Signs, symptoms and treatment of autism in children. Autism is not a sentence Who are autistic children in simple words

All people are different, and it is impossible to find two absolutely identical personalities. But sometimes there are special boys and girls. They can be distinguished from others at a glance. They are passionate about their own world, shy away from outsiders and are extremely reverent about their things. Sometimes this behavior speaks of a special syndrome - autism. An autist is a person who is not able to form emotional intimacy with others. This term was introduced into psychiatry by Bleuler to refer to signs of a psychopathological state of a person. What are the features of this phenomenon?

Why does this happen?

Of course, this is not the norm, but a deviation, however, not very common. Although they say that in girls and women, autism can occur without external manifestations, since the representatives of the weaker sex hide aggression and emotions in themselves. With the help of increased attention and special studies, some changes can be achieved in human development, but it cannot be completely corrected.

It is worth noting that an autist is not a person with mental disabilities. On the contrary, such children may have the beginnings of genius, as they develop internally faster than externally. They can shy away from society in one form or another, refuse to speak, see poorly, but at the same time solve complex problems in their minds, masterfully navigate in space and have a photographic memory. With a mild degree of autism, a person seems almost normal, perhaps a little peculiar. He can become gloomy for no reason, talk to himself in especially exciting moments, sit for hours in one place, looking at one point. But such moments can happen all the time in life.

Here, a severe degree of autism is more difficult to classify as normal, because this is a complete destruction of brain function. Previously, it was believed that an autistic child is a schizophrenic or even a psychopath. Over time, scientists figured out the essence of this deviation and differentiated them by symptoms. To date, making a diagnosis is not difficult, so confusion at this stage can be avoided. There is no answer to the question about specific disorders in the brain activity of an autistic person, because there is no single mechanism. It is not even possible to say with certainty what exactly provokes autism - a group of disorders with certain mutations or a disorder in a specific area of ​​​​the brain. Many scientists agree that the failure of the work of one part of the brain entails the active work of the opposite, which is why such children show remarkable mathematical or creative abilities.

autistic children

All future parents during pregnancy believe that their child will be the smartest, strongest and most beautiful. Long before birth, they begin to make plans, but no one can predict such a diagnosis for their child.

Autism is a congenital disease, not an acquired one. Its appearance is influenced by many factors both at the stage of fetal development and in the process of its formation. All functional systems of the brain are affected, therefore it is impossible to completely eradicate autism. You can only make some adjustments to the behavior of the individual and adapt it to society. An autist is not an outcast of society, but its victim. The fear of communication does not allow him to comprehend much, but only a stubborn and understanding person can break through his misunderstanding.

The reasons

Work with autistic children is carried out everywhere, starting with the nursery. At this stage, you need to clarify and leave in the past all questions about the causes of the deviation. Often parents look to their past for answers, blame themselves for their alcohol abuse, and come to belated remorse. Well, these factors could influence the diagnosis of the child, but this is not an axiom.

Sometimes absolutely healthy people are the parents of autistic people. Scientists cannot determine the reasons for the appearance of such a phenomenon, although for many years they have been trying to comprehend this mystery. In truth, until recently, the nature of autism was not really studied, so it would not be entirely correct to talk about a long observation period. In general, the phenomenon itself was designated for study only in the 20th century. A range of risk factors that provoke autism has even been identified. In particular, these are disorders at the genetic level, hormonal abnormalities, complications during pregnancy and childbirth, poisoning, failures in chemical and biological processes, and cancerous tumors.

Genetics?

A large percentage of people with such a deviation are characterized by the presence of a certain gene. Scientists believe that in such cases, the neurexin-1 gene plays a significant role. The presence of the gene on the 11th chromosome also remains suspicious. Conflict of parental genes can also result in a deviation. After conception, the genes are blocked in the egg and can negatively affect a woman's health. In the male cell - the spermatozoon - potentially dangerous genes for the child are turned off, which, as a result, can provoke gene changes when shifted to the male side. Scientists have found a link between autism and X-chromosome syndrome. Extensive research has been carried out, but in general, the area of ​​​​knowledge remains unplowed virgin land. Parents of autistic children are worried about the future of their children, talking about the role of heredity in the appearance of this disorder. Various rumors and stories are given in support of this hypothesis. It is said that the likelihood of developing autism increases if there is one such child in the family. There are also experts with a sharply opposite opinion, who say that there are no families with several autistic people.

If hormones play

Hormones can be the cause of developmental abnormalities. In particular, you can blame the notorious testosterone. Perhaps it is because of him that, according to statistics, boys are more often born with autism. So an increased level of testosterone can be considered a risk factor, since, together with other factors, it can result in brain dysfunction and left hemisphere depression. This can also explain the fact that among autists there are people gifted in one or another area of ​​knowledge, because the hemispheres of the brain begin to work in a compensatory mode, that is, one hemisphere compensates for the slowness of the work of the other. There are risk factors during an adverse birth or difficult pregnancy. For example, a woman who has suffered from infectious diseases or experienced stress during pregnancy should worry about the fate of her baby. Some doctors in such cases recommend terminating the pregnancy for fear of a potential inferiority of the fetus. Rapid labor or birth trauma can also adversely affect the condition of the child. Other possible causes include heavy metal poisoning, radioactive radiation, viruses and vaccines. But here official medicine categorically objects to the danger of vaccinations, although statistics inexorably testifies against them.

From the field of chemistry

Finally, many scientists believe that autism can develop against the background of a deficiency of a special protein - Cdk5. It is responsible for the production of synapses in the body, that is, structures that affect mental abilities. In addition, the level of serotonin in the blood can affect the development of autism. What conclusion can be drawn from this? Yes, the fact that autism involves a number of disorders in the functioning of the human brain. Some of these violations were found experimentally. In particular, it was possible to determine the fact that changes are observed in the amygdala, which is responsible for emotions in the brain. Thus, human behavior changes. Also, through experiments, it was possible to establish the fact that autistic people experience increased brain growth during childhood for no apparent reason.

Symptoms

Parents of young children try at the initial stage to fix the slightest signs of deviation from the norm in their children. And scientists to help them highlight some of the signs and symptoms of autism for children at a conscious age. First of all, this is a violation of social interaction. Does your child interact poorly with peers? Hiding from other babies or refusing to talk to them? An alarm and reason for reflection. But this is by no means an accurate symptom, as the child may be tired, upset or angry. In addition, the child's isolation may indicate some other mental disorders, such as schizophrenia.

What to do?

A person with a similar disease cannot independently build relationships with other people. In especially serious cases, the child does not even trust his parents, shuns them and suspects them of bad intent. If an adult who gave birth to a child suffers from autism, then he may not feel any parental instincts and refuse the baby. But most often, autistic people are very gentle and reverent towards those people who care about them. True, they express their love in a slightly different way than other children. In society, they remain lonely, voluntarily avoiding attention, avoiding communication. An autistic person has no interest in games and entertainment. In some cases, they suffer from a selective memory disorder and therefore do not recognize people.

