You can notice signs of autism in a child in the first years of life. A characteristic sign is a reluctance to make contact, physical or social. As a result, the speech development of the child is inhibited, who simply does not strive to establish connections with the outside world.

The child does not show initiative in communication and avoids eye contact. Autistic people are characterized by echolalia - the repetition of words or phrases, which can falsely create the impression of mental retardation. However, in reality, mental retardation is observed only in a third of cases; usually autistic people understand the meaning of what is being said.

An autistic child does not strive to find a common language with peers, seems emotionally cold and detached. Autistic people are distinguished by hypersensitivity to sensory influences from the environment: light, sounds, smells, touches. High intensity impacts cause suffering akin to pain from physical damage.

Autists and society

Autistic people are rigid and find it very difficult to adapt to change. That’s why they protest against the disruption of the usual way of life and like to restore order themselves. They live according to a certain routine and demand that their loved ones strictly adhere to it.

Autistic people have difficulty understanding other people's messages, verbal or nonverbal. Therefore, they do not perceive humor, the figurative meaning of words. The meaning of what is said is taken literally.

In adulthood, the interests of autistic people are limited and usually include one specific area. They are well versed in this area and know the smallest details. With other people, they can only really talk about their interests, while not paying attention to their response.

Autistic people do not understand other people's problems and do not seek reassurance themselves. They prefer to spend time alone, indulging in what they love. This makes it very difficult for these people to make friends and maintain long-term relationships.

People with autism have impaired forecasting and planning skills, which are responsible for the frontal lobes of the brain. Often they simply cannot foresee the development of events, which can lead to life-threatening actions.

As for creative talent, there is a type of autism - Asperger's syndrome. People with this syndrome are distinguished by genius in some isolated area. Many autistic people are artists, musicians or scientists.

Recently, we have increasingly heard about such a mental disorder as autism. Society has finally stopped turning a blind eye to this phenomenon and extended a helping hand to autistic people. An important role in this was played by the promotion of tolerance and educational activities.

Knowledge about what kind of disease this is, how to recognize it, whether it can be treated or not has become widespread. This made it possible to reduce the age of diagnosis and provide timely treatment. People with autism have a chance for successful socialization and a happy life despite their diagnosis.

I, too, could not ignore this disorder. The topic of my article today is autistic people. Who they are, how they behave, how to communicate with them - let's consider all these questions. I will try to answer them in simple and understandable words.

What is autism

Autism is a mental disorder characterized by disturbances in the emotional and communication spheres. It appears already in early childhood and remains with a person for life. People suffering from this disorder have difficulty with social interaction and demonstrate poor development of emotional intelligence.

Autistic people are withdrawn and immersed in their inner world. Communication with other people is difficult for them, since they are completely devoid of empathy. Such people are not able to understand the social meaning of what is happening. They do not perceive facial expressions, gestures, intonations of people, and cannot determine the emotions hidden behind external manifestations.

What do autistic people look like from the outside? You can recognize them by their distant gaze, as if directed inwards. Such people seem emotionless, like robots or dolls. When talking, autistic people avoid making eye contact with people.

The behavior of autistic people is often stereotypical, patterned, and mechanical. Their imagination and abstract thinking are limited. They can repeat the same phrases many times, ask the same type of questions and answer them themselves. Their life is subject to a routine, deviation from which is very painful. Any change is a big stress for autistic people.

The wonderful film “Rain Man” starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise is dedicated to this disease. If you want to see with your own eyes what autism looks like from the outside, I recommend watching this movie.

An individual with a mild form of autism is not much different from ordinary people. Because of his autistic traits, he may come across as strange, aloof, and “out of this world.” Sometimes neither he himself nor those around him are aware of the diagnosis.

Many famous people suffer from this disease, but this does not prevent them from living a full life. Among them are singers Courtney Love and Susan Boyle, actress Daryl Hannah, director Stanley Kubrick.

Symptoms of Autism

The diagnosis of autism is usually made in early childhood. The first manifestations can be noticed already in a one-year-old baby. At this age, parents should be alert to the following signs:

lack of interest in toys;
low mobility;
poor facial expressions;
lethargy.

As you grow older, more and more new symptoms are added, and a clear clinical picture of the disease emerges. Autistic child:

does not like touching, is nervous at any tactile contact;
sensitive to certain sounds;
avoids eye contact with people;
talks little;
not interested in communicating with peers, spends most of his time alone;
emotionally unstable;
rarely smiles;
does not respond to his own name;
often repeats the same words and sounds.

Having discovered at least some of these symptoms in a child, parents should show him to the doctor. An experienced doctor will diagnose and develop a treatment plan. Professionals who can diagnose autism include a neurologist, psychiatrist and psychotherapist.

This disease is diagnosed based on observation of the child’s behavior, psychological tests, and conversation with the young patient. In some cases, MRI and EEG may be needed.

Classification of autistic disorders

Currently, instead of the term “autism,” doctors usually use the term “autism spectrum disorder” (ASD). It unites several diseases with similar symptoms, but differing in the severity of manifestations.

Kanner syndrome

“Classic” form of autism. Another name is early childhood autism. Characterized by all of the above symptoms. It can occur in mild, moderate and severe forms, depending on the severity of the manifestations.

Asperger's syndrome

This is a relatively mild form of autism. The first manifestations occur at approximately 6-7 years. It is not uncommon for the diagnosis to be made in adulthood.

People with Asperger's syndrome can lead quite normal social lives. They are not much different from healthy people and, under favorable conditions, are able to get a job and start a family.

The following symptoms are characteristic of this disorder:

developed intellectual abilities;
clear, intelligible speech;
fixation on one activity;
problems with coordination of movements;
difficulties with “deciphering” human emotions;
the ability to imitate normal social interaction.

People with Asperger's syndrome often demonstrate extraordinary mental abilities. Many of them are recognized as geniuses and achieve incredible levels of development in specific areas. They may, for example, have phenomenal memory or perform complex mathematical calculations in their heads.

Rett syndrome

This is a severe form of autism caused by genetic disorders. Only girls suffer from it, since boys die in the womb. It is characterized by complete maladjustment of the individual and mental retardation.

Usually, children with Rett syndrome develop normally until they are one year old, but then a sharp inhibition of development occurs. There is a loss of already acquired skills, slowing of head growth, and impaired coordination of movements. Patients have no speech, they are completely self-absorbed and maladjusted. This disorder is practically impossible to correct.

Nonspecific pervasive developmental disorder

This syndrome is also called atypical autism. The clinical picture of the disease is blurred, which makes diagnosis very difficult. The first symptoms tend to appear later than in classic autism and may be less severe. Often this diagnosis is made already in adolescence.

Atypical autism may be accompanied by mental retardation, or may occur without loss of intellectual abilities. With a mild form of this disease, patients are well socialized and have a chance to live a full life.

Childhood disintegrative disorder

This pathology is characterized by normal development of a child up to two years of age. Moreover, this applies to both the intellectual and emotional spheres. The baby learns to speak, understands speech, and acquires motor skills. Social interaction with people is not impaired - in general, he is no different from his peers.

