", according to Kanner);
7. delayed development of "I";
8. stereotypical games with non-game items;
9. clinical manifestation of symptoms no later than 2-3 years.

When using these criteria, it is important:

• do not expand their content (for example, distinguish between an inability to establish contact with other people and active avoidance of contact);
• build diagnostics at the syndromological level, and not on the basis of formal fixation of the presence of certain symptoms;
• take into account the presence or absence of procedural dynamics of the detected symptoms;
• take into account that the inability to establish contact with other people creates conditions for social deprivation, leading in turn to the appearance in the clinical picture of symptoms of secondary developmental delays and compensatory formations.

A child usually comes to the attention of specialists not earlier than 2-3 years, when the violations become quite obvious. But even then, parents often find it difficult to identify violations, resorting to value judgments: "Strange, not like everyone else." Often, the real problem is masked by imaginary or real disorders that are more understandable to parents - for example, delayed speech development or hearing impairment. Retrospectively, it is often possible to find out that already in the first year the child reacted poorly to people, did not assume a ready position when picked up, and when taken, was unusually passive. "Like a bag of sand," parents sometimes say. He was afraid of household noises (vacuum cleaner, coffee grinder, etc.), not getting used to them over time, found extraordinary selectivity in food, refusing food of a certain color or type. For some parents, these kinds of violations become apparent only in hindsight when compared with the behavior of the second child.

Asperger's Syndrome

As in Kanner's syndrome, they are determined by communication disorders, underestimation of reality, a limited and peculiar, stereotypical circle of interests that distinguish such children from their peers. Behavior is determined by impulsivity, contrasting affects, desires, ideas; often behavior lacks internal logic.

Some children early reveal the ability for an unusual, non-standard understanding of themselves and others. Logical thinking is preserved or even well developed, but knowledge is difficult to reproduce and extremely uneven. Active and passive attention are unstable, but individual autistic goals are achieved with great energy.

Unlike other cases of autism, there is no significant delay in speech and cognitive development. In appearance, it attracts a detached facial expression, which gives it "prettyness", the facial expressions are frozen, the gaze is turned into emptiness, the fixation on the faces is fleeting. There are few expressive mimic movements, gesticulation is impoverished. Sometimes the facial expression is concentrated and introspective, the gaze is directed "inward". Motor skills are angular, movements are not rhythmic, with a tendency to stereotypes. The communicative functions of speech are weakened, and it itself is unusually modulated, peculiar in melody, rhythm and tempo, the voice sometimes sounds quiet, sometimes it cuts the ear, and in general, speech is often similar to declamation. There is a tendency to word creation, sometimes persisting even after puberty, an inability to automate skills and their implementation outside, an attraction to autistic games. Attachment to the house, and not to relatives, is characteristic.

Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome begins to manifest itself at the age of 8-30 months. gradually, without external causes, against the background of normal (in 80% of cases) or slightly delayed motor development.

Detachment appears, already acquired skills are lost, speech development stops, within 3-6 months. there is a complete disintegration of previously acquired speech stock and skills. Then there are violent movements of the "washing type" in the hands. Later, the ability to hold objects is lost, ataxia, dystonia, muscle atrophy, kyphosis, and scoliosis appear. Chewing is replaced by sucking, breathing is upset. In a third of cases, epileptiform seizures are observed.

By the age of 5-6, the tendency to progression of disorders softens, the ability to assimilate individual words, a primitive game returns, but then the progression of the disease increases again. There is a gross progressive decay of motor skills, sometimes even walking, which is characteristic of the final stages of severe organic diseases of the central nervous system. In children with Rett syndrome, against the background of the total collapse of all spheres of activity, emotional adequacy and attachments that correspond to the level of their mental development last the longest. In the future, severe motor disorders, deep static disorders, loss of muscle tone, and profound dementia develop.

Unfortunately, modern medicine and pedagogy are not able to help children with Rett syndrome. We are forced to state that this is the most severe disorder among the ASD, which cannot be corrected.

atypical autism

The disorder is similar to Kanner's syndrome, but at least one of the mandatory diagnostic criteria is missing. Atypical autism is characterized by:

1. quite distinct violations of social interaction,
2. limited, stereotyped, repetitive behavior,
3. one or another sign of abnormal and / or disturbed development appears after the age of 3 years.

It occurs more often in children with a severe specific disorder in the development of receptive speech or with mental retardation.

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What is autism?

autism statistics

Today, in the United States of America, this pathology is diagnosed in every 88 children. If we compare the situation in America with the one that was in 2000, then the number of autistic people has increased by 78 percent.

There are no reliable data on the prevalence of this disease in the Russian Federation. According to existing information in Russia, one child out of 200,000 children suffers from autism, and it is obvious that this statistic is far from reality. The lack of objective information about patients with this disorder suggests that there is a large percentage of children in whom it is not diagnosed.

Representatives of the World Health Organization declare that autism is a disease, the prevalence of which does not depend on gender, race, social status and material well-being. Despite this, according to existing data in the Russian Federation, about 80 percent of autistic people live in families with a low level of income. This is explained by the fact that the treatment and support of a child with autism requires large financial costs. Also, raising such a family member requires a lot of free time, so most often one of the parents is forced to give up work, which negatively affects the level of income.

Many patients with autistic disorder are brought up in broken families. Large expenditures of money and physical effort, emotional distress and anxiety - all these factors cause a large number of divorces in families where a child with autism is brought up.

Reasons for the development of autism

Theories for the development of autism are:

• biological;
• genetic;
• post-vaccination;
• theory of metabolism;
• opioid;
• neurochemical.

Biological theory of autism

Functional features of the brain
Brain dysfunction is confirmed by electroencephalogram data (a test that records the electrical activity of the brain).

Features of the electrical activity of the brain in autistic children are:

• a decrease in the convulsive threshold, and sometimes foci of epileptiform activity in the associative regions of the brain;
• intensification of slow-wave forms of activity (mainly theta rhythm), which is a characteristic of the depletion of the cortical system;
• increase in the functional activity of the underlying structures;
• delayed maturation of the EEG pattern;
• weak expression of the alpha rhythm;
• the presence of residual organic centers, most often in the right hemisphere.

Morphofunctional changes in the brain in autism are:

• decreased metabolism in the temporal and parietal lobes of the brain;
• increased metabolism in the left frontal lobe and left hippocampus (brain structures).