Communication

Work with autists is carried out with an orientation to their views and positions. From the point of view of such people, they do not leave society, but simply do not fit into it. Therefore, people around cannot understand the meaning of games, they consider boring topics that are interesting to autists. The speech of autistic people is often unnecessarily monotonous and devoid of emotion. Phrases often turn out to be “short”, as autistic people give out specific information without unnecessary additions. For example, an autistic person will express his desire to drink water with one word “drink”. If other people are talking nearby, then the child with a deviation will repeat their sentences and words. For example, an adult says: “Look, what a plane!”, And an autistic boy unconsciously repeats: “Airplane”, without even realizing that he is speaking out loud. This feature is called echolalile. By the way, often the repetition of other people's words is considered a sign of intelligence, but autistic people do not understand the content of their statements. By their behavior they are sensitive people, and tactile and sensory. This suggests that they absolutely cannot stand loud noises, bright lights, noisy crowds, or visual simulations. At a disco or a party, autistic people can experience a severe shock. Painful for a person will be playing with modeling objects, shining candles on a cake, walking barefoot. It is important to remember that it is impossible to predict the behavior of an autistic person and his next step. The most ordinary things for him represent a whole ritual. For example, to take a bath, you need a certain temperature of water, volume, towel and soap of the same brand.

If any characteristic is violated, then the autistic will not adhere to the ritual. In the active state, he can behave nervously, clap his hands, smack his lips or pull his hair, and this behavior is not purposeful and unconscious.

An ordinary child will not be able to play with autists, since they do not tolerate diversity: having chosen one game, they are not distracted, they remain faithful to one toy. Games can be peculiar, for example, all the toys line up against one wall, and then rebuild to the opposite. There is no need to interfere with such a child, otherwise you can achieve a non-standard and unpredictable reaction, including aggression. Autistic people may be addicted to objects with handles. For hours they turn the shutters, open the doors. In specialized kindergartens, classes with autistic children involve the use of constructors. Sometimes children develop a love for small objects and elevate them to the rank of their friends. In such cases, a simple paperclip or a teddy bear replaces a loved one, and if something happens to them, the child will become depressed or even furious. In modern developing groups, the program for autists allows you to use tablets, learn sensory games. The only difference between toys for autistics is their lightness and ergonomics so that they cannot harm the child.

Autism in a child begins to manifest itself before the age of three, and by the age of seven, the developmental lag becomes apparent. This may be a small stature or an equal level of development of both limbs. In such children, both hands are developed to the maximum. Even children with autism are sluggishly interested in the voice of people, do not ask for hands, hide from a direct look, and are not disposed to natural flirting with their parents. But on the other hand, they are not afraid of the dark and are not shy of strangers. It can be said that the child is cold towards others, but he simply hides his emotions too deeply and declares his desires by crying or screaming. Autistic people are afraid of everything new, so new employees rarely appear in special institutions for their development. Educators do not raise their voices, do not wear high heels, so as not to click them. Any stress can develop into a real phobia. A commemorative photo can be considered a real achievement. An autistic person who is not afraid of the camera is likely to have a mild form of the disease. Almost everyone is frightened by the flash, the sound of the camera, or the process of developing the film if a Polaroid is used.

Public appearances

No wonder they say that many autistic people are brilliant in some areas. There are rumors that the philosopher Immanuel Kant suffered from autism. And this was the artist Niko Pirosmanishvili. Perhaps this explains the strange unsociableness and childlike imagery of Hans Christian Andersen's thoughts. But, one way or another, these are pleasant exceptions, but a substantial part of these children do not have the simplest social and everyday skills. As far as we know, autism is not inherited, since close relationships in people with such a diagnosis are not supposed in principle.

There are very informative documentaries and feature films about autists. In particular, I would like to recall the painting "Rain Man". An amazing film with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in the lead roles has captivated many generations of viewers. The plot revolves around two brothers who lost their father. One of the brothers (Cruz) is young, charming and hard-hearted. He has a beautiful girlfriend and big debts. The second (Hoffman) suffers from autism. His home is an autistic center, and all his joys in life lie in organizing books, solving problems and eating the same breakfast. A huge inheritance, not quite fairly divided, forces one brother to kidnap the other and take it away with him, demanding a ransom. They have to communicate with each other, which, surprisingly, benefits the autistic. After all, he is also a man, which at first the hero of Tom Cruise could not understand.

Films about autists are philosophical and instructive. They always have a moral and a double truth. With increased attention and loving attitude, an autistic person can be re-educated and accustomed to society. For this, many methods have been developed, the main purpose of which is to develop independence in the baby. If a child has a severe form of the disease, then there is a school for autists, where he will be taught non-verbal communication and primary adaptation skills. The teachers are kind and gentle.

We are constantly working with a psychologist who teaches certain behavioral techniques. In the process of education and socialization of the child, the parents themselves also learn. They learn that autism is a complex neurobiological developmental disorder. In group photos, an autistic person is distinguished by stereotypical behavior: he stands apart, trying to protect himself from other people.

Medical professionals' verdict

Doctors prefer to classify people with autism according to various criteria, and consider the autism spectrum disorder as a general one with a number of features. This autism spectrum can vary in severity, but invariably indicates the presence of a disorder. Autistic people in Moscow undergo several tests during treatment and adaptation to determine their level. Among the signs you are looking for, there may be autistic disorders, which is a classic of autism, or Asperger's syndrome, but there is also atypical autism, in which doctors note profound developmental disorders. With complex treatment, relatives of autists are also checked. According to statistics, they are united by a low level of development and heterogeneity of the reaction to irritation of electromagnetic fields. The earlier the disease is detected, the greater the chance of a successful outcome.

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

What it is?

In simple words "Autism" is a mental disorder or disease characterized by changes in the psyche, loss of social adaptation in society and altered behavior. Usually, a child has a persistent violation of interaction within society.

Often, autism is not diagnosed for a long time, since parents attribute changes in behavior to the characteristics of the baby's character.

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

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

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

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

Prevalence

The statistics on the incidence of autism in the US and Europe differ markedly from Russian data. This is primarily due to the high detection rate of sick children abroad. Foreign doctors and psychologists use numerous questionnaires and diagnostic behavioral tests, which allow them to make a fairly accurate diagnosis in children of any age.

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

Symptoms of the disease are "written off" on the characteristics of the character and temperament of the child, which leads to serious consequences. Such children subsequently do not integrate well into society, cannot find themselves in a profession, or they fail to create a good and happy family.

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

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

Why are children born with autism spectrum disorder?

To date, scientists have not decided on a consensus on this issue. In the development of autism, many experts consider several genes to be guilty, which cause a violation in the work of some parts of the cerebral cortex. Often, when analyzing cases, it becomes apparent strongly pronounced heredity.

Another theory of the disease is considered mutational. Scientists believe that a variety of mutations and breakdowns in the genetic apparatus of a particular individual can become the cause of the disease.

Various factors can lead to this:

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

Such mutagenic effects, according to American experts, quite often led to various disorders characteristic of autism.

Such an effect on the fetus is especially dangerous during the first 8-10 weeks from the moment of conception. At this time, the laying of all vital organs takes place, including the zones of the cerebral cortex responsible for the behavior begin to form.

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

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

Kinds

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

There is no single working classification that would be used in Russia. In our country, the development and streamlining of specific criteria for the disease, which will underlie the diagnosis of the disease, is currently underway.