However, after he reaches the age of 2 years, regression begins. The child loses previously developed skills and stops in mental development. This can happen gradually over several years, but more often it happens rapidly - within 5-12 months.

Initially, there may be changes in behavior, such as outbursts of anger and panic. Then the child loses motor, communication, and social skills. This is the main difference between this disease and classic autism, in which previously acquired skills are preserved.

The second significant difference is the loss of the ability to self-care. With severe childhood integrative disorder, patients cannot feed, wash, or go to the toilet on their own.

Fortunately, this disease is very rare - approximately 1 case per 100,000 children. It is often confused with Rett syndrome due to the similarity of symptoms.

Causes of autism

Medicine does not provide a clear answer as to why people are born with this disease. However, scientists have identified congenital and acquired factors contributing to its development.

Genetics. Autism is inherited. If a person has relatives with autism spectrum disorders, he is at risk.
Cerebral palsy.
Traumatic brain injury received by a child during childbirth or in the first days after birth.
Severe infectious diseases suffered by the mother during pregnancy: rubella, chicken pox, cytomegalovirus.
Fetal hypoxia during pregnancy or childbirth.

Treatment of autism

Autism is an incurable disease. It will accompany the patient throughout his life. Some forms of this disorder exclude the possibility of socialization of a person. These include Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and a severe form of Kanner syndrome. Relatives of such patients will have to come to terms with the need to care for them throughout their lives.

Milder forms can be corrected provided a number of conditions are met. It is possible to mitigate the manifestations of the disease and achieve successful integration of the individual into society. To do this, from early childhood you need to constantly work with them and create a favorable environment for them. Autistic people should grow up in an atmosphere of love, understanding, patience and respect. Often such people become valuable employees because of their ability to immerse themselves in the study of a particular area.

All parents whose children have been diagnosed with this are concerned with the question of how long autistic people live. It is very difficult to answer, since the prognosis depends on many factors. According to a study conducted in Sweden, the average life expectancy of autistic people is 30 years less than that of normal people.

But let's not talk about sad things. Let's take a closer look at the main treatments for autism.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven itself in the correction of autism not burdened by mental retardation. The sooner treatment is started, the better the result can be achieved.

The psychotherapist first observes the patient’s behavior and records points that need to be corrected. Then he helps the child become aware of his thoughts, feelings, and motives for actions in order to isolate those that are unconstructive and false. Autistic people often have maladaptive beliefs.

For example, they may perceive everything in black and white. When they are given tasks, they may think that they can either do them perfectly or poorly. The options “good”, “satisfactory”, “not bad” do not exist for them. In this situation, patients are afraid to take on tasks because the bar for the result is too high.

Another example of destructive thinking is generalizing from one example. If a child fails to complete some exercise, he decides that he will not be able to cope with the rest.

Cognitive behavioral therapy successfully corrects these negative patterns of thinking and behavior. The psychotherapist helps the patient develop a strategy for replacing them with constructive ones.

To do this, he uses positive incentives, reinforcing the desired actions. The stimulus is selected individually; this role may include a toy, a treat, or entertainment. With regular exposure, positive patterns of behavior and thinking replace destructive ones.

Applied behavior analysis method (ABA therapy)

ABA therapy (Applied Behavior Analysis) is a training system based on behavioral technologies. It allows the patient to develop complex social skills: speech, play, collective interaction and others.

The specialist breaks down these skills into simple small actions. Each action is memorized by the child and repeated many times until it becomes automatic. Then they are combined into a single chain and form a complete skill.

The adult rather tightly controls the process of assimilation of actions, not allowing the child to take the initiative. All unwanted actions are stopped.

ABA has several hundred training programs in its arsenal. They are designed for both young children and teenagers. Early intervention before the age of 6 years is most effective.

This technique involves intensive training of 30-40 hours a week. Several specialists work with the child at once - a defectologist, an art therapist, a speech therapist. As a result, the autistic person acquires the necessary behavioral patterns for life in society.

The effectiveness of the method is very high - about 60% of children who underwent correction at an early age were later able to study in secondary schools.

Nemechek Protocol

American doctor Peter Nemechek established a connection between brain disorders and intestinal dysfunction in autism. Scientific research allowed him to develop a completely new method of treating this disease, radically different from the existing ones.

According to Nemechek's theory, central nervous system dysfunction and brain cell damage in autism may be caused by:

widespread distribution of bacteria in the intestines;
intestinal inflammation;
intoxication with waste products of microorganisms;
nutrient imbalance.

The protocol is aimed at normalizing intestinal processes and restoring natural microflora. It is based on the use of special food additives.

Inulin. Promotes the removal of propionic acid produced by bacteria from the body. According to experiments conducted on animals, its excess causes antisocial behavior.
Omega-3. Normalizes the body's protective functions and suppresses autoimmune reactions caused by bacterial overgrowth.
Olive oil. Maintains the balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, preventing the development of inflammation.

Since the method is new and quite unique, controversy continues to surround it. Nemechek is accused of colluding with dietary supplement manufacturers. We will be able to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of using the protocol only after many years. In the meantime, the decision remains up to the parents.

Speech therapy treatment

Patients with autism, as a rule, begin to speak late, and subsequently they do so reluctantly. Most have speech impairments, which aggravate the situation. Therefore, regular sessions with a speech therapist are recommended for autistic people. The doctor will help you pronounce sounds correctly and overcome the speech barrier.

Drug treatment

Drug therapy is aimed at relieving symptoms that interfere with normal life: hyperactivity, auto-aggression, anxiety, seizures. They resort to it only in the most extreme cases. Neuroleptics, sedatives, and tranquilizers can provoke even deeper withdrawal in an autistic person.

Conclusion

Autism is a serious illness that a person will have to live with for the rest of their life. But this does not mean that you need to resign yourself and give up. If you work hard with the patient from early childhood, you can achieve excellent results. People suffering from a mild form of autism will be able to fully socialize: get a job, start a family. And in severe cases, you can significantly relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

A person’s environment plays a huge role. If he grows up in an atmosphere of understanding and respect, he is more likely to achieve good results. Share this article with your friends so that as many people as possible learn about this disease. Let's create an environment together that makes everyone feel comfortable.

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. People talk about autism 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 working with a child who has been diagnosed with this, or is nothing changing anyway?

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 kind of disease is it?

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

Scientists and doctors highlight the following: causes of autism:

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

Autistic children can be distinguished from their peers. They want to be alone all the time and do not go to play in sandboxes with others (or play hide and seek at school). Thus, they strive for social loneliness (they feel more comfortable this way). There is also a noticeable disturbance in the expression of emotions.

If , then the 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 him.

It must be remembered that many children may exhibit signs and symptoms of this disease, but to a greater or lesser extent. Thus, there is an autism spectrum. For example, there are children who can be strong friends with one person and at the same time be completely unable to contact others.