Genetic theory of autism

Close relatives of a child with autism were also subjected to the study. So, the concordance in the brothers and sisters of the patient is from 2 to 3 percent. This means that the sibling of an autistic child is 50 times more likely to develop the disease than other children. All of these studies are supported by another study by Lakson in 1986. It included 122 children with autism spectrum disorder who were subjected to genetic analysis. It turned out that 19 percent of the examined children were carriers of the fragile X chromosome. The fragile (or fragile) X chromosome syndrome is a genetic anomaly in which one of the ends of the chromosome is narrowed. This is due to the expansion of some single nucleotides, which, in turn, leads to a deficiency of the FMR1 protein. Since this protein is necessary for the full development of the nervous system, its deficiency is accompanied by various pathologies of mental development.

The hypothesis that the development of autism is due to a genetic anomaly was also confirmed by a multicenter international study in 2012. It included 400 children with autism spectrum disorder who underwent DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) genotyping. The study revealed a high frequency of mutations and a high degree of gene polymorphism in children. Thus, numerous chromosomal aberrations were found - deletions, duplications and translocations.

Post-vaccination theory of autism

At the same time, despite the fact that all previous studies deny the relationship between vaccines and autism, parents of sick children note that the first signs of the disease are observed after vaccination. Perhaps the reason for this is the age of the child when the vaccination is given. The MMR vaccine is administered at one year, which coincides with the appearance of the first signs of autism. This suggests that vaccination in this case acts as a stress factor that triggers pathological development.

Theory of metabolism

The opioid theory of autism

Neurochemical theory of autism

Autism Research

Not only does the vaccine relieve symptoms (which affect more than 90 percent of children with autism), the researchers say it can also control the progression of the disease. The vaccine has been tested in the laboratory, and according to Canadian scientists, it stimulates the production of specific antibodies. The same scientists published a report on the impact of various toxins on the intestinal mucosa. Canadian scientists have concluded that the high prevalence of autism in recent decades is due to the effect of bacterial toxins on the gastrointestinal tract. Also, the toxins and metabolites of these bacteria can determine the severity of autism symptoms and control its development.

Another interesting study was carried out jointly by American and Swiss scientists. This study concerns the likelihood of developing autism in both sexes. According to statistics, the number of boys with autism is 4 times higher than the number of girls suffering from this disease. This fact was the basis of the theory of gender injustice in relation to autism. The researchers concluded that the female body has a more reliable defense system against light mutations. Therefore, men are 50 percent more likely to develop intellectual and mental disabilities than women.

Development of autism

Options for the development of autism are:

• Malignant development of autism- characterized by the fact that symptoms appear in early childhood. The clinical picture is characterized by rapid and early disintegration of mental functions. The degree of social disintegration increases with age, and some autism spectrum disorders can turn into schizophrenia.
• The undulating course of autism- characterized by periodic exacerbations, which are often seasonal. The severity of these exacerbations can be different each time.
• Regressive course of autism characterized by a gradual improvement in symptoms. Despite the rapid onset of the disease, the symptoms of autism gradually regress. However, signs of mental dysontogenesis persist.

Factors affecting the course of autism are:

• the development of speech up to 6 years is a sign of a favorable course of autism;
• visiting special educational institutions is a favorable factor and plays an important role in the adaptation of the child;
• mastering a “craft” allows you to realize yourself professionally in the future - according to research, every fifth child with autism is able to master a profession, but does not do it;
• visiting speech therapy classes or kindergartens with a speech therapy profile has a positive effect on the further development of the child, because according to statistics, half of adults with autism do not speak.

Autism Symptoms

The symptoms of autism are:

• speech pathology;
• features of the development of intelligence;

• pathology of behavior;
• hyperactive syndrome;
• emotional disorders.

Speech in autism

Very often, the child stops talking after speech has been formed. Although a child's vocabulary may increase with age, speech is rarely used for communication. Children can conduct dialogues, monologues, declare poems, but do not use words for communication.

Characteristics of speech in autistic children are:

• echolalia - repetitions;
• whispering or, conversely, loud speech;
• metaphorical language;
• play on words;
• neologisms;
• unusual intonation;
• permutation of pronouns;
• violation of mimic expression;
• lack of response to the speech of others.

The core disorder in autism is the problem of understanding addressed speech. Even with preserved intelligence, children hardly react to the speech addressed to them.
In addition to problems with understanding speech and the difficulty in using it, autistic children often have speech defects. It can be dysarthria, dyslalia and other speech development disorders. Children often draw out words, put stress on the last syllables, while maintaining a babbling intonation. Therefore, speech therapy classes are a very important point in the rehabilitation of such children.

Intelligence in autism

The ability to abstract is also limited. The decline in school performance is largely due to behavioral anomalies. Children have difficulty concentrating and often exhibit hyperactive behavior. It is especially difficult where spatial concepts and flexibility of thinking are necessary. At the same time, 3-5 percent of children with autism spectrum disorders demonstrate one or two "special skills". It can be exceptional mathematical abilities, recreating complex geometric shapes, virtuoso playing a musical instrument. Also, children may have an exceptional memory for numbers, dates, names. Such children are also called "autistic geniuses." Despite the presence of one or two of these abilities, all other signs of autism persist. First of all, dominated by social isolation, disruption of communication, difficulties in adaptation. An example of such a case is the film "Rain Man", which tells about an already adult autistic genius.

The degree of intellectual delay depends on the type of autism. So, with Asperger's syndrome, intelligence is preserved, which is a favorable factor for social integration. Children in this case are able to finish school and get an education.
However, in more than half of cases, autism is accompanied by a decrease in intelligence. The level of reduction can be different - from a deep to a slight delay. More often (60 percent) there are moderate forms of lag, in 20 percent - mild, in 17 percent - intelligence is normal, and in 3 percent of cases - intelligence is above average.

Behavior in autism

Characteristics of the behavior of children with autism are:

• autoaggression and heteroaggression;
• commitment to constancy;
• stereotypes - motor, sensory, vocal;
• rituals.

The greatest difficulty in raising an autistic child is going to a public place. Even if the child does not show any signs of autistic behavior at home, then “coming out to people” is a stress factor that provokes inappropriate behavior. At the same time, children can perform inappropriate actions - throw themselves on the floor, beat and bite themselves, squeal. It is extremely rare (almost exceptional cases) for autistic children to respond calmly to change. Therefore, before going to a new place, parents are advised to familiarize their child with the upcoming route. Any change of scenery should be carried out in stages. This, first of all, concerns integration into a kindergarten or school. First, the child must familiarize himself with the route, then with the place where he will spend time. Adaptation in the kindergarten is carried out starting from two hours a day, gradually increasing the hours.