Autism can usually occur in several forms or variants:

1. Typical. With this variant, the signs of the disease appear quite clearly already in childhood. Toddlers are distinguished by more withdrawn behavior, lack of involvement in games with other children, they do not make good contacts even with close relatives and parents. To improve social integration, it is necessary to carry out a whole range of various psychotherapeutic procedures and the help of a child psychologist who is well versed in this problem.
2. Atypical. This atypical variant of the disease occurs at a much later age. As a rule, after 3-4 years. This form of the disease is characterized by the manifestation of not all the specific signs of autism, but only some. Atypical autism is diagnosed quite late. Often, a diagnosis that has not been made in time and a delay in making a diagnosis leads to the development of more persistent symptoms in the child, which are much less amenable to therapy.
3. Hidden. Accurate statistics on the number of babies with this diagnosis are not available. With this form of the disease, the manifestation of the main clinical symptoms is extremely rare. Very often, babies are considered simply excessively closed or introverted. Such children practically do not allow strangers into their own inner world. Establishing communication with a child diagnosed with autism is very difficult.

What is the difference between mild and severe?

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

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

Violations of the self with a mild form of the disease are practically not found. Toddlers can make contact with the people closest to them. Usually the child chooses several family members who, in his opinion, treat him with more care and attention. Autistic children do not perceive physical contact well. Usually the child tries to deviate from the hug or does not like kissing.

Children with more severe illness try their best to avoid contact with other people. Even touches or hugs from close relatives can cause them severe mental trauma. Only the closest, in the opinion of the child, people can touch him. This is a very important clinical sign of the disease. A child with autism is very sensitive to any interference in his personal space from a very young age.

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

Such a manifestation occurs infrequently, however, it requires an urgent consultation with a psychiatrist and the appointment of special medications that reduce the manifestations of aggression towards one's own personality.

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

Severe forms of the disease, which are often manifested by the complete forced isolation of the baby from the outside world, are much easier to determine.

The behavior of a child with severe autism is manifested by a pronounced unwillingness to communicate with any people. These kids are more likely to be alone. This brings them peace and does not disturb their usual way of life.

Failure to provide therapeutic psychotherapy can lead to deterioration and complete social maladaptation of the child.

Symptoms and first signs

Manifestations of the disease can be checked already in the first years of a child's life. With a careful and careful analysis of the behavior of the baby, even at a very young age, the first characteristic signs of autism syndrome can be identified. For this disease, there are special psychological traits and features.

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

• Unwillingness to create new social contacts.
• Infringed interests or use of special games.
• Repetition of typical actions repeatedly.
• Violation of speech behavior.
• Changes in intelligence and different levels of mental development.
• Changing your own sense of identity.
• Violation of psychomotor functions.

The unwillingness to create new social contacts is manifested in babies from birth. At first, children are reluctant to respond to any touch from the closest people. Even hugs or kisses from parents do not cause positive emotions in kids with autism. From the outside, such children seem excessively calm and even “cold”.

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

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

Children practically do not experience expressed joy from new gifts. Children of the first year of life can be absolutely neutral to any new toys. Most often, it is difficult to get even a smile from such kids in response to a gift. At best, an autistic kid will simply turn the toy in his hands for a few minutes, after which he will postpone it indefinitely.

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

They usually choose one of their parents as their "friend". It can be either dad or mom. In some cases, a grandmother or grandfather.

Children with autism have practically no contact with their peers or kids of a different age. Any attempt to disturb their own comfortable world can bring such children severe discomfort.

They try in every possible way to avoid any traumatic situation for their psyche. Children with autism practically do not have friends. They experience difficulties with the acquisition of new acquaintances throughout their lives.

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

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

Children with autism are more aloof. Most babies don't ask for much. If they need something, they prefer to take it on their own without outside help.

Toddlers under three years of age may not be potty trained well.

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

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

Infringed interests or use of special games

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

Toddlers with autism choose 1-2 favorite toys, with whom they spend a lot of time. Even with a large selection of different toys, they are completely indifferent to them.

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

Strict orderliness often manifests itself in babies with autism in everything. This is a manifestation of a world that is comfortable for them, in which all objects are in their places and the absence of chaos.

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

For girls who are sick with autism, a change in the form of the game is also characteristic. Pay attention to how the baby plays with her doll. During such a lesson, every day she will perform all movements and actions according to the established algorithm. For example, she will first comb her hair, then wash the doll, then change clothes. And never vice versa! Everything is in a strictly established sequence.

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

Multiple repetition of typical actions

Not always the behavior of a child with autism is very different from the manner of communication of a healthy child. Such children from the outside look absolutely normal, since the appearance of the kids practically does not change.

Children with autism often do not lag behind in physical development and do not differ at all in appearance from their peers. However, a closer observation of the child's behavior can reveal several actions that differ from the usual behavior.

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

This symptom can manifest itself in different ways:

• Repetition of the count or sequential naming of numbers. Autistic children often count multiple times throughout the day. Such an activity gives the child comfort and even positive emotions.
• The repetition of previously spoken words. For example, after the question “how old are you?”, the baby can repeat “I am 5 years old, 5 years old, 5 years old” several dozen times. Very often, such babies repeat one phrase or word at least 10-20 times.

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

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

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

Speech behavior disorders

Speech disorders occur in children with autism quite often. The severity of manifestations varies. In a milder form of the disease, as a rule, speech disorders are not significantly expressed. In more severe cases, there may be a complete delay in speech development and the acquisition of persistent defects.

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

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

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

If you ask the baby if he wants to swim, then the child can answer "he wants to swim" or call himself by the name "Kostya wants to swim."

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

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

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

A child with autism can easily recite a passage from Pushkin's poem by heart at the age of five or declare a complex poem.

These children often have a tendency to rhyme. At a younger age, kids take great pleasure in repeating various rhymes many times.

The combination of words may seem completely meaningless, and in some cases even delusional. However, for kids with autism, the repetition of such rhymes brings joy and positive emotions.

Changes in intelligence and different levels of mental development

For a long time it was thought that children with autism were mentally retarded. But this is a huge misconception! A large number of autistic children have the highest level of IQ.

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

A feature of the mental development of an autist is that it is very difficult for him to concentrate and be purposeful in achieving specific goals.

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

Some kids have defects in logical perception. They perform poorly tasks for building an associative series.

The baby perceives ordinary abstract events well, can easily repeat a sequence or chain of events even after a long time. There are no long-term memory impairments in children with autism.

Toddlers with a higher level of intelligence are very poorly integrated in school. Often such a child becomes an outcast or a black sheep.

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

Different variants of the disease can proceed in different ways. In some cases, children have a decrease in intellectual abilities. They study poorly at school, do not answer questions from teachers, and do not solve difficult geometric tasks that require good spatial and logical abilities.

Very often, such children need special education using special pedagogical programs that are designed specifically for kids with autism.

It is important to note that any deterioration in the condition can occur in a child suddenly when exposed to any provocative cause. Often they can be severe stressful influences or attacks from peers.

Toddlers with autism endure such provocative events very hard. This can even lead to severe apathy or, conversely, cause violent aggression.

See the following video for teaching children with autism.

Changing sense of self

In case of violation of any contact with other people, autistic people often project any negative events onto themselves. This is called autoaggressiveness. Such a manifestation of the disease in varying degrees of severity is quite common. Almost every third child with autism suffers from this adverse manifestation of the disease.

Psychotherapists believe that this negative symptom arises as a result of a disturbed perception of the boundaries of one's own inner world. Any threat to personal safety is perceived by a sick child excessively sharply. Toddlers can inflict various injuries on themselves: bite themselves or even cut themselves on purpose.