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

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

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

Who is Autism (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 until the age when their child becomes more socially active (at least until the age of three). When the child begins to interact with other children in the sandbox, to show his “I” and character, then he is taken to specialists for diagnosis.

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 so that identify symptoms of autism. As a rule, he is told that from birth the child was not like all his peers:

was capricious in his arms, did not want to sit;
didn't like being hugged;
did not show emotion when his mother smiled at him;
Possible speech delay.

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

Autism test carried out using questionnaires. They determine the development of the child’s thinking and 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.

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

Is there any hope for healing?

After making a diagnosis, the doctor first tells parents what autism is.

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

Treatment should begin with contact. Parents should, whenever possible, establish a trusting relationship with the autistic person. Also provide conditions in which the child will feel comfortable. So that negative factors (quarrels, shouting) do not affect the psyche.

You need to develop thinking and attention. Logic games and puzzles are perfect for this. Autistic children love them just 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 are a good way to explain why characters act the way they do, what they do, and what they face. From time to time you need to ask your child such questions so that he can think for himself.

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’s wrong with the child? There are professionals working there who will provide a variety of techniques and games to help develop autistic children.

Together we can achieve a high level of adaptation to society and the child’s inner peace.

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

Introduction

According to Wikipedia, autism is a disorder of the development of the nervous system, which is characterized by diverse manifestations, first noted in infancy or childhood, and a stable course of the disorder, usually without remissions. Symptoms usually persist in adults, although often in a milder form. One symptom is not enough to define autism; the presence of a characteristic triad is required:

lack of social interactions;

impaired mutual communication;

limited interests and a repetitive repertoire of behavior.

Other definition of autism:

Autism – a disorder that occurs due to a deviation in the development of the brain, in which the patient experiences difficulties in communication, is confined to a narrow area of interest, and repeatedly repeats certain actions. The patient may also react extremely irritably to certain sounds, colors and tastes.

The reasons for the development of this brain dysfunction have not been fully identified, but, as a rule, they are associated with environmental, immunological and neurological factors.

The occurrence of such a disease in children occurs as a result of a decrease in oxygenation of specific areas of the brain or chronic immunologically mediated inflammatory processes in the intestines.

Impaired blood flow (hypoperfusion) to the brain has been reported in children with autism. Hypoperfusion, in turn, contributes to the formation of functional defects not only by increasing hypoxia (oxygen deficiency in the brain), but also leads to the accumulation of modified metabolites or mediators.

The basis for the successful development of the nervous system is the balanced functioning of the immune system. Children with autism have abnormal functioning of the immune system.Astrocytes (support cells of the brain), which normally play an important role in regulating perfusion and protecting against central nervous system infections, begin to harm healthy cells. Children with the disease often have weakened immune systems and suffer from chronic inflammation. More often than not, immune imbalances have detrimental effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Children experience symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, intestinal damage and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

Autism usually appears in the first three years of life. It occurs in both mild and complex forms. The symptoms of this disease do not always manifest themselves physiologically, so this disorder is detected by the child’s inappropriate behavior.

The first signs of autism that require contacting a specialist are as follows: :

the child does not try to speak or point at objects after the first year of life,

cannot pronounce one word by 16 months or a phrase by 2 years,

doesn't respond to name

cannot play on equal terms with peers,

can't focus his eyes

constantly tries to build a sequence of toys or other objects,

does not smile or respond to the behavior of others.

Later the following symptoms appear :

inability to make friends among peers,

inability to start a conversation

weak imagination and inability to enter the game,

repeated stereotypical phrases, incorrect use of words,

excessive enthusiasm for certain subjects,

excessive attachment to a certain routine.

Autism is one of three autism spectrum disorders (ASD; see Wikipedia for definitions). Individual symptoms of the “triad” are found in the general population, and the degree of their association with each other is low and the pathological manifestations are located in a single continuum with features common to most people.

Autism is a condition characterized by a predominance of a closed inner life, active withdrawal from the outside world, and poor expression of emotions.

According to the same Wikipedia, ASD includes a wider range of deviations, including disorders of speech and intellectual development.

There is no scientific consensus on the causes of autism or ASD. There is a theory about the genetic origin of autism, there is evidence that autism can occur as a complication of some vaccinations, there is a theory about the effects of pesticides or even paracetomol. Judging by this diversity of opinions and in the absence of clear evidence for each theory, it can be assumed that autism is not a single disease, but different diseases that have similar symptoms and therefore are combined into one diagnosis.

For our practical purposes, these scientific disputes are not important. In our experience, there are various physical and emotional reasons that lead to autism or ASD in a child.

Our classification of autism differs from the generally accepted one because we base it on our ability to cure it.

Types of autism - classification by the Be'er David Center

This chapter describes the types of autism as we understand them. This classification differs from that accepted in official medicine. It is the result of understanding specific cases in our practice and the diagnostic and treatment methods that should be applied in each case. The prognosis and duration of treatment for each type of autism at the Be'er David Center is based on this classification.

Childhood autism that occurs in the fetus as a result of maternal problems during pregnancy

One of the most common types of autism is autism resulting from an abnormal pregnancy. The following pregnancy disorders can lead to early autism in the child:

Viral and bacterial diseases in the mother during pregnancy can lead to underdevelopment or damage to the central nervous system in the fetus. The most severe damage to the central nervous system occurs if the disease occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy. There is also evidence that severe maternal illness shortly before pregnancy can also lead to autism.
Hormonal disorders in the mother during pregnancy. An example is disorders of the thyroid gland or pancreas.
Renal dysfunction in the mother. Eclampsia.
Disturbances in the functioning of other organs, leading to intoxication and damage to the central nervous system in the fetus.
Taking certain medications during pregnancy. Apparently, the effect of a particular drug on the fetus depends on the characteristics of the mother’s body.
Other harmful effects on the mother during pregnancy. Example: long-term radio and electromagnetic radiation, harmful atmosphere in the workplace where the mother works, and the like.
Heavy maternal smoking before and during pregnancy. It is likely that the use of other substances can also cause disruption of the central nervous system in a child (for example, maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to the so-called fetal alcohol syndrome, which is diagnosed separately).

The prognosis for this type of autism, from our point of view, is usually favorable (at least for cases where an MRI scan does not show severe physical damage to the brain). The duration of treatment depends on the degree of damage to the central nervous system and associated complications.

Childhood autism resulting from birth trauma

There are different types of birth injuries. We subdivide:

Hypoxia (oxygen starvation) during childbirth
Displacement and/or damage to the bones of the skull and neck

Hypoxia, depending on the degree and time spent by the fetus with a lack of oxygen, can cause both mild deviations in the child’s development and more severe ones, sometimes bordering on cerebral palsy (cerebral palsy is usually diagnosed separately). Mild disabilities are usually diagnosed at an older age, usually already at school, when it is discovered that the child is not able to learn certain types of material (for example, the child has dyscalculia, dysgraphia or dyslexia) or is able, but only (for example) if he is read to study material out loud or vice versa, only if he sees it written.

If a child has any difficulties in learning, it is worth checking whether he has had a birth injury.

