It is possible to minimize the effects of autism with early diagnosis and individualized intensive education. Our Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten states that with appropriate education and therapies in the treatment of autism, significant progress can be made in socialization and communication skills and all other weak areas. She draws attention to the effects of special education, sensory integration therapy and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMU) treatments on autism.
TMU treatment in autism
Autism, which emerges in early childhood and is characterized by social interaction, retardation in communication skills, limited interests and repetitive movements, occurs as a result of the interaction of genetic and environmental causes. Emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis in autism, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten drew attention to the effects of special education, sensory integration therapies and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation treatments on autism.
Children with autism should be together with their peers
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten from Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital made important evaluations about autism symptoms and treatment methods.
It is not possible to detect autism in the womb
"Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by retardation in social interaction and communication skills, limited and repetitive movements and interests that occur in early childhood. In recent scientific publications, there is information that its prevalence is one in 64 live births," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten,
"Autism occurs as a result of the interaction of genetic and environmental causes. This means that in order for a child to show symptoms of autism, they must have problematic genes in their genetic makeup. However, autism is not caused by a numerical deficiency or excess in a single chromosome as in Down Syndrome. The symptoms of autism are caused by the malfunctioning of a much larger number and variety of gene regions. Therefore, it is not possible to detect autism in the womb. Autism symptoms sometimes start to be noticeable very early in the baby's life. For example; if he/she does not make eye contact with the mother and smile when he/she should make eye contact with the mother at 3 months of age, if he/she does not make any noise at 6-7 months of age, if he/she gives the same reactions to parents and strangers when he/she should develop stranger anxiety after 7 months, it means that the symptoms of autism have started from an early period."
The child can develop normally until a certain age
"A group of children diagnosed with autism can develop like a completely normal child until a certain age," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said:
"According to the parents, the child has made eye contact, smiled, and even started to say single words, but usually from the age of 1.5-2 years, the child starts to withdraw, forget the words he/she says, does not make eye contact and does not react at all to his/her parents and other children. These children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, whether the symptoms are present from the beginning, or whether they appear later with regression.
Autism symptoms can be completely resolved
How does a child with autism communicate with others?
Children diagnosed with autism rarely make eye contact, do not respond to their names when called or respond inconsistently, and do not show significant interest and closeness to other children. Along with these behavioral characteristics, these children may exhibit repetitive behaviors, such as turning around, flapping their wings, rocking in their seats.
The severity of autism varies from child to child
The symptoms of autism are not exactly the same in every child. It is a spectrum disorder, which means that the variety and severity of symptoms can vary from child to child. Therefore, not every child with autism is exactly the same.
Early diagnosis is of great importance in autism!
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said, "Autism is a disorder that needs to be diagnosed and treated very quickly. There is even a possibility that children who are referred to treatment at an early age may be completely free from the diagnosis."
"Therefore, if you see one or more of these symptoms in your child, you should immediately consult a child and adolescent psychiatrist. There is no medication yet to treat the core symptoms of autism. Therefore, the primary consideration in treatment is special education. In other words, these children need to be supported in their symptoms with one-to-one education. In addition to special education, additional treatment methods such as speech therapy and sensory integration therapy are used. Medications are used for other problems that accompany the symptoms of autism. These include sleep problems, distractibility and impulsivity, irritability, restlessness and behavioral problems. When these symptoms accompany, it is important to support the child with medication."
A drug treatment to correct the genetic structure and TMU promises hope in autism
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten from Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital concluded her words as follows:
"Autism is a disorder in which studies on new treatment methods continue. Currently, the most popular and promising treatment method is gene therapy. However, the genetic structure of the disorder is so complex that gene therapies need time to be put into practice. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMU) is another method that has recently been investigated for its benefits on cognitive problems and core symptoms in autism. With TMU, it is aimed to increase the learning speed and alleviate the symptoms by applying magnetic stimulation especially on the frontal region. In our hospital, TMU has started to be applied to children with autism and after 20 sessions of TMU sessions, increases in learning speed and education utilization rates are observed."