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

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

Rarely enough, the baby shows aggression towards others. In 99% of cases, the manifestation of such a reaction is self-defense. As a rule, kids are very sensitive to any attempts to invade their personal world.

Inept actions in relation to a child with autism, or even a simple desire to make contact, can cause a fit of aggression in a child, which provokes inner fear.

Psychomotor disorders

Quite often, children with autism have an altered gait. They try to walk on tiptoe. Some babies may bounce when they walk. This symptom occurs daily.

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

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

Toddlers often stay true to their taste preferences. Such children should not be accustomed to a certain regimen of meals. All the same, a child with autism will have his own idea and even a whole system in his head about what and when he should eat.

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

Main characteristics by age

Up to a year

Toddlers with manifestations of autism react poorly to any attempts to address them, especially by name. Children do not babble for a long time and do not pronounce their first words.

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

Newborn babies and babies practically do not express various emotions on their faces. Such children even seem somewhat renounced. Often, when trying to make the baby smile, he does not change his face or perceives this attempt rather coldly. These kids are very fond of looking at various objects. Their gaze rests on some object for a very long time.

Toddlers often try to choose one or two toys that they can spend most of the day with. For games, they absolutely do not need any of the outsiders. They feel great alone with themselves. Sometimes attempts to invade their game can trigger a panic attack or aggression.

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

Impairment of intelligence at this age, as a rule, does not happen. Most kids do not lag behind their peers in terms of physical or mental development.

Up to 3 years

Before the age of 3 years, the symptoms of limiting one's own space begin to manifest themselves to a greater extent.

Playing on the street, kids categorically refuse to play in the same sandbox with other children. All objects and toys that belong to a child with autism belong only to him.

From the outside, such children seem very closed and “on their own minds”. Most often, by the age of one and a half, they can only pronounce a few words. However, this is not the case for all babies. Often they repeat various verbal combinations that do not carry a large semantic load.

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

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

Very often, such children try to look away and do not look at the interlocutor. Even if the child answers the question, he will never use the word "I". Toddlers with autism define themselves as "he" or "she". Many kids just call themselves by their first name.

For some kids, manifestations of stereotypical actions are characteristic. They can sway a lot in a chair. Parents' remarks that it is wrong or ugly to do this do not evoke any response from the child. This is not due to the desire to demonstrate one's character, but simply to a violation of the perception of one's own behavior. The kid really does not notice and does not see anything wrong in his action.

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

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

If the correction is not carried out in time, the child may experience writing disorders, as well as the appearance of gestures that are unusual for an ordinary baby.

Autistic kids love to play with faucets or switches. They also really enjoy opening and closing doors. Any movement of the same type evokes great emotions in the child. He can perform such actions for as long as he likes, until the parents intervene. When performing these movements, the baby absolutely does not notice that he performs them repeatedly.

Autistic kids eat only the foods they like, play on their own, and barely get to know other kids. Many people around mistakenly consider such babies to be too spoiled. This is a huge misconception!

A child with autism, under the age of three, absolutely does not see any differences in his behavior relative to the behavior of others. He simply tries to limit the boundaries of his inner world from any outside interference.

It used to be that children with autism had certain facial features. Often such features were called aristocratic forms. It was believed that autistic people have a thinner and elongated nose. However, this is not at all the case.

To date, the relationship between facial features and the presence of autism in a child has not been reliably established. Such judgments are just conjectures and cannot be scientifically proven.

3 to 6 years old

At this age, there is a peak incidence of autism. Children begin to be taken to kindergarten, where violations in social adaptation become noticeable.

Toddlers with autism perceive morning trips to a preschool educational institution without expressed enthusiasm. They would rather stay at home than leave their usual safe home.

A child with autism rarely makes new friends. At best, he has one new acquaintance who becomes his best friend.

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

The child tries to come up with some kind of magical story or fairy tale explaining why he should go to this kindergarten. Then he becomes the protagonist of this action. However, attending kindergarten does not give the baby any pleasure. He does not get along well with his peers and practically does not obey his teachers.

All things in the baby's personal locker are usually stacked by him in a strict order. It becomes clearly visible from the outside. Such children cannot stand any chaos and scattered things. Any violation of the ordering of the structure can cause them to have an attack of apathy, and in some cases, aggressive behavior.

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

Toddlers with autism should not be scolded for doing the same type of behavior for a long period of time. You just need to pick up the "key" to such a child.

Often, kindergarten teachers simply cannot cope with a “special” kid. Pedagogical workers perceive many features of disturbed behavior as excessive pampering and character traits. In these cases, the obligatory work of a medical psychologist is required, who will work daily with the child in a preschool institution.

Over 6 years old

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

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

Toddlers with autism concentrate quite poorly, and also differ in insufficient concentration of attention on several objects at once.

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

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

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

Very often, babies have a commitment to certain foods. In most cases, it occurs in early childhood. Toddlers with autism eat at strictly allotted time according to their own schedule. All meals are accompanied by a certain ritual.

They often eat only from their usual plates, try to avoid dishes of new colors. All cutlery is usually laid out by the child on the table in a strictly defined sequence.

Toddlers with manifestations of autism can graduate very well from school, showing excellent knowledge in any one discipline.

Only in 30% of cases, babies suffering from this disease lag behind the school curriculum and have poor academic performance. As a rule, such children were diagnosed with autism rather late or a good rehabilitation program was not carried out to reduce the adverse symptoms of the disease and improve social adaptation.

Problems

Very often in children with autism there are not only behavioral disorders, but also various pathological manifestations of the internal organs.

Gastrointestinal Disorders

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

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

Sleep disorders

Toddlers have almost the same activity day and night. These children are very difficult to put to sleep. Even if they fall asleep, they can oversleep for only a few hours. Babies often wake up very early in the morning. During the daytime, they may refuse to sleep. In some cases, when exposed to strong psycho-traumatic situations, insomnia may increase or nightmares may appear, which further contribute to the violation of the general well-being of the child.

When is a psychiatric consultation needed?

You should seek the help of a doctor immediately if the parents suspected the first signs of the disease in their baby. Only a psychiatrist can accurately diagnose and recommend the necessary therapeutic treatment.

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

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

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

At what age is the disease most often diagnosed?

Statistically, the largest number of cases of newly registered disease occurs at the age of 3-4 years. It is at this time that the symptoms of social maladaptation of the baby begin to manifest themselves clearly.

There are scientific suggestions that with the development of improved diagnostic criteria, it will be much easier to identify cases of autism in children at an earlier age.

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

Diagnostics

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

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

If the course of the disease proceeds in a typical or classic variant, then the above signs occur in 100% of cases. Such kids require a mandatory consultation with a psychiatrist, and, if necessary, a detailed consultation with the involvement of specialists in related specialties who work with autistic children.

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

For autism use:

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

According to these medical handbooks, a child with autism must have at least six of the symptoms presented in it. To determine them, doctors resort to various questionnaires, according to which they assess the condition of the baby in a playful way. Such a study is carried out in the most gentle way so as not to injure the disturbed child's psyche.

Parents are also required to be interviewed. This study allows you to clarify the presence and nature of violations in the behavior of the child, which cause them concern.

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

Babies with this disease remain unexamined for a long time.

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

Is it possible to test at home?