Rituals in the behavior of autistic children
This commitment to constancy applies not only to the environment, but also to other aspects - food, clothing, play. Changing meals can be stressful. So, if a child is used to eating porridge for breakfast, then an omelet served suddenly can provoke an attack of aggression. Eating, putting on things, playing and any other activity is often accompanied by peculiar rituals. The ritual may consist in a certain order of serving dishes, washing hands, getting up from the table. Rituals can be completely incomprehensible and inexplicable. For example, touch the stove before sitting at the table, jump before going to bed, go to the porch of the store while walking, and so on.

Stereotypes in the behavior of autistic children
The behavior of autistic children, regardless of the form of the disease, is stereotyped. There are motor stereotypes in the form of swaying, circling around its axis, jumping, nodding, finger movements. Most autistic people are characterized by athetosis-like movements of the fingers in the form of fingering, flexion and extension, folding. No less characteristic are such movements as shaking, bouncing starting from the fingertips, walking on tiptoe. Most motor stereotypes resolve with age and are rarely seen in adolescents. Voice stereotypes are manifested in the repetition of words in response to a question (echolalia), in the declaration of poems. There is a stereotypical account.

Hyperactivity syndrome in autism

Emotional disorders in autism

The lack of an emotional response is largely due to the social isolation of the child. Since it is impossible to experience emotional experience in life, it is impossible for a child to further comprehend these emotions.
Disorders of the emotional sphere are also expressed in the lack of perception of the surrounding world. So, it is difficult for a child to imagine his room, even knowing by heart all the objects that are in it. Having no idea about his own room, the child also cannot imagine the inner world of another person.

Features of the development of children with autism

Also, the assimilation of gestures is delayed - there is practically no pointing gesture, difficulties in greeting-farewell, affirmation-denial. The facial expressions of children with autism are distinguished by inactivity and poverty. Often there are serious faces, with traced features (“the face of a prince” according to Kanner).

Disability in autism

Benefits for children with autism with a disability include:

• free visits to specialized educational institutions;
• registration in a speech therapy garden or in a speech therapy group;
• tax deductions for medical treatment;
• benefits for sanatorium treatment;
• the opportunity to study according to an individual program;
• assistance in psychological, social and professional rehabilitation.

Types of autism

• early childhood autism;
• atypical autism;
• Rett syndrome;
• Asperger's Syndrome.

early childhood autism

Signs of early childhood autism can begin to appear from the first days of a baby's life. In such children, mothers note a violation of the reaction to auditory stimuli and inhibition of the reaction to various visual contacts. In the first years of life, children have difficulty understanding speech. They also have a delay in the development of speech. By the age of five, a child with early childhood autism has difficulty with social relationships and persistent behavioral problems.

The main manifestations of early childhood autism are:

• autism itself;
• the presence of fears and phobias;
• lack of a stable sense of self-preservation;
• stereotypes;
• special speech;
• impaired cognitive and intellectual abilities;
• special game;
• features of motor functions.

The appearance of a new person can cause pronounced negative emotions - anxiety, fear, aggression. Communication with other children is very difficult and is accompanied by negative impulsive actions (resistance, flight). But sometimes the child just completely ignores anyone who is near him. Reaction and response to verbal appeal is also absent or severely inhibited. The child may not even respond to his own name.

Presence of fears and phobias
In more than 80 percent of cases, early childhood autism is accompanied by the presence of various fears and phobias.

The main types of fears and phobias in early childhood autism

stereotypes
In early childhood autism, more than 65 percent of patients develop various stereotypes - frequent repetitions of certain movements and manipulations.

Stereotypes of early childhood autism

Impaired cognitive and intellectual abilities
In early childhood autism, cognitive and intellectual abilities lag behind or accelerate in development. Approximately 15 percent of patients develop these abilities within the normal range.

Violation of cognitive and intellectual abilities

Special game
Some children with early autism completely ignore toys, and there is no play at all. For others, the game is limited to simple manipulations of the same type with the same toy. Often foreign objects that are not related to toys are involved in the game. At the same time, the functional properties of these objects are not used in any way. Games usually take place in a secluded place in solitude.

Features of motor functions
More than half of patients with early childhood autism have hyperexcitability (increased motor activity). Various external stimuli can provoke pronounced motor activity - the child begins to stomp his feet, wave his arms, fight back. Awakening is often accompanied by crying, screaming, or erratic movements. In 40 percent of sick children, opposite manifestations are observed. Reduced muscle tone is accompanied by low mobility. Babies suck sluggishly. Children react poorly to physical discomfort (cold, moisture, hunger). External stimuli are not able to cause adequate reactions.

atypical autism

Typical groups of symptoms of atypical autism are:

• speech disorders;
• signs of emotional insufficiency;
• signs of social maladaptation and failure;
• thought disorder;
• irritability.

Signs of emotional insufficiency
Another important sign of atypical autism is the inability to express one's emotions. Even when the patient has inner experiences, he is not able to explain and express what he feels. It may seem to others that he is simply indifferent and unemotional.

Signs of social maladaptation and insolvency
In each individual case, the signs of social maladaptation and insolvency have a different degree of severity and their own special character.

The main signs of social maladaptation and insolvency include:

• a tendency to loneliness;
• avoiding any contact;
• lack of communication;
• Difficulties in establishing contact with strangers;
• inability to make friends;
• Difficulty making eye contact with an opponent.

Irritability
In atypical autism, the nervous system is more sensitive to various external stimuli. From bright light or loud music, the patient becomes nervous, irritable and even aggressive.

Rett syndrome

The first signs of the disease begin to appear 6 to 18 months after the birth of the child. Until this time, the growth and development of the baby does not differ from the norm. Psychoneurological disorders develop through four stages of the disease.

Rett syndrome stages

Asperger's Syndrome

The main characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome are:

• violations of a social nature;
• features of intellectual development;
• violations of sensory (sensitivity) and motor skills.

When interacting with peers, children with Asperger's tend to impose their own rules, not accepting other people's ideas and not willing to compromise. In response to this, those around them no longer want to come into contact with such children, aggravating their social isolation. This leads to depression, suicidal tendencies and various types of addiction during adolescence.

