Autism Spectrum Disorder is a type of verbal and behavioral disorder that is either congenital or negatively affects the quality of life of the person throughout his/her life. Early diagnosis and rehabilitation are very important in autism, which is considered a mental disorder. It manifests itself with recurring behavioral symptoms in the first 3 years of life. There is no treatment method to completely overcome autism. It is possible to minimize the effects of the disorder that prevent the person from leading a quality life and socializing in society. Different drug therapies and rehabilitation methods are of great benefit at this point.
What is Autism?
Autism is an important neurodevelopmental disorder in which symptoms are observed in early childhood. Atypical autism is a disorder that is similar to autism in some aspects but is not positioned under one of the disorders in the spectrum of pervasive developmental disorders. It is less severe than autism. In some cases, it can be observed quite far from autism.
Although autism was defined as a rare disorder in the 1970s, its prevalence has increased considerably in the 2000s. According to the data of the Center for Disease Control in the United States, while it was 1/150 in 2006, higher rates such as 1/64 in 2014 are mentioned.
When the reasons for the increase in the prevalence ofautism are investigated, the increase in awareness about the diagnosis, the fact that cases with mild symptoms are not missed and are evaluated within this disease group, and the increase in the frequency of becoming parents at a later age can be counted. However, it is thought that there may be other unknown reasons for the increase in prevalence.
Autism is 3-4 times more commonin boys than in girls. Symptoms of autism begin early in the developmental stages in some children, while in others there is a regression or disruption in the normal course of development.
The suspicion of autism arises when the child's speech is delayed or the child is unresponsive and uninterested in the environment. The family applies to a specialist because the child does not utter any words even though his/her peers do, or because the child can say single words such as "mom, dad" but has forgotten these words in recent months.
The cause of autism is not yet fully known. It is thought that a large number of genes are responsible for autism and drugs that affect the disorder in genes are being developed to treat the disease. It is predicted that these treatments will produce positive results in some children with autism in the coming years.
What are the Types of Autism?
Asperger Syndrome: It is called a set of neurological disorders. It is characterized by difficulty in communicating with people. This type of autism does not cause regression in language and mental development. It does not cause any weakness in grammar, vocabulary and verbal areas in individuals with this disease. However, there may be weakness in visual and perceptual areas.
Childhood Disinteragrative Disorder: In children with this symptom, development is observed normally for at least 2 years. However, with the onset of the disorder, the accumulated knowledge is rapidly lost. Mental retardation is also observed in this type of autism along with the retardation in mental skills.
Atypical Autism: In addition to difficulty in speech, ongoing conversations, problems in social life and developmental disorders are observed. Symptoms appear at an early age. However, in some cases it is not possible to make a complete diagnosis. Problems can also be eliminated by receiving a good education. The type of autism most suitable for treatment is atypical.
Reet Syndrome: It is a genetic autistic spectrum disorder that occurs in girls. In addition to occurring in the first 5 months after birth, head growth slows down. But it manifests itself with obsessive hand movements. As time passes, personal skills regress. This disease, which occurs with conditions such as medications and attention deficit, can respond positively to behavioral education and special therapies.
What are the Symptoms of Autism?
A baby bornwith autism is no different from a healthy baby. Of course, this is valid for the first months. It appears after a certain period. After birth, there is no abnormal situation in the baby for a while. But as the baby starts to grow, symptoms of autism appear. Autism symptoms are observed by examining three areas. They are autism symptoms detected through repetitive behaviors, communication and social interaction. Children with autism show many of the symptoms listed below;
- In autism symptoms, inadequacy in social interaction and communication is observed.
- They may not make eye contact at all.
- They usually do not use gestures and mimics.
- They do not react when their name is called or spoken.
- Insensitivity to the attention of people and family members can be observed.
- They may not be able to establish relationships with their peers and may have difficulty in doing so.
- Delay in language development and speaking skills may be observed.
- May be uninterested in games and activities.
- May have problems in establishing and maintaining communication.
- May be insensitive and indifferent to toys.
- They may be overly insistent and react to things they do routinely.
- They may overreact to changes and what is being done.
- They may attribute different purposes and qualities to the objects around them.
- Makes repetitive movements such as spinning and rocking.
- Has difficulty adjusting the tone of voice when speaking.
- May be excessively mobile or completely immobile.
- May show hypersensitivity when exposed to situations that can be sensed with the five senses, such as sound, light, pain and smell.
- May show or act intolerant to certain situations.
- They may be overly interested in some unusual subjects.
Symptoms of autism begin to appear between the ages of 6 months and one year. Autism symptoms are of two different types. First, we can talk about autism symptoms in the area of social communication and interaction. Here, the baby is expected to recognize his/her family, make eye contact and listen when called. But the baby with autism remains unresponsive to these situations. Another type of autism symptom is repetitive movements and behaviors. These behaviors are movements such as turning around and swinging.
How is Autism Diagnosed?
Autism cannot be diagnosed with a blood-urine test or brain imaging method, that is, there is no normal or abnormal process in body fluids and tissues that can be used for diagnosis. The diagnosis is based on clinical observation and behavioral characteristics. Autism symptoms usually start to be observed around the age of 2 and the diagnosis can be made. However, with good clinical observation, symptoms can be detected even in a 1-year-old child. It is not possible to detect autism in the womb. Therefore, when families diagnose their children with autism, they often raise the question of how autism is treated.