It is almost impossible to conduct a full inspection of the house. During such testing, only an approximate answer can be obtained. Autism can only be diagnosed by a psychiatrist. To do this, he uses several different tests that are used to diagnose the disease, as well as various other methods to clarify the degree and level of damage.

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

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

How to treat?

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

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

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

All methods of treatment can be divided into several groups:

• Medical treatment. In this case, various drugs are prescribed to eliminate the adverse symptoms that occur in various stages of the disease. Such drugs are prescribed by a doctor only after examining the baby and possible additional examinations.
• Psychological consultations. A child medical psychologist must work with a child with autism. Using various psychological techniques, the specialist will help the child cope with emerging outbursts of anger and auto-aggression, as well as improve the inner feeling when integrating into a new team.
• General wellness treatments. Children with autism are not at all contraindicated in sports. However, they should be engaged in special groups with professional instructors or trainers who are trained in the elements of working with "special" children. Such children can show excellent results and achieve good sports achievements. Success is only possible with the right pedagogical approach.
• Logopedic classes. With a baby under 3 years old, a speech therapist must conduct classes. In such lessons, children learn to speak correctly, refuse to use multiple repetitions of words. Speech therapy classes allow you to improve the baby's vocabulary, add even more words to his vocabulary. Such educational games help children to better adapt to new groups and improve their social adaptation.

Medical treatment

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

The most commonly prescribed drugs for autism in children are the following.

Psychotropic drugs and neuroleptics

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

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

Long-term use of any antipsychotic medication can be addictive and have various side effects. In order to prevent this, doctors resort to prescribing a course application.

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

Probiotics for the treatment of dysbacteriosis

In children with autism, in 90% of cases, doctors register persistent irritable bowel syndrome or dysbacteriosis. In this case, the microflora in the gastrointestinal tract is disturbed. It practically lacks beneficial lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, but microorganisms of pathogenic flora reproduce perfectly. Very often also in such children an increased growth of yeast is found.

To eliminate these adverse symptoms, doctors resort to prescribing various drugs enriched with lacto- and bifidobacteria. Babies are prescribed: "Bifidobacterin", "Acipol", "Linex", "Enterol" and many others. The appointment of these funds is carried out after an additional study - bakposeva feces and a test for dysbacteriosis. The drugs are prescribed for a course. Usually it is designed for 1-3 months of daily use.

In the diet of a child with dysbacteriosis, in addition to medicines, it is imperative to include fresh fermented milk products with a high content of microorganisms beneficial to the intestines.

You can also make them at home. In this case, the useful properties of the product are not lost, and it can be safely given to the baby.

The effect of the use of fermented milk products occurs, as a rule, by the end of the first week.

vitamin therapy

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

Since babies with autism are very attached to any type of food, their diet is often very monotonous. This leads to insufficient intake of vitamins and trace elements from the outside.

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

Calming agents

Used to relieve anxiety. Very often, when exposed to a strong psychotraumatic situation, a sick child may experience a strong panic state. In this case, psychiatrists prescribe psychotropic drugs that can effectively eliminate this manifestation. The course appointment of such drugs is not required. Just a single dose is enough.

Children with autism often do not sleep well. They have difficulty falling asleep. The duration of sleep can be no more than 6-7 hours a day.

For a small child, this is not enough. To improve nighttime sleep, as well as normalize the circadian rhythm, doctors recommend the use of mild drugs that calm the nervous system and help you fall asleep quickly.

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

The appointment of sedative drugs is allowed only with severe sleep disorders. Typically, these drugs are prescribed for a fairly long time. It is not advisable to use these drugs for milder forms of the disease, as they may have a pronounced tranquilizing effect or be addictive. The appointment of drugs is done by a psychotherapist after a preliminary examination.

Help from a psychologist

The use of various psychological techniques is an important element in the therapy of children with autism. American experts who conduct daily classes with sick babies recommend conducting such classes at least 2-3 times a week.

It is better that the psychologist also has a medical education. In this case, it can quickly orient him when the condition worsens and send the baby for a consultation with a psychiatrist.

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

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

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

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

Psychologists try not to move or rearrange toys for no reason, as this can bring severe mental discomfort to the baby.

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

With longer communication, the baby may experience severe fatigue and unwillingness to make contact with a specialist.

Working with children with autism is usually done throughout the life of the child. At the same time, only the types and forms of psychological methods change.

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

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

Classes with a psychologist with kids up to 3-5 years old are often held together with one of the parents. Usually, the parent with whom the baby has a closer relationship is chosen. The psychologist in a playful way creates various everyday situations that can be encountered in everyday life. During such a game, he teaches the baby how to properly respond to new people. Babies learn to communicate better with other babies, as well as acquire new useful skills that can be useful to them every day.

Lessons

To improve the integration of a child with autism into society, it is necessary to carry out additional activities that will help him in this. Usually such a complex of various activities is compiled together with a child psychologist or on the recommendation of a psychiatrist.

Usually, before choosing any hobby that will be of interest to the baby, a good analysis of his abilities and a qualitative assessment of the level of health and physical development are required. Not all kids with autism will do the same tasks with the same interest. The right choice of activities to a large extent improves the prognosis of treatment and favorably affects the mental and mental development of the baby.

Usually, children with autism are recommended various remedial activities that improve the social integration of the baby in society. Sports are recommended for kids. However, not all sports activities can be selected. Calm sports are more suitable for autistic kids: learning to swim, playing chess or checkers, golf. It is worth choosing those sports that require concentration on one subject.

Sports that require high speed or a high risk of injury are best left. Toddlers with autism should not run, jump, box and various power struggles.

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

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

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

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

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

What toys to buy?

Parents often puzzle over what gift to give to their child who has been diagnosed with autism by doctors. It seems that each new toy practically does not bring any joy to the child. However, this is not quite true. Each child with autism has their own personal preference for a particular type of toy.

Often boys choose different planes or ships, and girls choose different animals or dolls. It is important to note that autistic kids can be delighted with the presented animals. The main thing is to determine which particular animal your child likes. Usually this is not difficult: an autistic kid will never let go of his favorite toy in the form of an animal.

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

Babies diagnosed with autism are not prone to hoarding at all. They only need 2-3 different toys for a state of comfort and happiness. A huge number of different gifts can even scare them!

Children under three years old should choose toys that improve fine motor skills of fingers. Usually, autistic kids perform poorly on any tasks related to drawing or modeling.

You can try to interest the baby in picking up various puzzles, consisting of large and bright details. Designers are perfect, from the elements of which you can build numerous combinations of figures.

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

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

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

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

Can autistic children have healthy children in the future?

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

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

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

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

To determine the latent autism in newborns, the "heel" method is used. It suggests the presence of this mental illness in the baby. It is usually carried out in parents with autism or in cases where there is a suspicion of the possibility of developing a disease in a born child.

Is the child given a disability?

In Russia, the diagnosis of "autism" provides for the establishment of a disability group. However, it is not exposed to all babies. In our country, special medical and social criteria are applied, which take into account various factors.

The decision to establish a group is taken strictly collegially. This involves specialists from several specialties at once: a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a rehabilitation specialist.

In order for a child to have a disability group, it is required to provide all necessary medical documentation to the medical and social examination authorities. In the baby's child card, the conclusions of the psychiatrist and child psychologist who observed him must be present. In this case, medical experts may have a more informative picture of the age of the disease.

