swiss medicaAutism is a developmental disorder marked by challenges associated with the social skills development, behavior, and communication of the patient. Autism is usually detected in the second or third year of life and typically persists throughout the lifespan of the patient.
This article is aimed at helping parents recognize the early signs of autism to help them pursue early treatments and improve outcomes. Early diagnosis of this condition in a child can allow parents to seek timely medical interventions, which can help improve the prognosis to a great extent.
The Importance of Early Autism Diagnosis
Autism detection in early childhood is associated with several benefits in terms of improvement in symptoms related to emotional, social, and behavioral skills of the child. Being aware of the early indicators of autism can allow parents to suspect the possibility of the child having autism, allowing the child to receive timely medical and alternative treatments and interventions.
Impact on Treatment and Intervention
In most cases, the early signs of autism, especially those associated with the child’s learning and coping skills and behaviors, are often ignored by parents. It is common for parents to perceive these symptoms as a normal part of growth and development.
However, the delay in the diagnosis can allow the early symptoms of autism to progress. This has a serious impact on a child’s social, communication, and learning skills and academic performance. It can also deprive the child of timely treatment. The delay in treatment may also lower its effectiveness and lead to less favorable outcomes.
1. Early Access to Therapie
Paying attention to early symptoms based on the very early signs of autism spectrum disorder can allow the child early access to therapists, including conventional treatments and advanced ones like stem cell therapy.
Early warning signs of autism can also provide timely access to complementary therapies: behavioral therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or food supplements.
Timely intervention using these conventional and alternative treatments can significantly reduce the autism spectrum early signs, and allow children to perform better in terms of academics, social skills, physical or emotional development, and learning.
Early identification and treatment of autism can enhance the social and communication skills of the child. This can have a positive impact on their ability to interact with family, friends, teachers, and other members of the community.
These benefits associated with early access to autism therapies can allow the child to have healthy social and personal relationships.
3. Improved Quality of Life
Early diagnosis and treatment of autism can help reduce the early markers of autism, thus improving the physical and emotional wellness of the child. It can also improve the social and communication skills of the child, improve his cognitive and learning skills, enhance his motor skills, and bring about an improvement in the expression of emotions.
These benefits can significantly improve the quality of a child’s life and allow them to transition into adulthood smoothly.
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Early Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder
There are no early symptoms of autism in newborns. However, most children with autism show developmental abnormalities during their first three years of life.
Here are some early signs of autism commonly noted in children.
Recognizing Red Flags in Infants and Toddlers
Some infant early signs of autism include:
- Delays in understanding and speaking spoken language
- Differences in how they interact with parents, siblings, or others
- Avoiding eye contact
- Not responding to their name
- Not smiling when you smile at them
- Getting upset if they do not like a certain smell, taste, or sound
- Making repetitive movements, such as flicking their fingers, flapping their hands, and rocking their body
- Repeating the same phrases
- Not talking as much as other kids of the same age
- Lack of interest in pretend play
Here is a further breakdown of some of the most critical early autism signs 9 months.
The most common signs of autism are associated with difficulties with social skills. These early signs of autism are typically noticed, such as avoiding eye contact while talking and not responding to their name.
As a result, the child’s ability to communicate, form relationships, and perform simple activities that form a critical part of their development in the early years of life, such as learning and exploring, may be disrupted.
Delayed or Absent Babbling
Delayed or absent babbling is a common sign of autism noted in toddlers. This is typically noted as a lack of variation in pitch, volume, and tone when the child vocalizes. They are also likely to be heard making sounds that appear like monotonous humming or whining rather than babbling.
Unusual Responses to Sensory Stimuli
Most children with autism overreact or under-react to sensory stimuli such as touch, sound, smell, or light.
For example, they might ignore the people speaking to them, sometimes to the point of appearing deaf. Some children may be unusually disturbed by the softest of sounds. Any sudden noise, like that of a ringing telephone, can upset them. They may respond to this by covering their ears and making repetitive noises to drown out the disturbing external sound.
Children with autism also tend to be hypersensitive to texture, smell, and touch. They may cringe if they are patted on their back or get annoyed due to the touch of certain fabrics against their skin.
Signs in Preschoolers and School-Aged Children
Signs of autism in preschoolers and school-aged children include:
- Speaking in an abnormal tone or with an odd pitch or rhythm
- Repeating phrases or words without any communicative intent
- Trouble starting a sentence or conversation and keeping it going
- Difficulty in communicating desires and needs
- Inability to understand simple questions and statements
- Taking what is said too literally and missing the humor and sarcasm in it
- Not seeming to understand what others are saying, thinking, or feeling
- Unusual speech, such as talking ‘at’ others and repeating phrases
- Unusual liking to follow a strict daily routine
- Getting upset at the slightest change in routine
Here is a breakdown of autism in early childhood symptoms in preschoolers and school-aged children.
Difficulty Establishing Friendships
The lack of social skills and the inability to interact with others are common early signs and symptoms of autism in preschoolers and school-aged children. They also seem to lack the ability to communicate, make friends, and form relationships, due to which their social life is significantly affected.
This may also hurt their ability to play and mingle with other kids of their age or learn and explore the surroundings with the same inquisitiveness as other kids of their age group.
Challenges in Understanding and Expressing Emotions
Children with autism may have difficulty regulating or controlling their emotions. They seem to lack the ability to express their feelings appropriately. They may start crying or yelling when they are upset or exhibit aggressive and disruptive behavior, such as hitting others and breaking things.
Ritualistic Behaviors and Routines
Some examples of ritualistic behaviors and routines in children with autism include:
- Dressing and re-dressing multiple times in the morning
- Arranging toys or books in a specific order
- Asking the same question again and again and requiring the same answer
- Drinking only from a specific cup
In conclusion, early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is pivotal for improving outcomes. Recognizing early signs enables timely interventions, fostering better social, communication, and academic skills. Access to various therapies enhances the child’s quality of life and integration into society. Parental awareness and proactive involvement are crucial for optimizing the future of children with ASD.
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List of References
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