Features of intellectual development
Asperger's Syndrome is characterized by relatively intact intelligence. It is not characterized by gross developmental delays. Children with Asperger's Syndrome are able to graduate from educational institutions.

The features of the intellectual development of children with Asperger's syndrome include:

• normal or above average intelligence;
• excellent memory;
• lack of abstract thinking;
• precocious speech.

Another feature of intellectual development in Asperger's syndrome is rapid speech development. By the age of 5 - 6, the child's speech is already well developed and grammatically correct. The pace of speech is slow or fast. The child speaks in a monotone and with an unnatural timbre of voice, using a lot of speech patterns in a bookish style. The story about the subject of interest can be long and very detailed, regardless of the reaction of the interlocutor. But children with Asperger's syndrome cannot support a conversation on any topic outside their area of ​​​​interest.

Motor and sensory disorders
Sensory impairment in Asperger's syndrome includes increased sensitivity to sounds, visual stimuli, and tactile stimuli. Children avoid other people's touches, loud street sounds, bright lights. They have obsessive fears of the elements (snow, wind, rain).

The main motor disorders in children with Asperger's syndrome include:

• lack of coordination;
• clumsy gait;
• difficulty in tying shoelaces and fastening buttons;
• sloppy handwriting;
• movement stereotypes.

autism syndrome

Autism in schizophrenia

Autism in schizophrenia is primarily manifested in the behavioral characteristics of the patient. This is expressed in the difficulties of adaptation, in isolation, in staying "in one's own world". In children, autism can manifest itself as a syndrome of "oversociality". Parents note that the child has always been quiet, obedient, never disturbed the parents. Often such children are considered "exemplary". At the same time, they practically do not react to comments. Their exemplary behavior is not amenable to change, children do not show flexibility. They are closed and completely absorbed in the experiences of their own world. They rarely manage to be interested in something, to involve them in some kind of game. According to Kretschmer, such exemplarity is an autistic barrier from the outside world.

Differences between autism and schizophrenia

A key criterion in schizophrenia is impaired thinking and perception. The former appear as discontinuity and inconsistency, the latter as hallucinations and delusions.

Basic symptoms in schizophrenia and autism

Autism in adults

Personal life
Relationships with the opposite sex is an area that causes great difficulties for autistic people. Romantic courtship is unusual for autistic people, as they do not see the point in them. Kissing is perceived by them as useless movements, and hugs as an attempt to limit movement. At the same time, they may experience sexual desire, but most often they are left alone with their feelings, since they are not mutual.
In the absence of friends, a lot of information about romantic relationships is taken from films by autistic adults. Men, after watching pornographic films, try to put such knowledge into practice, which scares and repels their partners. Women with autistic disorders are more informed through serials and, due to their naivety, often become victims of sexual violence.

According to statistics, people with autism spectrum disorders are much less likely than others to create full-fledged families. It should be noted that in recent years, the ability of an adult autistic person to arrange his personal life has increased significantly. With the development of the Internet, various specialized forums began to appear, where a person diagnosed with autism can find a mate with a similar disorder. Information technology, which makes it possible to establish contact by correspondence, contributes to the fact that many autistic people get to know and develop friendships or personal relationships with their own kind.

Professional activity
The development of computer technology has significantly increased the opportunities for professional self-realization of autistic people. One solution that is gaining popularity is remote work. In many patients with this disease, the level of intelligence allows them to cope with tasks of a high degree of complexity. The absence of the need to leave the comfort zone and interact live with work colleagues allows adult autists not only to work, but also to develop professionally.

If skills or circumstances do not allow remote work via the Internet, then standard forms of activity (work in an office, shop, factory) cause great difficulties for an autistic person. Most often, their professional successes are much lower than their real abilities. Such people achieve the greatest success in those areas where increased attention to detail is needed.

Living conditions
Depending on the form of the disease, some adults with autism can lead an independent life in their own apartment or house. If in childhood the patient underwent appropriate corrective therapy, then as an adult he can cope with everyday tasks without outside help. But most often, adults with autism need the support they receive from their relatives, close people, medical or social workers. Depending on the form of the disease, an autistic person may receive financial assistance, information about which should be obtained from the appropriate authority.

In many economically developed countries, there are houses for autistic people, where special conditions have been created for their comfortable living. In most cases, such houses are not only housing, but also a place of work. For example, in Luxembourg, residents of such houses make postcards and souvenirs, grow vegetables.

Social communities
Many autistic adults are of the opinion that autism is not a disease but a unique life concept and therefore does not require treatment. To protect their rights and improve the quality of life, autistic people unite in various social groups. In 1996, an online community was formed called IJAS (Independent Living on the Autistic Spectrum). The main goal of the organization was to provide emotional support and practical help to adults with autism. Participants shared stories and life advice, and for many, this information was very valuable. Today there are a large number of similar communities on the Internet.

Today, as you understand, the conversation will be about Russian autists. Who are autists? How many autists are there in the world and in Russia? What awaits them? What are the prognosis of such children and people?

One fact is indisputable - there are more and more autistic people. And it is impossible not to notice them, thanks to the introduction of inclusive education, they begin to study together with ordinary children, you can no longer hide them in four walls, boarding schools.

The topic is interesting, and no matter how hard anyone tries to think that this does not concern him, this is a problem for him too, because in the courtyard of the house with his children one day such an unusual child will play, in the bus on the seat opposite there will be a man waving his arms stereotypically, but at the same time singing beautifully, at the school where his children study, an autistic child will study.

Let's also talk about the myths around autism, about what autism really is.

Myths and truth (one and another next to each other):

Myths: Now almost every fourth child is autistic, there is an epidemic of autism in the world.

True: there are more such children - this is a fact, but there are actually very few "clean" children with an officially confirmed diagnosis, those who are unofficially suspected of having it - many have speech delays, mental development, and not autism.

Myths: These kids are brilliant.

True: according to statistics, there are a maximum of 10% of gifted children among them, mostly autism is combined with moderate and severe mental retardation.

Myths: the causes of autism in: 1) vaccinations, 2) aggravated psychopathological heredity, 3) teratogenicity in the early stages, 4) severe stress during pregnancy, 5) genetically modified foods, ecology.

Truth: there is no reliably known reason for the development of autism, there are only assumptions.