Before undergoing a medical and social examination, the baby is often assigned additional tests and examinations. These can be both various laboratory tests and specialized brain studies that allow you to clarify the nature and degree of violations. Usually in our country, EEG or electroencephalography of the brain is prescribed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Parents who have encountered the establishment of a disability group for their child often note some difficulties in conducting a medical and social examination. Most often they note: a huge amount of pre-prepared medical documentation and long queues for examination. Not always the disability group was established during the initial treatment. Often, only on the second or third attempt, expert doctors made a positive decision about the presence of disabling signs in a child.

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

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

Autistic kids, with the right approach, develop perfectly and from the outside they don’t even differ at all from their peers. Only a few strangers can notice that the baby is a little different from others. However, they often believe that such a child is simply over-spoiled or has a bad temper.

In order to improve the quality of life of the baby and help him in social adaptation, use the following tips:

• Try to communicate properly with your child. Autistic kids categorically do not perceive a raised tone or abuse. It is better to communicate with such children in the same calm tone, without the use of swearing. If the kid did something wrong, try not to react excessively violently and aggressively, but simply explain to the child how to do this action correctly. It can also be shown as a kind of game.
• Both parents should take care of the upbringing of the child. Even though, as a rule, the baby chooses communication with dad or mom, both of them should participate in his life. In this case, the child feels more comfortable and gets the right idea about the organization of the family. In the future, when creating his own life, he will be largely guided by the principles laid down in childhood.
• Potty training for children with autism can be difficult. Usually child psychologists help with this. In a playful way, they create a similar everyday situation and work out the correct sequence of actions with the baby. For self-study at home, remember that potty training should be gradual and consistent. Never raise your voice and do not punish the baby if he did something wrong. In the case of an autistic child, this measure will not lead to a positive result.
• To teach a child with autism to read is possible only with daily activities with him. Try to choose educational books without overly bright pictures. A huge number of diverse colors can alert and even frighten a child. Choose publications without colorful pictures. Learning is best done in a playful way. So the baby will perceive this process as a regular game.
• During a strong tantrum, the baby must be carefully calmed down. This is best done by the family member with whom the child has closer contact. If the child is overly aggressive, then try to quickly take him to the nursery. The familiar environment will help the baby to calm down easier. Never raise your voice at a child, trying to shout to him! It won't lead to anything good. Explain to the baby that he has nothing to be afraid of, and you are there. Try to switch attention to another event or object.
• Make sure you connect with your autistic child. Only with the people closest to him does the child communicate calmly. To do this, never ask the baby a million questions. Frequent hugs will also not lead to establishing contact. Try to spend more time with your baby, just watching him play. After a while, the child will perceive you as part of his game, and it will be easier to make contact.
• Teach your child the correct daily routine. Usually, autistic kids are fine with a well-organized routine. This gives them a feeling of complete comfort and security. Try to get your child to go to sleep and wake up at the same time. Be sure to follow the feeding schedule. Even on weekends, keep your baby's daily routine.
• Be sure to undergo regular examination and observation by a child psychotherapist and psychologist. Such consultations are very important for assessing the prognosis of the disease and establishing the dynamics of the child's condition. Typically, young patients with autism should visit a psychotherapist at least twice a year. With deterioration of health - more often.
• Organize proper nutrition for your baby. Given the characteristics of the disturbed microflora, all babies with autism need to eat fermented milk products. They must be as fresh as possible. It is in this case that the concentration of beneficial lactobacilli and bifidobacteria will be sufficient. Only such products will be useful for the child and improve his digestion.
• From the very first days of a child's birth, try to show him care and affection more often. Autistic babies react very poorly to various bodily manifestations of love and tenderness. However, this does not mean at all that it is not necessary to do this. Doctors advise hugging and kissing a child more often. This must be done without causing him mental pressure. If the baby is not in the mood, it is better to postpone hugs for a while.
• Give your child a new friend. Most autistic children are very fond of pets. Communication with fluffy animals brings the baby not only positive emotions and a positive effect on the course of his illness, but also has a real healing effect on tactile sensitivity. A cat or a dog will become real friends for the baby and will help him to establish contacts not only with animals, but also with new people.
• Don't scold the child! An autistic child perceives any increase in voice very painfully. The reaction can be the most unpredictable. Some babies fall into a strong apathy and become more indifferent to everything that happens in everyday life. Other children may have an excessively strong attack of aggression, which even requires the use of medications.
• Try to choose an interesting hobby for your child. Very often, children with autism are great at drawing or playing musical instruments. Education in a specialized art school will help the kid achieve high professional success. Often these kids become real geniuses. Be sure to keep an eye on the load that falls on the baby. Excessive enthusiasm can lead to severe fatigue and impaired attention.
• Do not move furniture in the children's room and throughout the apartment. Try to keep all the toys and objects that belong to the child in their places. Strong rearrangements can cause an autistic child to have real panic attacks and excessive aggression. Acquisition of new items should be done carefully, without drawing much attention to it.
• Don't limit your child to just being at home! Toddlers with autism do not have to constantly be in the four walls. This will only exacerbate the inability to make new friends and acquaintances. Gradually expand the conditions where the baby spends a large amount of time. Try to motivate him to go for a walk, visit close relatives. However, this should be done gradually, without psychological pressure. The baby should be very comfortable in the new environment.

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

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

Moms and dads should remember that a baby diagnosed with autism needs your attention and care every day for a lifetime. Such children are often called "special", since they need to build a unique approach with them.

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

Useful videos

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

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

In preparing the article, materials from the site "autism-test.rf" were used.

Autism is becoming more common among today's children. For many parents, this diagnosis is tragic, because not everyone is ready to put up with a similar feature of their child. Raising such an unusual child is quite difficult. But in the world there are many famous personalities suffering from autistic disorders, however, this did not prevent them from achieving significant heights in certain areas of science or culture.

Famous people with autism

The spectrum of autistic manifestations is very diverse, therefore it is very difficult to specify the definition of this disease. Therefore, it is impossible to state with complete certainty that any media personality suffers from autism. Although it is clear that the behavioral characteristics of many famous personalities clearly indicate autistic traits. For example, Einstein or Mozart, Bill Gates or Newton, etc.
These individuals have shown themselves to be brilliant specialists in certain fields of activity. Often such people are called autistic savants, i.e. unrecognized geniuses with autism. The disease has been studied quite a bit, and therefore it is quite difficult to accurately diagnose it today. Although many celebrities today show signs of autism in their behavior. Who are they - the most famous autists in the world?

The absurd work "Alice in Wonderland" has always been considered by literary critics as an eccentric but exciting work. Therefore, only an author with a special worldview could write it. Since childhood, the writer suffered from severe autistic disorders, which manifested itself in the impossibility of communication, incredible shyness and severe stuttering.
Carroll had several hobbies. He was fond of chess, photography, had a mathematical talent, which allowed him to become the author of many scientific works.

A musician from America, who has a lot of different awards and has a memorable voice. In 2003, the musician was diagnosed with Asperger's disease. The artist himself claims that it was music lessons that helped him overcome the disorder, although he still could not get rid of him completely. But today the musician lives an active life, often rides a bike and continues his favorite business, taking part in various musical projects.