For this type of disorder, the prognosis (from our point of view) is favorable, but treatment may take longer depending on the degree of damage to the tissues of the central nervous system and other organs (for example, the gastrointestinal tract) due to oxygen starvation.

Disturbances in the location of the bones of the skull and spine can also lead to developmental abnormalities, often much more severe than those that arise due to hypoxia.

The prognosis for such injuries depends greatly on how damaged the skeleton is. For example, if we are talking about displaced cervical vertebrae, the prognosis is usually favorable. If the injury leads to severe anatomical disorders (microcephaly, fusion of the coronal suture), then the treatment will be long, and the prognosis greatly depends on the age at which treatment began and what the child’s condition is at that time.

Childhood autism resulting from postnatal trauma or illness

The central nervous system of a small child is not resistant to various influences and can be easily damaged in the following cases:

Effect of anesthesia. General anesthesia (general anesthesia) can lead to varying degrees of central nervous system damage in young children.
Impact of viruses. Young children have an immature immune system, whose response may be inadequate to the virus that has entered the body. In such cases, the virus may damage parts of the central nervous system, or it may provoke an abnormal response from the body, resulting in damage to the central nervous system due to an autoimmune reaction. This should also include the possibility of autism occurring after certain vaccinations.
Diseases of the child’s internal organs leading to central nervous system poisoning.
Head and back injuries in a child (for example, concussion).

There is no single prognosis for this type of autism. The forecast in this case depends on many factors and should be given on an individual basis after determining all the circumstances. In approximately half of the cases, complete healing cannot be achieved, but the situation can be improved and the quality of life of both the child and parents can be improved (example: a child sleeps 2-3 hours a day, is constantly hysterical, is aggressive due to severe organic brain damage. He can be brought into a state when he sleeps normally, eats, and is in a good mood).

Complications of autism (autism as a consequence of organic or metabolic diseases of the body)

Sometimes autistic traits appear in children as a complication of a head injury or other underlying medical condition. In such cases, there is also no single forecast. Examples:

Hydrocephalus in a child
Epilepsy of varying degrees
Metabolic disorders
Other

This list does not exhaust all possible complications and their combinations. Prognosis and recommendations for each individual child can only be given during the examination and treatment process at the Be'er David Center

From everything written above, it is clear that the diagnosis of “autism” (and especially ASD) can hide a wide variety of diseases, from autism itself to birth trauma, epilepsy or other diseases. Despite the fact that different diseases can produce similar symptoms, each cause of the disease requires an individual approach and affects the effectiveness of treatment.

We have the impression that today the diagnosis “autism” has become “fashionable” in official medicine, and it is almost automatically given to children with any developmental delays or behavioral abnormalities, often without even trying to determine the true causes of the problem. We understand that in order to make an accurate diagnosis, medicine often lacks precise tools (all the tests and checks that modern medicine provides require correct interpretation, and often simply do not have the necessary accuracy). This is one reason why the medical prognosis of "lifelong disability" may not be justified, and the child may recover if treated correctly.

About vaccinations

For many years, the dispute between parents and doctors about the ability of vaccinations to cause childhood autism has continued. Studies regularly appear confirming the connection between vaccination and autism and their refutations. Our experience says that there are many mothers who report that the child developed perfectly until 18 months, and then manifestations of autism began, which, as a rule, intensify with the age of the child.

Age 18 months is the age at which a child receives the triple vaccine of measles-chickenpox-rubella or its variations in most developed countries. This vaccination is done with a live, weakened virus.

One of the very unpleasant complications of the measles virus is measles encephalitis. Chickenpox can also cause damage to the central nervous system, known as chickenpox encephalitis.

We have not done formal studies (and have no such intentions), but we have observed some kind of inflammation in the spinal column in the brain in such children and assume that in some cases a weakened measles or chickenpox virus may give an unstudied complication in the central nervous system (weaker, than the well-known measles or chickenpox encephalitis), leading to autism. Since the likelihood of a complication occurring with measles is much higher than with chickenpox, we believe that the measles vaccine may be responsible for most cases of vaccine-induced autism.

Also, in the cases that we observed, children, as a rule, were born after some complications of pregnancy or childbirth in the mother. There is likely a connection between a child's weakened or immature immune system and his or her likelihood of getting complications from the vaccine. Mothers who are aware of complications during pregnancy or childbirth should be able to give their children this vaccine not at 18 months, as is now common, but later (say, after 7 years), when the child has already grown up and become stronger and his immune system has become sufficiently strengthened.

Factors that increase autism symptoms

Children with autism or ASD often have gastrointestinal disturbances, leading to improper processing and absorption of certain foods or even simple allergies. Such foods should be excluded from the child’s diet. There is a very long list of products to which sensitivity testing should be done. Here we present only the most common ones:

Lactose
Casein
Gluten
Chocolate

There are more and more children diagnosed with autism every day. This prevalence of the disease is primarily due to improved diagnosis. Talented and gifted children in Russia often 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 mental changes, loss of social adaptation in society and altered behavior. Typically, the child experiences a persistent disruption of interaction within society.

Often autism is not diagnosed for a long time, since parents attribute changes in behavior to the child’s character traits.

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 USA, the diagnosis of autism is much more common. This is due to the presence of excellent diagnostic criteria, which allow a commission of doctors to accurately make a diagnosis even in mild cases of illness or in complex clinical cases.

In autistic children, various changes occur in the cerebral cortex. They appear immediately after birth. However, they can appear much later, after many years. The disease occurs without periods of stable remission. With a long course of the disease and the use of various psychotherapeutic techniques that can 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 for the disease is, unfortunately, impossible.

Prevalence

Statistics on the incidence of autism in the USA 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 accurately diagnose children of any age.

In Russia, the statistics are completely different. Often, not all children 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 “attributed” to the child’s character and temperament, which leads to serious consequences. Such children subsequently integrate poorly 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 often affected by autism. Typically this ratio is 4:1. Girls from families where there are many cases of autism in relatives may also suffer from this mental illness.

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

Why are children born with autism spectrum disorder?

To date, scientists have not yet reached a consensus on this issue. In the development of autism, many experts believe that several genes are to blame, which cause disruption in the functioning of certain parts of the cerebral cortex. Often when analyzing cases of the disease it becomes obvious strongly expressed heredity.

Another theory of the disease is mutation. Scientists believe that the cause of the disease can be various mutations and breakdowns in the genetic apparatus of a particular individual.

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 intrauterine development;
exposure to hazardous chemicals that have a teratogenic effect on the unborn child;
chronic diseases of the nervous system in the mother, for which she took various symptomatic psychotropic drugs for a long time.

According to American experts, such mutagenic effects quite often led to various disorders characteristic of autism.

This effect on the fetus is especially dangerous during the first 8-10 weeks from the moment of conception. At this time, the formation of all vital organs occurs, including the formation of the areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for behavior.

Genetic or mutational disorders that underlie the disease ultimately lead to specific damage to individual areas 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 the mirror cells of the brain, which leads to the appearance of specific symptoms of autism, when the baby can repeatedly perform the same type of action and pronounce individual phrases several times.