Myths: there are many autists among famous mathematicians, programmers, geniuses.

Truth: There were rumors that Bill Gates, Steve Jobs are autistic, for example, specifically - Bill Gates has Asperger's Syndrome. But these are just rumors, there is no proof of this. These are just guesses. Yes, many of these personalities are, to put it mildly, eccentric, but they do not suffer from any mental disorder officially confirmed, or this information is not provided to the public. There is a special personality type, especially among mathematicians, physicists - schizoid, which implies isolation, isolation from the world, a penchant for scientific experiments, the exact sciences.

The schizoid personality type is one of the risk factors for the development of schizotypal disorder (which in some countries is classified as a type of autism) and schizophrenia. According to a study by the Tomsk Institute of Psychiatry, the presence among relatives, especially in the male line, of such mental illnesses as schizotypal personality disorder and schizophrenia increased the risk of having a child with autism. However, scientists have long been saying that schizophrenia and autism are different diseases, completely different mechanisms of development.

Briefly about autism from the site "Autism in Russia" (www.autisminrussia.ru):

“Autism is not a disease, it is a developmental disorder.

Autism cannot be cured. In other words, there are no pills for autism.

Only early diagnosis and long-term qualified pedagogical support can help a child with autism.

Autism is a severe disorder of mental development, in which, first of all, the ability to communicate and social interaction suffers. The behavior of children with autism is also characterized by rigid stereotyping (from repeated repetition of elementary movements, such as shaking hands or jumping up, to complex rituals) and often destructiveness (aggression, self-harm, screaming, negativism, etc.).

The level of intellectual development in autism can be very different: from deep mental retardation to giftedness in certain areas of knowledge and art; in some cases, children with autism do not have speech, there are deviations in the development of motor skills, attention, perception, emotional and other areas of the psyche. More than 80% of children with autism are disabled.

The exceptional diversity of the range of disorders and their severity makes it possible to reasonably consider the education and upbringing of children with autism as the most difficult section of correctional pedagogy.

childhood autism (F84.0) (autistic disorder, infantile autism, infantile psychosis, Kanner's syndrome);

atypical autism (with onset after 3 years) (F84.1);

Rett syndrome (F84.2);

Asperger's syndrome - autistic psychopathy (F84.5);

more on ICD-10

In recent years, autism spectrum disorders have been grouped under the abbreviation ASD - Autism Spectrum Disorders. Among autistic disorders there is strictly autism (Kanner, Asperger's, Rett's, atypical), as well as autistic behavior. There is reason to believe that in the ICD-11 Rett Syndrome will be brought into an independent disorder, and autistic behavior is not yet autism as such.

You can imagine for a long time what autism and autists are, but you will never understand it from the outside - until you personally communicate with such people and children.

Autism cannot be cured with a pill, autism cannot be “cured” at all, it is only possible to socialize the child as much as possible, as far as the initial level of his intelligence and the preservation of mental functions allow. Some children, especially if there are outbursts of aggression, auto-aggression, anger (more than half of autists show this behavior to one degree or another) or run away from home, attempts to jump from a height, are shown to take antipsychotics.

Someone tries to do without them to the last ... But basically, sooner or later, parents resort to drug therapy with antipsychotic drugs. Antipsychotics produce many side effects, such as weight gain, immoderate appetite, significant developmental regression, problems with the heart and other organs.

Autism is 4 times more common in boys than in girls.

"According to experts from the World Health Organization, up to 1% of the world's population suffers from autism spectrum disorder, while the number of people with autism has been increasing in recent decades."

“In recent years, the number of children with autism has begun to skyrocket. Every year there are 7-10% more such patients.”

This very 1% of 7 billion people is 70 million ... 70 million people in the world suffer from autism and ASD (autism spectrum disorders). There is more unofficial information.

For example, in a Siberian town with a population of just over a million people, there are officially about 160 autistic children (officially diagnosed with autism, disability), unofficially, according to various organizations, about 5 thousand are children not with “pure” autism, and with speech and mental disorders, developmental delays - in fact, today "autism" has become a "dump", where they throw off both problems with speech and the psyche. If a child does not speak, autism is already suspected... But it is autism in its pure form, manifested in mental disorders, without other severe neurological and somatic diseases, that is not so common.

I want to say that there are quite a few officially diagnosed autism ... This is a rare disease (developmental disorder). In addition, autism is different from autism. There are milder forms of autism: Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and PDD-NOS are officially lumped into one disorder, autism spectrum disorder. Savant Syndrome (more on that later) occurs in some forms of Asperger's Syndrome.

A significant part of people with mild forms of autism successfully contacts the world, self-actualizes, socializes.

Atypical autism, autism in combination with ADHD, mental retardation, as a rule, are severe forms of disorders, some cases are difficult to correct.

Among autists, of course, there are geniuses, but this percentage is very low: only 0.5% to 10% of people with autism spectrum disorders demonstrate unusual abilities and talents.

“The savant syndrome, sometimes abbreviated as savantism (from the French savant - “scientist”) is a rare condition in which persons with developmental disabilities (including those of an autistic nature) have an “island of genius” - outstanding abilities in one or more areas of knowledge, contrasting with the general limitations of the individual.

For example, there are cases when a person suffering from autism in combination with mental retardation has a phenomenal memory, stores libraries of books and information in his memory, and can produce a chapter at a time. Someone beautifully and unusually draws. The same Anton (from the film by Lyubov Arkus “Anton is Right Here” about an autistic young man) wrote an essay that, with its insight, purity, accuracy, and subtlety, touched many people. True, I want to say that not all autists are like Anton: Anton has mental retardation in addition to autism, there are children with a mild form of mental retardation. In general, it is impossible to equate everyone one at a time, there are more complex, there are easier cases.

“A person with savant syndrome may be able to repeat several pages of text they heard only once, accurately name the result of multiplication of multi-digit numbers as if they already knew the result, or tell what day of the week January 1, 3001 falls. There are savants who can sing all the arias they hear when they leave the opera, or draw a map of the London area after flying over the city, as 29-year-old savant Stephen Wiltshire did.

It so happened that the opinion expressed by me in the article is by no means detached: my son has autism, in its purest form, with a disability. Of course, every mother of a sick child paints pictures in her mind that everything is or will be much better than it really is. So for a long time I believed that he was just a genius, you need to be patient and everything will manifest itself, the butterfly will recover from the cocoon ... However, when you see such children from the side, it is sobering and you understand that there are only a few percent of genius - at best.

