Autism is a complex neurobehavioral disorder that is characterised by difficulty in social interaction, using language, and communication skills combined with rigid, repetitive behaviour.
World Autism Day was observed on April 2, and general secretary of the Indian Psychiatric Society N.N. Raju discussed several issues associated with autism.
Though the exact cause of autism is not known, many researchers believe that genes are responsible for 90 per cent of the risk of a child developing autism. Rare cases may be caused by chemical exposure and other agents that can cause birth defects. Advanced age of the mother or the father increases the chance of an autistic child.
Symptoms
Early signs of autism are the child not making eye contact (not looking at mother or someone else who is feeding it); not smiling when smiled at; not responding when his or her name is called or to the sound of familiar voice; not following objects visually; not using gestures of communication like not waving a goodbye; not gesturing when things are pointed out to him or her; not making noise to gain attention; not initiating or responding when cuddled and not seeking help or making basic requests.
Dr. Raju says that a psychiatrist has to be consulted if the following conditions are noticed: if the child is not giving big smiles or other warm and joyful expressions even after it is six months old; if it lacks back and forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by the ninth month; if the child is not responding when called by name, not babbling, not having back-and-forth gestures like pointing, showing, reaching or waving by the 12th month; if it has no spoken word from the baby even after 16 months of age and not uttering meaningful two-word phrases that do not involve imitating or repeating.
Prevention
To reduce the risk of having a child with an autistic disorder, the mother has to have regular check-up, eat healthy food, do exercise, and take recommended vitamins and supplements during pregnancy.
Drugs, particularly the anti-seizure medications, must be taken only under supervision of a doctor.
Doctors suggest the parents to take care of autism children by learning about autism, accepting the child and its quirks, pranks, etc; and by taking other steps like never giving up, being consistent in care, sticking to the schedule always, rewarding the child whenever he or she behaves well, creating a safety zone at home, looking for non-verbal cues, finding the need behind the child’s tantrum, making the child learn the tasks through simple steps, finding the child’s strengths, among others.