Kinds

Currently, many different classifications of the disease are used. All of them are divided according to the variants of 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, specific criteria for the disease are currently being developed and streamlined, which will form the basis for diagnosing the disease.

Autism can usually occur in several forms or variations:

Typical. With this option, the signs of the disease appear quite clearly in childhood. Children are characterized by more withdrawn behavior, lack of involvement in games with other children, and have poor contacts even with close relatives and parents. To improve social integration, it is imperative to carry out a whole range of various psychotherapeutic procedures and the help of a child psychologist who is well versed in this problem.
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 specific signs of autism, but only some. Atypical autism is diagnosed quite late. Often, failure to diagnose in time and delay in making a diagnosis leads to the development of more persistent symptoms in the child, which are much more difficult to treat.
Hidden. There are no exact statistics on the number of children with this diagnosis. With this form of the disease, the manifestation of the main clinical symptoms is extremely rare. Very often, children are considered simply overly withdrawn 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.

How does the mild form differ from the severe form?

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

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

Violations of one's personality in mild forms of the disease practically do not occur. Kids 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 shy away from hugs or does not like kisses.

Babies with more severe illness They try in every possible way to avoid contact with other people. Even touching or hugging from close relatives can cause them severe mental trauma. Only the closest people, according to the child, 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 tendencies to cause harm to themselves. Such babies may even bite themselves or attempt to inflict various injuries at an older age.

This manifestation is rare, but requires urgent consultation with a psychiatrist and the prescription of special medications that reduce manifestations of aggression towards one’s own personality.

The mild form of the disease often goes undiagnosed, especially in Russia. Manifestations of the disease are simply attributed to the developmental characteristics 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 may change at different ages. However, the classic violation of social integration is observed almost constantly, without remission.

Severe forms of the disease, which often manifest as complete forced isolation of the baby from the outside world, are much easier to identify.

The behavior of a child with severe autism is manifested by a pronounced reluctance to communicate with any people. Such kids are more willing to be alone. This brings them peace of mind and does not disrupt their usual way of life.

Failure to provide therapeutic psychotherapy can lead to deterioration of the child’s condition and complete social maladjustment.

Symptoms and first signs

Manifestations of the disease can be checked already in the first years of a child’s life. With a thorough and attentive analysis of the baby’s behavior, even at a very young age, the first characteristic signs of autism syndrome can be identified. There are special psychological traits and characteristics for this disease.

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

Reluctance to create new social contacts.
Disturbed interests or use of special games.
Repeating typical actions many times.
Speech behavior disorder.
Changes in intelligence and different levels of mental development.
Changing your own sense of personality.
Psychomotor dysfunction.

The reluctance to create new social contacts is evident in children from birth. At first, children are reluctant to respond to any touch from those closest to them. Even hugs or kisses from parents do not evoke positive emotions in children with autism. From the outside, such children seem overly calm and even “cold.”

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

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

Children practically do not experience any expressed joy from new gifts. Children of the first year of life can be absolutely neutral towards any new toys. Most often, it is difficult to even get a smile from such kids in response to a gift. In the best case, an autistic child will simply twirl the toy in his hands for a few minutes, and then put it aside indefinitely.

Children older than one year are very selective in choosing people close to them. They usually 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.” This could be either dad or mom. In some cases - grandmother or grandfather.

Autistic children have virtually no contact with their peers or children of a different age. Any attempt to disturb their own comfortable world can bring such children significant discomfort.

They try in every possible way to avoid any situation that is traumatic for their psyche. Autistic children have practically no friends. They experience difficulties making new friends throughout their lives.

The first serious problems in such children appear at the age of 2-3 years. Usually at this time children are sent to kindergarten. As a rule, this is where the disease is detected, 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 more withdrawn than other children, they can stay aloof, and play with the same toy for hours, performing some stereotypical repetitive movements.

Children with autism exhibit more withdrawn behavior. Most kids ask for almost nothing. If they need something, they prefer to take it themselves without outside help.

Children under three years of age may have difficulty potty training.

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

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

Disturbed interests or use of special games

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

Children with autism choose 1-2 favorite toys, with whom they spend a huge amount of time. Even with a large selection of different toys, they remain completely indifferent to them.

If you carefully observe the play of a child with autism, you will 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. A child can sort them by size, color, or some characteristics that are special to him. He performs this action every time before the game.

Strict orderliness often manifests itself in everything in children with autism. This is a manifestation of a world that is comfortable for them, in which all objects are in their place and there is no chaos.

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

Girls with autism also experience changes in the form of play. Notice how the little girl 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 her clothes. And never vice versa! Everything is in a strictly established sequence.

Such systematic actions in children with autism are due to the peculiarity of disturbed mental behavior, and not to character. If you try to ask your child 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.

Repeating typical actions multiple times

The behavior of a child with autism is not always very different from the communication style of a healthy child. From the outside, such children look absolutely normal, since the appearance of the children practically does not change.

Children with autism often do not lag behind in physical development and are not at all different in appearance from their peers. However, with more careful observation of the child's behavior, it is possible to identify actions that differ slightly from usual behavior.

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

This symptom can manifest itself in different ways:

Repetition of counting or sequential naming of numbers. Autistic children often count repeatedly throughout the day. This activity brings comfort and even positive emotions to the child.
Repeating words previously spoken by someone. For example, after the question “how old are you?”, a child can repeat “I’m 5 years old, 5 years old, 5 years old” several dozen times. Very often, such kids 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 turn lights off and on repeatedly. Some kids often open or close water taps.

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

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

Speech behavior disorders

Speech disorders occur quite often in children with autism. The severity of manifestations varies. In milder forms of the disease, as a rule, speech disturbances are mild. 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 may remain silent for a long time. A baby's vocabulary consists of only a few words. He often repeats them many times throughout the day.

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

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

If you ask a baby if he wants to swim, the child may answer “he wants to swim” or call himself by 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 a child is pestered with questions or asked too many questions in a short time, the child may even react quite violently, showing aggression.

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

A child suffering from autism can easily recite an excerpt from Pushkin’s poem by heart at the age of five or recite a complex poem.

Such children often have a tendency to rhyme. At a younger age, children get great pleasure from repeating various rhymes over and over again.

The combination of words may seem completely meaningless, and in some cases even crazy. However, for children with autism, repeating such rhymes brings joy and positive emotions.

Changes in intelligence and different levels of mental development

It has long been believed that children with autism are mentally retarded. But this is a huge misconception! A large number of autistic children have the highest IQ levels.

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

The peculiarity of the mental development of an autistic person is that it is very difficult for him to concentrate and be purposeful in achieving specific goals.

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

Some children have defects in logical perception. They perform poorly on tasks to construct an associative series.

The baby perceives ordinary abstract events well, can easily repeat a sequence or chain of events even after a long time. Long-term memory impairments are not observed in children with autism.

Children with a higher level of intelligence integrate very poorly at school. Often such a child becomes an “outcast” or a “black sheep.”