Autism symptoms are defined according to months as follows;
1st month: They usually do not look at the face.
2nd month: No smile is seen
2-3 months: Does not follow objects with the eye
2-6 months: Does not react to vocal stimuli and external factors
3-6 months: Comprehension and understanding skills are not developed
4-7 months: Does not distinguish facial expressions
At 6 months: Does not spell and express
At 7 months: Does not imitate speech sounds and what they hear
8-10 months: Prefers caregivers
At 12 months: Reacts to separation from caregiver,
12-24 months: Does not point, does not respond when called, does not use appropriate gestures and facial expressions.
If the child shows these symptoms of autism, it is critical that the child is evaluated by a specialist for early diagnosis. The child should be examined by a specialist and treatment should be started.
What should be done after the diagnosis of autism?
After the symptoms of autism are observed and the diagnosis is made, the main task here falls to the family and the educator. Autism is supported by special education . At this stage, couples should act together as much as possible and should not take an accusatory attitude towards each other and try to remain calm. In the special education phase of the child's education, responsibility should be shared and should not fall on one of the couples. Family members should support each other. The whole family should act together for the child's language development, social adaptation, awareness within the family and harmony with the environment.
Most children withautism have mental retardation. In addition, neurological diseases such as epilepsy can also be detected in some children with this disorder.
Therefore, we can list the situations that families should pay attention to as follows;
- Absence of the pre-speech period between 6-9 months of babies or low number of sounds compared to peers
- Little interest in the voice and face of the caregiver
- Lack of eye contact and mutual smiling
- Don't look at the name
- No expectation of being held and playing with other people
- Excessive and atypical interest in certain objects or parts of them (examining objects by holding them strangely close to the eyes)
- In 20-47% of children with autism, regression begins after the age of 1 after normal development.
How is Autism Treated?
After the diagnosis, the family is informed about autism and the correct education program is applied to the child as soon as possible. The most important education is applied behavior analysis. In addition to individual education, which has been scientifically shown to be effective in autism, speech training at the appropriate age and sensory integration therapy are among the recommended methods. It is important for the family to participate in the education program and to support the child in social-emotional areas outside of education.
No effective drug treatment has yet been found for the basic symptoms of autism. However, medication may be necessary for some children with autism due to accompanying attention deficit, behavioral problems, sleep problems and anger control problems.
Autism is a disorder whose treatment should continue for years, so it is extremely important that the family is informed about this issue. In a small number of cases, it has been found that the diagnosis completely disappears with short-term and early education. In most cases, many years of education are required. Normal intelligence, mild symptoms and development of speech skills before the age of 6 are good prognostic indicators. Scientific studies have shown that methods such as diet therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, heavy metal detoxification and neurofeedback are not effective. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important to reduce the symptoms of Autism and improve the quality of life for individuals with Autism and their families. There is no medical test for autism. It is diagnosed by observing how the child speaks and moves compared to other children of the same age. In this context, the effectiveness of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMU) treatment method is being investigated. The results of this research will shed light on how autism is treated
What are Autism Therapy Methods?
There are many therapy methods applied in the treatment of autism. We can list these therapy methods as follows;
Sensory integration therapy: Sensory problems reduce the individual's harmony with the environment and prevent them from exhibiting appropriate behaviors. It reduces the individual's adaptation to life, prevents him/her from showing daily life skills, makes it difficult for him/her to achieve academic learning and causes problems in self-care. Recent studies answer the question of how autism is treated. With the integrative approach of sensory integration therapy, the behaviors of the individual are improved and it can help to ensure the formation and control of the self. It provides treatment support in minimizing the specified problems.
Auditory integration therapy (AIT Auditory Integration Training): Auditory integration therapy determines which frequencies the child is hypersensitive to. The child then listens to music that has been cleaned of these frequencies through headphones during the therapy sessions. There are also studies showing that this method reduces hypersensitivity to different sounds and behavioral problems.
Music therapy Music therapy is a therapy method applied by specialized therapists with the help of activities such as singing together and using musical instruments.
Music therapy helps the child develop an emotional bond with the therapist and other people. Using a musical instrument, singing or dancing can help the child develop a sense of achievement.
Art therapy: In art therapy, plastic arts such as painting, ceramics, sculpture, etc. mediate self-expression. It is aimed to make the person emotionally happy. It tries to ensure that the feelings and thoughts that the individual cannot reveal in different ways are revealed through artistic works.
Drama therapy: The main purpose of drama therapy is to help individuals to develop emotionally and express themselves by applying activities such as role playing, storytelling, etc. in performing arts. During drama therapy, non-movements are transformed into various creative behaviors. The main aim of the therapy is to contribute to reaching the creative mind of the person. By using objects as tools through different play methods, relationships with people are tried to be improved.
Animal therapies: In the treatment applied to children with autism, interaction between the child and the animal is tried to be established. In this way, it is aimed to provide sensory development. There are many different types of applications. In ongoing studies on these therapies, it is thought that they may be especially useful in reducing the anxiety and stress levels of children with autism.
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