He is one of several thousand autists in Russia who have been officially diagnosed.

I do not understand this universal romantic veil over such children and people. Yes, this is one of the most mysterious diseases that cannot even be called a disease. Such children are often very beautiful outwardly, only with some kind of mental lesion, either intrauterine or postpartum, and their features are not immediately visible, outwardly, especially if they are silent and behave quietly, give the impression of beautiful, smart. But this is a misleading impression. Such children need to be rehabilitated, to fight for their decent life. But to draw what is not there to make life easier is self-deception.

At the age of 8, my son can read and write (but he does not understand the meaning of what is read, written, writes and reads everything in different languages), knows the alphabets of ten languages ​​... we have written everything in Chinese characters and Hebrew. He sings songs that he heard once, in a thin, beautiful voice, hitting exactly the notes. He draws beautifully .. Can draw a series of cartoons for memory in a few minutes. And he shows many other abilities and talents. However, this has nothing to do with real life: a child can be completely inadequate in behavior, uncontrollable, does not understand the danger - he tries to jump from a height, throw himself under a car, he cannot eat normally, he does not dress, does not talk, etc. That is, in essence, this is an eternal 9-month-old child, only five times larger, physically normal, running fast, hyperactive, sometimes dangerous for others and for himself. In fact, these are very difficult children ...

Society, unfortunately, does not yet understand who these children are, they are often perceived simply as spoiled. in this regard, with physical disabilities (I mean not severe forms of diseases) - it’s easier: children, as a rule, have intact intelligence, outwardly it’s immediately clear what’s wrong ... And in the case of autism, everyone needs to explain and prove that it’s not so with a child or just listen flurry of discontent.

And to me, as, I think, to many mothers of such children, all that was offered in state structures was to hand over my son to a boarding school ...

When such children were hidden in boarding schools and at home, the society did not have any complaints, but today mothers and their children (autistics) go out into the world, “pump” their rights – at first it was extremely difficult, but today the ice has broken, it’s already easier.

My son, accompanied by me (a tutor is planned in the future), studies in an inclusive format at a regular school, teachers and specialists work with him individually. We have only had this inclusive education for a year. We constantly talk with parents and children about what kind of child this is, why he should be accepted so that his behavior does not become shocking for anyone.

In our city, several resource classes were opened (for the second year), where only autistic people study, according to the ABA-therapy system, special conditions have been created for the adaptation of children. But all these schools are very far from us.

I personally For full-time attendance at school, such a child needs society, discipline, normal children nearby. Otherwise, it is degradation and desocialization, withdrawal into stereotypes and primitive behavior.

What can medicine and the system as a whole offer such children in other cities of our country? I communicate with several mothers of autistic children living in remote regions of the country, in a working village and in a small town where there is one school for the whole area. And there are not even close those conditions that we have. But our conditions, to put it mildly, are far from progressive.

In the outback, where these mothers live, such children often become the object of ridicule ... a paradox - not only on the part of children, but also adults. They do not provide any qualified assistance, only sometimes a teacher comes to the house. And this is not a mother's problem, but a society that has essentially rotted the mother.

And at the level of high topics in a direct line with the president or for the sake of a red word in some interview, it is now fashionable to talk about autists, pity them, call them gifted, offer to pick up the flag of help - in fact, no one needs such children and mothers.

If in large cities there is still an opportunity to unite in teams of the same mothers, to create human rights organizations - what will a lonely, downtrodden mother do in the outback, where she is alone with such a child against the crowd?

In Germany, for example, the most favorable conditions have been created for such children, they go to kindergartens where ordinary children are, they are accepted with understanding, the state helps families raising such a child a lot.

In Israel, progress with ABA therapy.. In America, too.

Information on the website "Autism in Russia" says: the normal rehabilitation of autists requires at least 30-70 thousand rubles a month, while 80% of families have low incomes, many single mothers who are not able to pull out such children even at a weak level, and either hand them over to boarding schools, or simply spend their lives within four walls, 80% of autists are disabled.

All that we can do so far is to “stick” schizophrenia on an autistic child after 8-10 years of age, so as not to provide any specific assistance and attribute everything to an endogenous mental illness ... Only when there were many such children at times, mothers began to speak. Today, autism is even listed in the ICD-10 as a "conduct disorder", but the practice of "drawing" schizophrenia for such children is more than alive. If an autist is still entitled to rehabilitation, a sanatorium-resort, then a schizophrenic child is simply isolated by any means.

It has long been known that schizophrenia and autism are completely different diseases. At the heart of schizophrenia is an incorrect, distorted interpretation of signals coming from the outside world (for example, the suspicion that they are being watched), in autism - the complete or partial impossibility of interpreting signals (the child sometimes does not even understand where he is). This is a huge problem of modern Russian medicine, psychiatry, that autistic children are given schizophrenia, denying them in this way! It takes more than one revolutionary to break the system.

According to research, there are many reasons for the development of autism ... Not one competent doctor will be able to name the exact cause. There are Russian studies, which found that older fathers and parents (especially in the male line) who have cases of mental illness in their families - autists are born several times more often than in the opposite categories.

There are studies that nutritional supplements with the prefix E- contribute to the development and intensification of autism symptoms. There is evidence that mercury, lead, salts of heavy metals contained in vaccinations cause the development of autism. The same applies to intrauterine infection, up to the flu.

But here is another interesting version I heard from a psychologist: l People have become different, life has become different. People give birth on the go, not having time to understand why they need children, families, everything happens in a hurry, at a frantic pace, there is a lot of noise around, useless movement ... , disunity in society. Growth of cities, skyscrapers, suicides.

And in all this, new people are born who, even in the womb, do not understand why they need all this (do you think that children in the womb are absolutely unconscious embryos? It has long been established that the state of the mother during pregnancy and the atmosphere around it greatly affects the baby). They close themselves off from this world, even before they were born, they withdraw into themselves from too active noise, fuss, fear, this is a kind of defensive reaction.

I once read in a book about emotional disturbances in children about an experiment with birds: that at moments of stress overload - too strong a provoking factor that affects the psyche - birds (gulls) - instead of running away, for example, a cannon shot many times, they started act as if nothing was happening, it was pointless to walk back and forth, as if stunned, straightening feathers, guarding the chicks.