The impaired ability to socialize contributes to the fact that autistic children become 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 may progress differently. In some cases, children experience a decrease in intellectual abilities. They perform unsatisfactorily in school, do not answer teachers' questions, and do not solve difficult geometric tasks that require good spatial and logical abilities.

Very often, such children require special training using special pedagogical programs that are designed specifically for children with autism.

It is important to note that any deterioration in the child’s condition can occur suddenly when exposed to any provoking cause. Often these can be severe stress or attacks from peers.

Children with autism have a very difficult time with such triggering events. This can even lead to severe apathy or, conversely, cause violent aggression.

Watch the following video about teaching children with autism.

Changing your sense of self

When any contact with other people is disrupted, autistic people often project any negative events onto themselves. This is called self-aggression. This manifestation of the disease in varying degrees of severity occurs quite often. Almost every third child with autism suffers from this unfavorable manifestation of the disease.

Psychotherapists believe that this negative symptom arises as a result of a disrupted perception of the boundaries of one’s own inner world. Any threat to personal safety is perceived excessively by a sick child. Children can cause various injuries to themselves: biting themselves or even cutting themselves on purpose.

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

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

It is quite rare for a child to show 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 towards a child with autism or even a simple desire to make contact can cause an attack of aggression in the child, which provokes internal fear.

Psychomotor dysfunction

Quite often, children with autism experience an altered gait. They try to walk on tiptoes. Some children may bounce when walking. This symptom occurs every day.

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

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

Kids often remain true to their taste preferences. Such children should not be taught a certain diet. All the same, a child with autism will have his own idea and even a whole system in his head about what and when it is best for him to eat.

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

Basic characteristics by age

Up to a year

Children with symptoms of autism react poorly to any attempts to address them, especially by name. Children do not babble or utter their first words for a long time.

The child's emotions are quite impoverished. Gesticulation is also significantly reduced. A baby 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 give the child strong positive emotions.

Newborn babies and infants practically do not express various emotions on their faces. Such children even seem somewhat renounced. Often, when trying to make a child smile, he does not change his face or perceives this attempt rather coldly. Such children love to look at various objects. Their gaze stops on some object for a very long time.

Kids often try to choose one or a couple of toys with which they can spend almost the entire day. They absolutely do not need any outsiders to play. They feel great alone with themselves. Sometimes attempts to intrude on their play can cause an attack of panic or aggression.

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

As a rule, there are no intellectual impairments at this age. Most children do not lag behind their peers in terms of physical or mental development.

Up to 3 years

Before the age of 3 years, symptoms of limited personal space begin to manifest themselves to a greater extent.

When playing outside, children 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.” Most often, by the age of one and a half years, they can only utter a few words. However, this does not happen to all babies. They often repeat various verbal combinations that do not carry much meaning.

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

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

Very often such children try to avert their eyes and do not look at the interlocutor. Even if the child answers the question, he will never use the word “I”. Children with autism identify themselves as “he” or “she.” Many children simply call themselves by name.

Some children are characterized by manifestations of stereotypical actions. They may sway violently in their chair. Parents' comments that doing this is wrong or ugly 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 baby 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 cannot clench their hands well. Such a violation of fine motor skills necessarily requires special classes that are aimed at improving this skill.

If correction is not carried out in a timely manner, the child may develop writing impairments, as well as the appearance of gestures that are unusual for an ordinary baby.

Autistic children love to play with water taps or switches. They also really enjoy opening and closing doors. Any similar movements evoke excellent emotions in the child. He can perform such actions for as long as he likes until his parents intervene. When performing these movements, the baby absolutely does not notice that he is performing them repeatedly.

Autistic children eat only those foods that they like, play independently and practically do not get to know other children. Many people around them mistakenly consider such kids to be too spoiled. This is a huge misconception!

A child with autism, under the age of three, sees absolutely no 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. Autistic people were believed to have thinner and longer noses. However, this is not at all true.

To date, the connection between facial structural features and the presence of autism in a child has not been reliably established. Such judgments are just speculation and lack scientific evidence.

From 3 to 6 years

The incidence of autism peaks at this age. Children begin to be sent to kindergarten, where disturbances in social adaptation become noticeable.

Children with autism perceive morning trips to preschool educational institutions without expressed delight. They would rather stay at home than leave their familiar safe home.

A child with autism practically does not meet new friends. At best, he makes one new acquaintance who becomes his best friend.

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

The child tries to come up with some kind of magical story or fairy tale that explains why he should go to this kindergarten. Then he becomes the main character of this action. However, visiting kindergarten does not give the child any pleasure. He doesn't get along well with his peers and practically doesn't listen to his teachers.

All things in the baby’s personal locker are usually folded strictly in order. This becomes clearly visible from the outside. Such children cannot stand any chaos or 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 extreme stress.

Children with autism should not be scolded for doing the same type of behavior over a long period of time. You just need to find the “key” to such a child.

Often, kindergarten teachers simply cannot cope with a “special” child. Many features of disrupted behavior are perceived by teaching staff as excessive spoilage and character traits. In these cases, the mandatory work of a medical psychologist is required, who will work daily with the child in a preschool institution.

Over 6 years old

Children with autism in Russia attend regular schools. In our country there are no specialized educational programs for such children. Typically, children with autism do well in school. They have a penchant for various 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 child’s inner world, they may have very mediocre performance.

Children with autism have difficulty concentrating and are also characterized by insufficient concentration on several objects at the same time.

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

Kids 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 secluded lifestyle. 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, children have a commitment to certain foods. In most cases, it occurs in early childhood. Children with autism eat at specific times according to their own schedule. All meals are accompanied by the performance of a specific ritual.

They often eat only from plates that are familiar to them and try to avoid dishes of new colors. All cutlery is usually laid out by the child on the table in a strictly defined sequence.

Children with autism can graduate from school very successfully, showing excellent knowledge in one discipline.

In only 30% of cases, children suffering from this disease fall behind the school curriculum and have poor academic performance. As a rule, in such children the diagnosis of autism was made quite late or a good rehabilitation program was not carried out to reduce the unfavorable symptoms of the disease and improve social adaptation.

Problems

Very often, children with autism experience not only behavioral disorders, but also various pathological manifestations of internal organs.

Gastrointestinal disorders

They manifest themselves 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. Such a diet, which contains a limited amount of gluten, promotes the smooth functioning 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

Babies are almost equally active during the day and at night. It is very difficult to put such children to sleep. Even if they fall asleep, they may only sleep for a few hours. Very often babies wake up very early in the morning. During the daytime, they may refuse to sleep. In some cases, when exposed to strong psychologically traumatic situations, insomnia may worsen or nightmares may appear, which further contribute to the disruption of the child’s general well-being.

When is a consultation with a psychiatrist necessary?

You should seek the help of a doctor immediately if parents suspect the first signs of illness in their baby. Only a psychiatrist can accurately establish a diagnosis and recommend the necessary therapeutic treatment.

As a 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 primarily for preventing the development of unwanted long-term symptoms of the disease.

