Autism

Monday 2 December 2013

      Hey everyone! This week I saw a documentary about autism and I decided that today I would speak to you about this subject... so here it is...
        Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and by restricted or repetitive behavior.

      Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by rare mutations, or by rare combinations of common genetic variants. This affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize.

      It is believed that some events before and during birth, in combination with genetic, increase child’s risk of having autism. Some of that events are: advanced parental age at time of conception (both mom and dad), maternal illness during pregnancy and certain difficulties during birth and particularly those involving periods of oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain. It is important to keep in mind that these factors, by themselves, do not cause autism.

       Usually the most obvious signs and symptoms of autism tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years of age, developing gradually. If a baby or toddler doesn’t make eye contact, doesn't smile when smiled at, doesn't respond to his or her name or to the sound of a familiar voice, doesn't point or wave goodbye or use other gestures to communicate, doesn’t make noises to get your attention, doesn’t imitate your movements and facial expressions, doesn’t reach out to be picked up and doesn’t play with other people or share interest and enjoyment, then parents should start getting worried. 
      The prevalence of autism is about 1–2 per 1,000 people worldwide, and it occurs about four times more often in boys than girls. The number of people diagnosed with autism has been increasing dramatically since the 1980s. There is no established explanation for this continuing increase, although improved diagnosis and environmental influences are two reasons often considered. 
      Early behavioral, cognitive, or speech interventions can help autistic children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. Although there is no known cure, there have been reported cases of children who recovered. Not many children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, though some become successful.

    

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