Ever seen a child or a person unable to properly communicate themselves, understand what others are saying, and repeat the same things again and again? There are many disorders associated with the brain, one such disorder is autism which affects the brain. But what is autism? This is something we will briefly discuss in the article. Autism concerns the overall development of the person which hampers their interaction abilities. Paying attention to the signs your child needs a psychologist will help you diagnose the symptoms and find ways to treat autism. In this article, we will be discussing what autism is, its different types and levels, and how you can recognize and cure it.
What is Autism?
What is autism? Autism Spectrum Disorder is concerned with the development of the infected individual. It impacts their communication and speaking skills. The overall cognitive, nervous, emotional, social, and physical health and ability of the person affected. The child with the autism spectrum disorder lives in his world, does not communicate, and repeats the same habits or words. The disorder causes certain issues in the brain and nervous system and this causes the patient to face problems in communication and interaction. There have been cases of speech-disorder in kids which can be the initial sign of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The person cannot understand what they have to say and also is not able to remember certain things. It can start from 2.5 yrs to 8 yrs and after that. The child or person keeps on listening to any one story or poem and keeps on repeating it in their mind. It may seem that it does not make any sense. Autism can also be related to hyperactivity. The affected people are restless as well but they are not mentally retarted people. In the upcoming section, we will tell you what to do if a child is autistic. Also at times understanding what is child abuse and related things can help in understanding autism as all are certainly connected in one way or the other. Knowing how to recognize autism symptoms helps in diagnosing it earlier and treating it. There are various types of autism and that too of different levels:
Types of Autism
It must have been clear about what is autism, so let’s know about the different types of autism. One of the worst parenting mistakes often made by parents is that they feel directly the symptoms of different disorders exhibited by their children. They often tend to take those symptoms as the naughtiness of the children and hence this leads to deterioration of the disorder. Here we will tell you about the types of autism that will help you recognize it.
1. Primary Autism
Primary Autism is the disorder that the children have from the beginning. The kid does not receive any signal from the start and there is a delay in their growth as well. This is one of the types of autism. In this, the child has very poor social skills and does not have interactive and receptive communication abilities from the very beginning.
2. Secondary Autism
Among other types of autism, another is Secondary Autism which develops over some time and that too after 3 or 4 years. It may not develop in the beginning but after a few years, you may notice your child having difficulty in receiving and giving communication signals. You can go for child counseling if you don’t know what to do if a child is autistic. You must recognize autism symptoms.
How to Recognize Autism Symptoms
Now, we will be telling you how to recognize autism symptoms. The symptoms of Autism are not difficult to recognise however many parents ignore those symptoms thinking them to be the stubbornness of the child. If the symptoms are not taken seriously then it can gravely hamper the IQ level of the person suffering. We will be telling you some of the most common symptoms of autism which are frequently visible in autistic children and easily recognisable. These are:
1. Speech Delay
One of the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder is speech delay. A person suffering from autism can not speak even at the age of 6 or 7. One of the parenting tips is that parents must recognize the speech defect as early as possible and look for possible treatment and tests to determine the underlying cause and work towards curing it.
2. Keep on Reading And Speaking The Same Thing Again And Again
Among other symptoms of autism, one is that the child keeps on reading and speaking the same thing again and again. Children suffering from autism usually have the habit of sticking to any one habit or thing and doing it repeatedly again and again. It may not seem sensible yet the child or person does it.
3. There Can be Symptoms of Hyperactiveness
One of the symptoms of autism is hyperactiveness. Often people suffering from autism are hyperactive. They tend to do things more often than others that don’t feel usual. They find it difficult to postpone tasks and seek attention from others. The family can go for family counseling to understand how to deal with hyperactivity.
How to Cure Autism
Now that you know how to recognize autism symptoms, the next step is to know how to cure autism. It’s not easy to deal with autism but it should never be expressed in front of an autistic patient. Though they have low cognitive skills they can understand certain things. The only thing that works is therapy. There are three levels of autism: level 1, level 2, level 3. To know the ways to treat autism you must know the level.