The most famous British landscape designer, who has a lot of awards. As a teenager, Gardner began experimenting with plants in the garden of their family home. He is now a successful landscape designer, although he suffers from Asperger's disease. Alan claims that plants help him to be happy. His unusual, spectral and detailed vision helps create unique landscape designs.

An actor from the Canadian provinces, who himself admitted that if it were not for Asperger's syndrome, he could not have played one of the leading roles in his acting career in the film "Ghostbusters" so brilliantly. Autists differ in a rather narrow circle of hobbies, but they invest completely in what interests them. When the filming took place, Dan was literally obsessed with the work of cops and ghosts, which allowed him to get used to the role perfectly.

The Renaissance era is immediately associated with this outstanding artist. Michelangelo was unable to build friendly relations with a single person. Although, according to experts, it was this aloofness and lack of communication that helped the artist to create so selflessly, devoting all his time to art.

American TV presenter and actress, public figure, and just an influential person, one of the richest women with a billion fortune. She has been involved in charity work for many years, including helping children with autism syndrome. From childhood, she showed remarkable ability to learn. At the age of 9 she was raped by one of her relatives. There are no confirmed data regarding Oprah's autism, but experts note some manifestations of the disorder.

This actor is also among the well-known autistic people, whose diagnosis was revealed already in old age, when he was over 70. The actor himself admits that he likes to think about the motives of the characters’ behavior, the actions of the people around him for a long time, but he eschews all kinds of parties and cannot boast an abundance of friends.

An Australian writer who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 20. Wrote a book about a girl with autism. As a child, she could not be diagnosed with an ailment for a long time, considering her to be hard of hearing. She is now a successful writer and creator of a website for individuals with autism.

A very famous film director who found it difficult to communicate and find a common language with others. He constantly found fault with minor details. Although it is this unreasonable meticulousness and captiousness that made his creations so outstanding. It is difficult to say whether Kubrick would have become so famous if he had not had Asperger's syndrome.

A well-known comedian, characterized by hyperactivity and clumsiness, which allowed experts to suspect an autistic disorder in the star. He often suffered from the deepest depressions, which led him to the gravestone.

Not many people know this person. He was engaged in seismology, did not like the public and social events, where there were always a lot of people. He never made conversation unless someone was talking about earthquakes. Charles was able to talk about this natural phenomenon for hours on end, which is what distinguishes autistic people.

A Hollywood film star who, from her youth, could not communicate normally with others, considering all kinds of interpersonal contacts a real torture. To calm down, she often used the method of swinging like a pendulum. The girl successfully coped with most of the phobias, which helped her achieve Hollywood fame.

An eccentric artist who painted paintings that showed some similarity, which can be explained by the manifestation of autism. Andy is proof that Asperger's disease has a very positive effect on the creative activity of artists.

Another well-known autist of the world, although his diagnosis was not finally confirmed, which does not prevent experts from asserting that the computer genius has Asperger's disease. He has a habit of scorning conflicting viewpoints and rocking back and forth, which is considered typical of autism.

There is an assumption by Pentagon analysts that the Russian president has signs of an autistic disorder. The statement is not proven by anything, but American scientists suggest that Putin had neurological developmental abnormalities in early childhood.

Several experts have confirmed that the notorious politician had an autistic disorder. Thomas could not somehow make friends with a single person, he was too shy and could not stand loud noises.

Since childhood, the composer could not be near people, which did not prevent him from writing his first work at the age of 5, and already at 15 he was a universally recognized genius in music. The composer had an extraordinary memory, a phenomenal ear for music, and exclusivity in terms of improvisation. Although those around him noted his impulsiveness and strangeness in behavior, it was difficult to maintain communication with him, or even a banal conversation.

The greatest president of the United States, with an incredibly tough character and an inexplicable love for routine activities. He suffered from severe depressive disorders, which made life difficult, but did not prevent him from taking the most important post and being noted in history as one of the most famous autists.

Widowed wife of Kurt Cobain, famous rock star. She was diagnosed with Asperger's disease at the age of 9, however, she hid the disease for a long time and did not talk about her features. But once the rocker admitted that it was her illness that became the basis of her behavior, worldview and character.

A well-known American-Russian scientist who wrote an equally famous work - I, a robot. This book glorified Asimov, although even without this he has more than 500 grandiose author's creations.

A well-known poet who also suffers from Asperger's, which is not surprising given how talented such individuals can be. Her poems do not have even the slightest analogues in modern poetry. She wrote in short lines, gave no titles to poems, and used unusual punctuation.

An extraordinary physicist and humanist, possessing a mercantile meticulousness to the smallest details. He was unnecessarily neat, modest and withdrawn. But he always had an incredible determination, up to fanaticism, coupled with a clarity of thought, which always distinguished him from ordinary personalities. An unusual phenomenon for an autistic person was a thirst for communication, although he openly neglected his appearance, was indifferent to fame and fame.

Known to any student from a physics course, thanks to the law of gravity, which he discovered when an apple fell on him. Newton did not have much contact even with his immediate environment, he was quiet and withdrawn. But he had the ability to concentrate on his work, which helped him become the author of many discoveries in mathematics and astronomy, physics and mechanics.

Remembering famous autists, one cannot help but recall the Scottish singer Susan Boyle, who was diagnosed with brain damage by doctors in infancy. Then the doctors admitted that the diagnosis was wrong, however, they are sure that Susan still has autistic disorder. Perhaps that is why the singer does not always cope with excessive emotionality.

Conclusion

Considering what such famous autistic people in the world have achieved, we can safely say that autism can in no way be regarded as an obstacle to achieving the cherished goal. In some way, it even helps people to express themselves in the field of art or science, social activities. Everything is determined by the power of the personality itself, which is precisely confirmed by all the above-described celebrities.
Autistic people are quite common among prominent people. Many great minds have had various autistic disorders, yet they have succeeded. Therefore, parents raising an autistic child do not need to give up. These personalities have clearly proven that autistic features sometimes contribute to talents, you just need to help the child discover his abilities. Your children are no worse, they are just special. Who knows, maybe a brilliant mathematician or an outstanding artist is growing in your family now.

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. Autism is being talked about more and more on TV and on the Internet. Is it true that this is a very complex disease, and there is no way to cope with it? Is it worth it to deal with a child who has been diagnosed with such a diagnosis, or is there still nothing to change?

The topic is very relevant, and even if it does not directly concern you, you need to convey the correct information to people.

Autism - what is this disease

Autism is a mental illness that is diagnosed in childhood and stays with a person for life. The reason is a violation of the development and functioning of the nervous system.

Scientists and doctors distinguish the following causes of autism:

1. genetic problems;
2. traumatic brain injury at birth;
3. infectious diseases of both the mother during pregnancy and the newborn.

Autistic children can be distinguished among their peers. They want to be alone all the time and don't go out to play sandbox with others (or play hide-and-seek at school). Thus, they strive for social loneliness (they are more comfortable that way). There is also a noticeable disturbance in the expression of emotions.

If , then an autistic child is a bright representative of the latter group. He is always in his inner world, does not pay attention to other people and everything that happens around.

It must be remembered that many children may show signs and symptoms of this disease, but expressed to a greater or lesser extent. So there is a spectrum of autism. For example, there are children who can be strong friends with one person and yet be completely unable to contact others.

If we talk about autism in adults, then the signs will differ between male and female. Men are completely immersed in their hobby. Very often they begin to collect something. If they start going to regular work, they occupy the same position for many years.