In our country, children diagnosed with autism practically do not undergo 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 suffering from autism.

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

At what age is the disease most often diagnosed?

According to statistics, 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 the child’s social maladjustment begin to clearly manifest themselves.

There is scientific evidence that suggests that with the development of better diagnostic criteria, it will be much easier to identify cases of autism in children at an earlier age.

Determining the first manifestations of the disease in newborns is a very difficult task even for an experienced pediatrician. To conduct a full 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 given upon detection of the following psychological disorders:

social maladjustment 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 occurs in a typical or classic form, then the above symptoms occur in 100% of cases. Such children require mandatory consultation with a psychiatrist, and, if necessary, an extensive 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 rubricator 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 reference books, a child with autism must exhibit at least six of the symptoms listed. To determine them, doctors resort to various questionnaires, using which they assess the baby’s condition in a playful way. Such research is carried out in the most gentle way possible, so as not to traumatize the disturbed child’s psyche.

An interview with parents is also required. This study allows us to clarify the presence and nature of violations in the child’s behavior that cause them concern.

Parents are interviewed by several psychiatrists, 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.

Children 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 that would easily establish such a diagnosis. In this regard, there are quite a few cases of establishing a correct and timely diagnosis.

Is testing at home possible?

It is almost impossible to conduct a full inspection of the house. During such testing, you can only get an approximate answer. The diagnosis of autism can only be made by a psychiatrist. To do this, he uses several different tests that are used to diagnose the disease, as well as various other techniques to clarify the extent and level of damage.

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

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

How to treat?

Currently, no specific treatment for autism has been developed. 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 original source of the disease does not allow scientists to create a unique medicine that would completely cure children with autism.

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

All treatment methods can be divided into several groups:

Drug treatment. In this case, various medications 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 possibly conducting additional examinations.
Psychological consultations. A child medical psychologist must work with a child suffering from 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 internal feeling when integrating into a new team.
General restorative health procedures. Playing sports is not at all contraindicated for children with autism. However, they must study 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 sporting achievements. Success is only possible by applying the right pedagogical approach.
Speech therapy classes. A speech therapist must conduct classes with a child under 3 years of age. At such lessons, children learn to speak correctly and refuse to use repeated repetitions of words. Speech therapy classes allow you to improve your child’s vocabulary and add even more words to his vocabulary. Such educational games help children adapt better to new groups and improve their social adaptation.

Drug treatment

Prescription of various medications on an ongoing basis is not required for children with autism. 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 consequences and even worsen the baby’s condition.

The following medications are most often prescribed to children with autism.

Psychotropic drugs and neuroleptics

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

It is important to note that the prescription of antipsychotic drugs 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 drugs can cause addiction and various side effects. In order to prevent this, doctors resort to prescribing a course of treatment.

To eliminate panic attacks or improve mood, the doctor may prescribe special medications that affect the level of endorphins. These drugs also have a number of contraindications. They are used only in cases where various psychological methods for correcting behavior 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 dysbiosis

In children with autism, in 90% of cases, doctors register persistent irritable bowel syndrome or dysbiosis. In this case, the microflora in the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted. It contains practically no beneficial lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, but microorganisms of pathogenic flora reproduce well. Very often, such children also exhibit increased yeast growth.

To eliminate these unfavorable symptoms, doctors resort to prescribing various medications enriched with lacto- and bifidobacteria. Children are prescribed: “Bifidobacterin”, “Acipol”, “Linex”, “Enterol” and many others. The prescription of these funds is carried out after additional research - stool culture and a test for dysbacteriosis. The drugs are prescribed as a course of treatment. It is usually designed for 1-3 months of daily use.

In addition to medications, the diet of a child with dysbacteriosis must 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 beneficial properties of the product are not lost, and you can safely give it to your baby.

The effect of using fermented milk products usually occurs 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 prescription 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 within the body.

Since children with autism are very committed to some type of food, their diet is often very monotonous. This leads to insufficient supply of vitamins and microelements from the outside.

In order to improve this condition, 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 microelements, which are vital for the baby.

Sedatives

Used to eliminate anxiety. Very often, when exposed to a strong traumatic situation, a sick child may experience a severe state of panic. In this case, psychiatrists prescribe psychotropic drugs that can effectively eliminate this manifestation. A course of such medications is not required. Only a single dose is enough.

Children with autism often have trouble sleeping. 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 night sleep, as well as normalize the circadian rhythm, doctors recommend using mild medications that calm the nervous system and promote rapid sleep.

It is safe for children 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 prescription of sedative medications is allowed only for severe sleep disturbances. Typically, such drugs are prescribed for quite a long time. It is not advisable to use these drugs in milder forms of the disease, since they can have a pronounced tranquilizing effect or be addictive. The prescription of medications is made by a psychotherapist after a preliminary examination.

Help from a psychologist

The use of various psychological techniques is an important element of therapy for children suffering from autism. American experts who conduct classes with sick children every day recommend conducting such classes at least 2-3 times a week.

It is better for the psychologist to also have a medical education. In this case, it can quickly help him or her when the condition worsens and send the child for consultation with a psychiatrist.

The psychologist does not prescribe medications. He treats only with words. Usually, for children with autism, the first meeting with a specialist is very important. It is at this time that you 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 suffering from autism, the psychologist must very delicately make friends with him. Only in this case will the baby 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 conducted in a specially equipped room. Often, to work with children with autism, all lessons are held in only one room. This helps create a calmer and more comfortable atmosphere for the child.

Psychologists try not to move or rearrange toys without 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. Each lesson usually lasts no more than an hour.

With longer communication, the baby may become very tired and reluctant to make contact with a specialist.

Working with children who suffer from autism usually continues throughout the child's life. At the same time, only the types and forms of psychological techniques change.

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

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

Classes with a psychologist for children under 3-5 years old are often carried out 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 occur in everyday life. During such a game, he teaches the baby how to react correctly to new people. Children learn to communicate better with other kids, and also acquire new useful skills that can be useful to them every day.

Classes

To improve the integration into society of a child suffering from autism, additional activities are required to help him with this. Typically, 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 interesting to the child, a good analysis of his abilities and a qualitative assessment of the level of health and physical development are required. Not all children with autism will perform the same tasks with the same interest. The correct choice of activities greatly improves the prognosis of treatment and has a beneficial effect on the mental and mental development of the baby.

Typically, children with autism are recommended various correctional activities that can improve the child’s social integration in society. Sports are recommended for children. However, not all sports training can be selected. For autistic children, calm sports are more suitable: 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 aside. Children with autism should not engage in running, jumping, boxing and various types of strength wrestling.

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

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

Children with autism benefit from spending time interacting with a variety of animals. Doctors recommend hippotherapy or dolphin therapy sessions. 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 evoke a sea of positive emotions in him.

If possible, such exercises 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 should I buy?

Parents often rack their brains over what gift to give to their baby, who has been diagnosed with autism by doctors. It seems that every new toy brings virtually no joy to the child. However, this is not quite true. Every 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 children can be delighted with donated animals. The main thing is to determine which specific animal your child likes. Usually this does not pose any difficulty: an autistic child will never let go of the animal toy he likes.