1. Level 1 ASD
The level 1 ASD requires support. These people have difficulty initiating social interactions along with problems with planning and organization at times. Though it is the initial stage and the patient does not require much support there is a need for autism treatment. Using techniques focusing on adaptive skills and cognitive processes can be helpful. Further, it must also focus on emotional and social skills adaptability.
2. Level 2 ASD
The second level or say Level 2 ASD requires substantial support. Substantial support means that the patient requires help from another person to communicate. The social interactions are limited to narrow special interests. Frequent restrictive and repetitive behaviors can be witnessed. The patient faces difficulties in processing changes and communication. Knowing how to cure autism in such cases is helpful.
3. Level 3 ASD
The level 3 of ASD requires very substantial support. The patient suffers from severe deficits in verbal and non-verbal communication. Narrowly focused and in great distress when changing behaviors or focus. It requires a large amount of external support. The person is unable to establish any form of communication and is unable to deal with any behavioral or surrounding changes. The autism treatment required is only therapy.
The only way how to cure autism is by therapy. The first step is visiting a child psychologist. A test is performed which traces the Brain development of the child and identifies whether they are autistic or not. This is the beginning of autism treatment. It also deals with how to improve speaking skills in child. They are given occupational therapy (reduces the energy of the child and increases their activity) and behavioral therapy (teachers taught to receive and reciprocate the signals and listen to parents, involve them in studies). They are always given speech therapy and special education. It usually takes 1.5 to 2 yrs of period to work on treating the child. However, you must know that there is no cure for autism treatment. The child may not be fully cured however, significant improvement can be seen in the people. This is the only ways to treat autism.
Conclusion
To conclude, now that you know what is autism and therefore you must understand that it is not easy to take care of an autistic child. If you don’t know what to do if a child is autistic, then you must go for therapy sessions. An autistic child needs a lot of patience to deal with. They need a lot of support, care, attention, and love to be fully cured. If you can recognize the symptoms of autism in anyone try to reach out for professional help, don’t try to cure them yourself. When dealing with an autistic child you must take care that you don’t let them imagine or believe that autism is something very bad. Don’t punish them for being different or stimming. Try to talk to them and encourage them, giving them confidence that they are not ill, just different.
FAQs
1. How to handle an autistic child?
- To handle an autistic child you must know the different ways to treat autism. You first need to be patient with the child. You must take care that you do not let your anger out in front of the child as this may hurt their brain. Give them love, support, and attention, and don’t pretend as if they don’t exist and talk about them. Don’t make them feel as if Autism is something very bad. You should go for therapy sessions. This is how to handle autistic children.
2. Is a child suffering from Autism mentally retarted?
- No, a child suffering from autism spectrum disorder is not mentally retarted. They do have a disorder but it does not mean that they are retarted. Autism is a developmental disorder where a child is unable to establish communication or interactions either physically, socially, mentally, or emotionally with anyone but it does not mean the brain does not work. It should not be considered an intellectual disability; it is just a delay in processing communications and interactions.
3. Can autistic children be normal like other children?
- Though there is no permanent solution to autism, a cure to a great extent is possible. An autistic child can live like a normal child. It is only in severe cases that an autistic child does not learn to communicate, however, most autistic children can live their life relatively normal like other children. With proper medications and therapy sessions, the child can develop communication and interactions and live normally like others, independently.
4. Which category of psychologist deals with Autism Spectrum Disorder?
- Autism Spectrum Disorder is usually dealt with by either a child psychologist or speech therapist. Another category of psychologists who deal with autism is behavioral psychologists who excel in studying different behavioral patterns and treating them. You can also consider going to an occupational psychologist or speech-language therapist who works with speech delay and interaction issues. Cognitive psychologists also work in this area since autism involves cognitive skills delay as well.
5. What are the different precautions to take when handling autistic children?
Learning how to handle autistic children is very important as certain triggers can harm them emotionally and mentally. When you are living with a autistic child you must take care that you don’t make them feel that Autism is an illness. Don’t make them feel that they are bad. Don’t shout or punish them for doing repetitive behaviors, or stimming. Don’t talk about them or autism in front of them pretending that they are not there. These are some precautions that you must take when being with an autistic child.
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