At the same time - with a weaker provoking factor - their behavior was more adequate - they ran away from danger, screamed, showed affect. And with amplification, it’s like the fuses have burst .. The same thing happens to our children in the womb - the fuses are already blown from the world in which we are all on a noise conveyor.

Autism - what is it? Causes of Autism, Symptoms and Early Signs

The syndrome develops in the first years of a child's life, when there is an absence or inadequate reaction to auditory or visual stimuli, strange fears, and repetitive behavior. If similar symptoms are observed in a teenager, this diagnosis is doubtful.

The level of intellectual development in this disease can be very different: from deep mental retardation to giftedness in certain areas of knowledge and art; in some cases, children with autism do not have speech, there are deviations in the development of motor skills, attention, perception, emotional and other areas of the psyche. More than 80% of children with autism are disabled.

What it is?

Autism is a psychiatric disorder resulting from a variety of brain disorders and characterized by a wide-ranging, marked communication deficit, as well as limited social interaction, minor interests, and repetitive activities.

These signs of autism usually appear at the age of three. If similar conditions occur, but with less pronounced signs and symptoms, then they are classified as autism spectrum diseases.

Causes of Autism

Most often, children with RDA are physically absolutely healthy, they do not show any visible external defects. In mothers, pregnancy proceeds without features. In sick babies, the structure of the brain practically does not differ from the norm. Many even notice the special attractiveness of the facial part of an autistic baby.

However, in some cases, other signs of the disease still appear:

• infection of the mother with rubella during pregnancy;
• chromosomal abnormalities;
• tuberous sclerosis;
• fat metabolism disorders - obese women have a high risk of giving birth to a child with congenital autism.

All of the above conditions negatively affect the child's brain and can lead to the development of autism. According to research, genetic predisposition plays a role: if there is an autistic person in the family, the risk of developing the disease increases. However, reliable reasons have not yet been named.

How does an autistic child perceive the world?

It is believed that an autistic person cannot combine details into a single image. That is, he sees a person as unconnected ears, nose, hands and other parts of the body. A sick child practically does not distinguish inanimate objects from animated ones. In addition, all external influences (sounds, colors, light, touch) cause discomfort. The kid is trying to get away from the world around him.

Symptoms of autism in a child

In some children, symptoms of autism can be detected as early as infancy. Most often, autism manifests itself by the age of three. Signs of autism may vary depending on the child's developmental level and age (see photo).

Behavioral characteristics used to describe autism syndrome:

The development of non-verbal and verbal communication is impaired. Characteristic:

1. Speech is normal, but the child cannot talk to others;
2. Speech is abnormal in content and form, that is, the child repeats phrases heard somewhere that do not apply to this situation;
3. Lack of facial expressions and gestures. Speech may also be absent;
4. The child never smiles at the interlocutor, does not look into his eyes;
5. Speech is abnormal phonetically (problems with intonation, rhythm, monotony of speech).

The development of the imagination is impaired, which leads to a limited range of interests. Characteristic:

1. Preference is given to solitude, games with oneself;
2. Lack of imagination and interest in imaginary events;
3. Craving for a certain object and experiencing an obsessive desire to constantly hold it in his hands;
4. Unnatural, nervous, aloof behavior;
5. An autistic child shows tantrums when the environment changes;
6. Feels the requirement to repeat exactly the same actions;
7. Focuses on one thing.

Impaired development of social skills. Characteristic:

1. Ignoring the feelings and existence of other people (even parents);
2. They do not share their problems with their loved ones, because they do not see the need for this;
3. Children do not want to communicate and be friends with peers;
4. They never imitate either facial expressions or gestures of other people or repeat these actions unconsciously, without connecting them in any way with the situation.

People with autism are characterized by uneven development, which gives them the opportunity to be talented in some narrow area (music, mathematics). Autism is characterized by a violation of the development of social, mental, speech skills.

Autism in a child older than 11 years

Simple communication skills are mastered, but the child prefers to spend time in a deserted room. There are other signs as well:

• interest is directed to only one area, a toy, a cartoon, a transfer;
• attention deficit;
• aimless complex movements;
• compliance with their own, often ridiculous from the outside, rules;
• incomprehensible fears also take place;
• hyperactivity;
• the need for a uniform arrangement of furniture and things in the house - if it is moved, the child may have a tantrum or a panic attack;
• the child must follow a certain sequence when dressing, waking up, going to bed;
• self-directed aggression.

Teaching children with autism is difficult, but this does not mean that all autistics have a low IQ - it is difficult for them to quickly change their occupation and scatter their attention equally on several subjects. Parenting requires great effort on the part of parents: after all, if a baby has learned to go to the potty or change clothes at home, this does not mean that he can do it at a party or in kindergarten.

Symptoms of the disease between the ages of 2 and 11 years

Children with autism at this age still experience symptoms relevant to the previous period. The child does not respond to his own name, does not look into the eyes, likes to be alone, there is no interest in other children. In addition, other characteristic symptoms of the disease are noted:

1. Perhaps, again, the repetition of the same type of actions (peculiar rituals), when a change in the familiar environment, he develops severe anxiety.
2. The child knows only a few words, may not speak at all.
3. It is possible that the child constantly repeats the same word, he does not support the conversation.
4. For the most part, children with autism with great effort acquire skills that are new to them, at school age they lack the ability to read or write.

Some children develop an interest in a certain type of activity, such as math, music, drawing, etc.

Signs of early childhood autism before age 2

In most cases, the manifestations of the disease are observed in children during the first year of their life. There may be characteristic differences in the behavior of a sick child from the behavior of peers. The following symptoms are also noted:

1. The child rarely smiles;
2. No attachment to mother. So, the child does not cry, like other children, when she goes somewhere, he does not smile at her and does not reach for her arms;
3. A child with autism does not look at the face of the parents, into their eyes;
4. Perhaps an inadequate response of the child to stimuli, for others insignificant (light, muffled sounds, etc.), in addition, he may experience fear because of them.
5. The child's aggressiveness towards other children is noted, he does not seek to communicate with them and to general games;
6. A sick child prefers only one toy (or a separate part of it) in the game, there is no interest in other toys;
7. There is a delay in the development of speech. So, by 12 months the child does not babble, does not use the simplest words by the age of 16 months, by the age of 24 months does not reproduce simple phrases.

