Autism disorder explained
AUTISM is a neurological disorder or in basic terms a brain disease characterised by the presence of severe communication, language and social deficits in affected persons. It is diagnosed in early childhood and continues throughout one’s life, affecting almost every aspect of life along the way.
While autistic patients’ cognitive function that is thinking, language and social skills are typically developmentally delayed compared to their peers, their motor (movement) skills develop in a more normal fashion.
Specific social interaction, communication and behavioural deficits must be present before the diagnosis of autism is made.
Though all people with autism show the same specific pattern of impairments, the severity of these impairments vary from case to case, with some people having relatively mild impairments and others severe impairments.
From a very early age, children with autism demonstrate a fundamental difficulty in properly orienting towards other people and in processing social and non-verbal forms of communication, such as eye contact and facial expression.
For instance, a typical infant is generally responsive to adult caregiver’s facial expressions and will imitate those expressions. If a parent smiles at an infant, that infant is likely to smile back.
This is not the case with infants with autism, who often lack the ability to appreciate faces or socially convey feelings.
Children with autism are also typically delayed in their development of spoken language and conversational skills.
Individuals with autism also tend to demonstrate odd and socially inappropriate behaviours. They frequently act with indifference towards others, and remain isolated from their surroundings.
Many obsess or fixate on certain objects or on particular topics they find personally interesting. They may insist on talking about a topic they find fascinating even when others around them are not interested.
They may act out odd stereotyped movements and gestures. They may demonstrate an intense need for order and sameness with regard to their environment, and react with temper tantrums when their prized order is disturbed.
In general, people with autism’s lack of social awareness makes it difficult or impossible for them to successfully navigate through everyday situations.
Symptoms of autism are not present from birth. Most children with autism appear to develop normally during the first year of life. Symptoms of autism become apparent between 18 and 36 months of life.
Forty percent of cases are diagnosed by age 3. Autism is an equal-opportunity illness; No particular race or social class tends to get it more frequently than another. However, it is far more likely — four times more likely to occur in males than it is in females. About one in 68 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder.
Once established, autistic symptoms continue into adulthood. Intervention cannot reverse the course of autism; it can result in symptom improvement and a greater capability for independence.
For intervention to be maximally successful, it must be delivered early in the developmental process.
The take home message is that early diagnosis is crucial to allow intervention that will help the child in the future. I do urge parents who are concerned about their child’s behaviour to have them assessed rather than hide them. ◆ Dr Sacrifice Chirisa is a passionate mental health specialist at Parirenyatwa Hospital, one of the country’s major referral centres.