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

Children diagnosed with autism are not at all prone to hoarding. They only need 2-3 different toys to feel comfortable and happy. A huge number of different gifts can even scare them!

Children under three years old should choose toys that improve fine motor skills of their fingers. Typically, children with autism are quite poor at performing any tasks related to drawing or modeling.

You can try to interest your baby in putting together various puzzles consisting of large and bright parts. Construction sets are perfect, from the elements of which you can build numerous combinations of figures.

For children 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 your legs are massaged while walking. This effect has a beneficial effect on the entire musculoskeletal system of the child. You should choose a rug in more neutral colors, avoiding overly bright colors.

For older children and those especially prone to aggression, you can choose a spinner. This fashionable toy normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and even helps fight the effects of stress. Kids often like to spin the spinner, as any 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 child or, on the contrary, increase an apathetic state.

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

Can autistic people 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 children in whose families cases of autism have previously been established.

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

If both parents have autism, the chance of having an affected child is 25%, and the chance of having a child who is a carrier of 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 having sick babies may increase. It also increases when exposed to various provoking factors on the unborn child during intrauterine development in the body of a pregnant mother.

To determine hidden 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 autistic parents or in cases where there is a suspicion that the child may develop the disease.

Is the child given a disability?

In Russia, the diagnosis of autism requires the establishment of a disability group. However, it is not shown to all children. In our country, special medical and social criteria are used that take into account various factors.

The decision to establish a group is made strictly collectively. This involves specialists from several specialties: psychiatrist, psychologist, rehabilitation specialist.

In order for a child to have a disability group established, all necessary medical documentation must be provided to the medical and social examination authorities. The child’s child’s record must contain the conclusions of the psychiatrist and child psychologist who observed him. In this case, expert doctors can have a more informative picture about the duration of the disease.

Before undergoing a medical and social examination, the baby is often prescribed additional tests and examinations. This can be either various laboratory tests or specialized brain studies that make it possible to clarify the nature and extent of disorders. Usually in our country an EEG or electroencephalography of the brain is prescribed.

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

The test results allow doctors to determine the nature and extent of impairments 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 pronounced maladaptation of the baby.

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

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

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

Children with mental disabilities must undergo a whole range of rehabilitation measures. Speech therapists, psychologists, and rehabilitation doctors work with such children. The rehabilitation course 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 are faced with establishing a disability group for their child often note some difficulties when conducting a medical and social examination. They most often note: a huge amount of pre-prepared medical documentation and long queues for examination. The disability group was not always determined upon initial treatment. Often, only on the second or third attempt did expert doctors make a positive decision about the presence of disabling signs in the child.

Establishing a group is a highly complex and often controversial task. However, for children with autism, this step is often forced, but truly 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 medications. 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 this disease will remain with the child for life. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for autism.

With the right approach, autistic children develop well and, from the outside, do not even differ at all from their peers. Only a few strangers may notice that the baby is a little different from the others. However, they often believe that such a child is simply overly spoiled or has a bad character.

In order to improve your baby’s quality of life and help him with social adaptation, use the following tips:

Try to communicate correctly with your child. Autistic children categorically do not accept raised voices or swearing. It is better to communicate with such children in the same calm tone, without using curse words. If your child does something wrong, try not to react too violently and aggressively, but simply explain to your child how to do this action correctly. You can also show this as a kind of game.
Both parents should be involved in raising a child. Even though, as a rule, the baby chooses to communicate with dad or mom, they both must participate in his life. In this case, the child feels more comfortable and gets a correct idea of the family organization. In the future, when creating his own life, he will largely be guided by the principles laid down in childhood.
Potty training children with autism can be quite difficult. Child psychologists usually help with this. In a playful way, they create a similar everyday situation and work through the correct sequence of actions with the baby. For independent training at home, remember that you should potty train your child gradually and consistently. Never raise your voice or punish your child if he has done something wrong. In the case of an autistic child, this measure will not lead to a positive result.
You can teach a child with autism to read only with daily lessons. Try to choose educational books without overly bright pictures. A huge number of different colors can alarm and even frighten a child. Choose publications without colorful pictures. Training is best done in a playful way. So the baby will perceive this process as a normal game.
During a severe hysteria, the baby needs to be carefully calmed. It would be better to do this by the family member with whom the child has closer contact. If your child is overly aggressive, try to quickly take him to the nursery. A familiar environment will help your baby calm down more easily. Never raise your voice at a child, trying to shout to him! This won't lead to anything good. Explain to your baby that he has nothing to be afraid of and that you are nearby. Try to switch your attention to another event or object.
Try to establish contact with your autistic child. The child communicates calmly only with the people closest to him. To do this, never ask your baby a million questions. Frequent hugs will also not lead to establishing contact. Try to spend more time with your baby, just watching his games. After some time, the child will perceive you as part of his game and will make contact more easily.
Teach your child to the correct daily routine. Typically, autistic children respond well to a clearly organized routine. This gives them a feeling of complete comfort and security. Try to have your child fall asleep and wake up at the same time. Be sure to follow the feeding schedule. Even on weekends, maintain your baby's usual 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 see a therapist at least twice a year. If your health worsens, more often.
Provide proper nutrition for your baby. Considering the characteristics of the disturbed microflora, all children 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 beneficial for the child and improve his digestion.
From the very first days of your child’s birth, try to show him care and affection more often. Autistic children react very poorly to various physical manifestations of love and tenderness. However, this does not mean at all that this should not be done. Doctors advise hugging and kissing your 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 baby a new friend. Most autistic children love pets. Communication with furry animals not only brings positive emotions to the baby and has a beneficial effect on the course of his illness, but also has a real therapeutic effect on tactile sensitivity. A cat or dog will become real friends for your baby and will help him more easily establish contacts not only with animals, but also with new people.
Don't scold your child! A child suffering from autism perceives any raising of his voice very painfully. The reaction can be the most unpredictable. Some kids fall into severe apathy and become more indifferent to everything that happens in everyday life. Other children may experience excessive aggression that may even require medication.
Try to choose an interesting hobby for your child. Very often, children with autism are excellent at drawing or playing musical instruments. Studying in a specialized art school will help your child achieve high professional success. Often such children become real geniuses. Be sure to monitor 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 or throughout the apartment. Try to keep all toys and objects that belong to the child in their place. Strong changes can cause real panic attacks and excessive aggression in a child suffering from autism. Purchase new items carefully, without attracting much attention to it.
Don't limit your child to just being at home! Children with autism should not be confined to four walls all the time. This will only exacerbate your inability to make new friends and connections. Gradually expand the conditions where the baby spends a lot 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 new conditions.

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

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

Moms and dads should remember that a child diagnosed with autism requires your attention and care every day throughout his life. Such children are often called “special” because you need to build a unique approach with them.

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

Useful videos

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

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

When preparing the article, materials from the website “autism-test.rf” were used.