Signs of the disease in women are also very remarkable. They follow the patterned behavior that is attributed to members of their gender. Therefore, it is very difficult for an unprepared person to identify autistic women (you need the view of an experienced psychiatrist). They may also often suffer from depressive disorders.

With autism in an adult, a sign will also be the frequent repetition of some actions or words. This is part of a certain personal ritual that a person performs every day, or even several times.

Who is autistic (signs and symptoms)

It is impossible to make such a diagnosis in a child immediately after birth. Because, even if there are some deviations, they can be signs of other diseases.

Therefore, parents usually wait for the age when their child becomes more socially active (at least up to three years). That's when the child begins to interact with other children in the sandbox, to show his "I" and character - then he is already taken for diagnostics to specialists.

Autism in children has signs, which can be divided into 3 main groups:

Who diagnoses a child with autism

When parents come to a specialist, the doctor asks about how the child developed and behaved in order to identify symptoms of autism. As a rule, they tell him that from the very birth the child was not like all his peers:

1. capricious in his arms, did not want to sit;
2. did not like being hugged;
3. showed no emotion when his mother smiled at him;
4. speech delay is possible.

Relatives often try to figure out: these are signs of this disease, or the child was born deaf, blind. Therefore, autism or not, determined by three doctors: pediatrician, neurologist, psychiatrist. To clarify the state of the analyzer, they turn to an ENT doctor.

Autism test conducted using questionnaires. They determine the development of the child's thinking, the emotional sphere. But the most important thing is a casual conversation with a small patient, during which the specialist tries to establish eye contact, pays attention to facial expressions and gestures, and behavior patterns.

The specialist diagnoses the autism spectrum disorder. For example, it could be Asperger's or Kanner's syndrome. It is also important to distinguish (if the doctor is a teenager),. This may require an MRI of the brain, an electroencephalogram.

Is there any hope for a cure

After the diagnosis is made, the doctor tells the parents first of all what autism is.

Parents should know what they are dealing with, and that the disease cannot be completely cured. But you can deal with the child and ease the symptoms. With considerable effort, you can achieve excellent results.

Treatment must begin with contact. Parents should develop a trusting relationship with the autistic person as much as possible. Also provide an environment in which the child will feel comfortable. So that negative factors (quarrels, screams) do not affect the psyche.

It is necessary to develop thinking and attention. Logic games and puzzles are perfect for this. Autistic children also love them, like everyone else. When the child is interested in some object, tell him more about it, let him touch it in his hands.

Watching cartoons and reading books is a good way to explain why the characters act the way they do and what they encounter. From time to time you need to ask such questions to the child so that he himself reflects.

It is important to learn how to cope with outbursts of anger and aggression and with situations in life in general. Also explain how to build friendships with peers.

Specialized schools and associations are a place where people will not be surprised to ask: what about the child? There are professionals who will provide a variety of techniques and games to help develop autistic children.

Through joint efforts it is possible achieve a high level of adaptation to society and the inner peace of the child.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the blog pages site

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April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. It's time to figure out: who are autists? How are they different from other people? Do they need help, and how can we help?

What is autism?

Autism is a disorder of the brain resulting from developmental disorders. Scientists have not yet agreed on the causes of these violations. There are versions that they appear as a result of: pathologies of childbirth, traumatic brain injury, infection, congenital fragility of emotions, congenital brain dysfunction, hormonal disruptions, mercury poisoning (including during vaccination) or due to malfunctions in the work of genes responsible for for neural contacts (synaptic connection), or mutations. The cause of the disease cannot be upbringing, parental behavior or social circumstances. And the man himself is also not to blame.

Important! Autism is not contagious. Your child will not become autistic if he interacts with a person with this diagnosis. But it is highly likely that having experience of communicating with people with different diagnoses and different perceptions of the world, he can “sick” with tolerance, sympathy and the ability to empathize.

Manifestations of autism

Autism manifests itself in with other people, poorly developed social skills, unusual behaviors (for example, constant monotonous swaying). Often there are various forms of sensory hypo- or hypersensitivity: intolerance to tissues, touch or hugs, or vice versa, an acute need for a particular smell or sound.

Such a person may experience difficulties with speech (intonation, rhythm, monotony, illegibility), avoid looking into the eyes of his interlocutor, not smile, he may lack gestures and facial expressions, or he may use them unconsciously, not connecting with the context. Due to the violation of the development of the imagination, the range of interests of autistics can be reduced to a minimum: attraction to one object and an obsessive desire to hold it in their hands, concentration on one thing, the need to accurately repeat the same actions, preference for solitude rather than someone else's. then companies.

Websites and groups about autism:

Diagnostics

The thing is quite complicated, partly because it manifests itself differently in different children, partly because some indirect signs can occur in ordinary children. As a rule, the disease manifests itself by the age of three, when parents are already able to assess the social skills and communication features of their child. This is a lifelong diagnosis, a child with autism grows into an adult with autism.

People with autism themselves say that the outside world for them is a chaos of things, people and events, literally driving you crazy. This can bring daily torment when communicating with loved ones or just acquaintances. They only intuitively feel that they are “not like everyone else”, and they endure this fact very painfully. Outwardly, this can manifest itself as a real hysteria, the reason for which is sometimes simply a rearrangement of an object from one place to another.

Important! If your child avoids making contact with all his might, his speech development is slow, his emotional development is slow, sometimes it seems that he is “unreachable”, in addition, it seems that he does not respond to pain at all if he is afraid of new places , people, impressions, prefers monotonous, repetitive movements, uses his toys for other purposes, does not play abstract games, does not fantasize, sometimes does not respond to appeal to him, as if he does not hear, this is a reason to sign up for a consultation with a child psychiatrist.

Different people

All autists. Because all people are different. And also because behind the common name lies a whole range of disorders that have common manifestations and their own specific disorders. One child can be very different in his behavior, perception of the surrounding reality and in his ability to integrate into society from another child. Someone lives a relatively independent, independent life, studies, works, communicates with other people. And someone, experiencing severe difficulties in communication and social interactions, needs support, help and work of specialists all his life.

Books:

• Paul Collins “Not even a mistake. A Father's Journey into the Mysterious History of Autism.
• Ellen Knotbom 10 things a child with autism would like to tell you.
• Robert Schramm Childhood Autism and the ABA.
• Marty Leinbach Daniel is Silent.
• Mark Haddon "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night".
• Iris Johansson "A Special Childhood"
• Katherine Maurice "Hear Your Voice"
• Maria Berkovich "Fearless World".
• Jodi Picoult "The Last Rule".

Help

Currently, several methods and programs have been developed, a sufficient number of specialized centers have been created around the world to help autistic people and their parents adapt to new conditions and correct the manifestations of the disease as gently and effectively as possible, teach a person social norms, life in society, communication, give the opportunity to receive education and find a job.

Important! Autism is not treated with pills and drugs. It corrects and softens. The main role in therapy belongs to parents and specialists. And also, perhaps, to every person who did not recoil from such a person and did not hurt him with a rude word.

Inclusion, full-fledged, really helping and accepted at the level of both laws, society and culture, inclusion in kindergartens, schools, universities and workplaces - this is not yet about our country. With us, it is, for the most part, nominal: there is a law, but there are no specialists, experience and conditions.