Meanwhile, it is important to note that such symptoms are by no means exclusive indicators of the relevance of autism, although they require some concern. Therefore, the child's avoidance of society, his silence, self-absorption - all these manifestations must be discussed with the pediatrician.

IQ in autism

Most children with autism have mild to moderate mental retardation. This is due to brain defects and learning difficulties. If the disease is combined with microcephaly, epilepsy and chromosomal abnormalities, then the level of intelligence corresponds to profound mental retardation. With mild forms of the disease and the dynamic development of speech, intelligence can be normal or even above average.

The main feature of autism is selective intelligence. That is, children can be strong in mathematics, music, drawing, but at the same time lag far behind their peers in other parameters. The phenomenon of an autistic person being extremely gifted in any area is called savantism. Savants can play a tune after hearing it just once. Or draw a picture seen once, accurate to halftones. Or keep columns of numbers in your head, performing the most complex computational operations without additional funds.

Severity

There are several degrees of severity, according to which it is even more clear what autism is:

Autism Diagnosis

External clinical signs of autism in a child of the first year of life are practically absent, and only experienced parents with more than 1 baby in the family manage to notice any developmental abnormalities with which they go to the doctor.

If there are already cases of autism in the family or in the family, then it is extremely important to carefully monitor the child and seek medical help in time if necessary. The sooner a child is diagnosed, the easier it will be for him to adapt to the world around him and society.

The main methods for diagnosing autism in children are:

• examination of the child by an otolaryngologist and a hearing test - this is necessary to exclude speech development delay due to hearing loss;
• EEG - carried out in order to detect epilepsy, since sometimes autism can be manifested by epileptic seizures;
• Ultrasound of the brain - allows you to identify or exclude damage and anomalies in the structure of the brain that can provoke symptoms of the disease;
• conducting tests with special questionnaires.

Parents themselves must correctly assess the changes in the behavior of a child who may have autism.

Autism treatment

The answer to the main question: is autism treated? -Not. There is no cure for this disease. There is no such pill, after drinking which an autistic child will get out of his "shell" and socialize. The only way to adjust an autistic person to life in society is through persistent daily activities and the creation of a supportive environment. This is a great work of parents and teachers, which almost always bears fruit.

Principles for raising an autistic child:

1. Create a favorable environment for the life, development and education of the child. A frightening environment and an unstable daily routine inhibit the skills of an autistic person and force them to go deeper into themselves.
2. Understand that autism is a way of being. A child with this condition sees, hears, thinks and feels differently from most people.
3. Connect a psychologist, psychiatrist, speech therapist and other specialists, if necessary, to work with the child.

At the present stage, only a corrective program compiled by a competent specialist can help sick children - a sequence of actions that are carried out not in order to cure autism (it is not treated), but in order to maximize the child's adaptation to environmental conditions.

To fulfill this program, the help of parents is very important, because for the baby the whole world is incomprehensible and hostile.

Correction is carried out in special rehabilitation centers (for example, Our Sunny World or Childhood). The corrective program depends on the form and severity of the disease. It includes:

• drug treatment;
• gluten-free diet;
• hippotherapy;
• behavioral therapy;
• music therapy;
• game therapy;
• dolphin therapy;
• massage.

Classes for different types of therapy can be carried out in different centers. So, hippotherapy is usually carried out in a specially equipped arena, music treatment - in special rooms. Therapeutic exercise and massage are usually carried out in the same clinic.

What to do?

Yes, autism is a lifelong developmental disorder. But thanks to timely diagnosis and early corrective assistance, much can be achieved: adapt the child to life in society; teach him to deal with his own fears; control emotions.

1. The most important thing is not to disguise the diagnosis behind supposedly "more euphonious" and "socially acceptable". Do not run away from the problem and do not fix all the attention on the negative aspects of the diagnosis, such as: disability, misunderstanding of others, conflicts in the family, and so on. The hypertrophied idea of ​​a child as a genius is just as harmful as the depressed state of his failure.
2. It is necessary without hesitation to abandon tormenting illusions and pre-planned plans for life. Accept the child for who he really is. To act on the basis of the interests of the child, creating an atmosphere of love and goodwill around him, organizing his world until he learns to do it on his own.

Remember that without your support, a child with autism will not survive.

Teaching an autistic child

An autistic child, as a rule, cannot study in a regular school. More often, homeschooling is done by parents or a visiting specialist. Special schools have been opened in large cities. Training in them is carried out according to special methods.

The most common training programs:

• “Time on the floor”: the technique offers treatment and communication skills training to be carried out in a playful way (a parent or teacher plays with a child on the floor for several hours).
• "Applied Behavioral Analysis": step-by-step training under the guidance of a psychologist from simple skills to the formation of colloquial speech.
• The method of the program "More than words" teaches parents to understand the non-verbal way of communicating with a child using gestures, facial expressions, his gaze, etc. The psychologist (or parents) helps the child develop new methods for communicating with other people that are more understandable to them.
• Card exchange learning technique: used for severe autism and a child who is unable to speak. In the learning process, the child is helped to remember the meaning of various cards and use them for communication. This gives the child the opportunity to take the initiative and facilitates communication.
• "Social stories" are original fairy tales written by teachers or parents. They should describe situations that cause fears and anxiety of the child, and the thoughts and emotions of the heroes of the stories suggest the desired behavior of the child in such a situation.
• The TEACCH program: the methodology recommends an individual approach to each child, taking into account his characteristics, the purpose of education. This technique can be combined with other learning technologies.

A strict daily routine, constant and not always successful classes with a child with autism, leave an imprint on the life of the whole family. Such conditions require unusual patience and tolerance from family members. But only love and patience will help to achieve even the slightest progress.

Autism prognosis

The number of British studies that talk about qualitative changes and are devoted to long-term forecasting is small. Some autistic adults gain minor improvements in communication skills, but for more, these skills only get worse.

Forecasts for the development of autists are as follows: 10% of adult patients have several friends, require some support; 19% have a relative degree of independence, but remain at home and need daily supervision, as well as significant support; 46% need the care of an autistic disorder specialist; and 12% of patients require highly organized hospital care.

Swedish data from 2005 in a group of 78 autistic adults showed even worse results. Of the total, only 4% lived an independent life. Since the 1990s, and also since the early 2000s, the number of reported cases of autism has increased significantly. Since 2011-2012, an autism spectrum disorder has been observed in one in 50 schoolchildren in the United States, as well as in one in 38th schoolchildren in South Korea.