What is autism, what are the signs of children and adults suffering from this disease, is the disease treated - questions that concern a huge number of people around the world who have experienced this disorder with their loved ones. The genius of autism is only a weak consolation for those who would like to see their child normal and cheerful.
Autism - what is it?
What is autism and why the number born with this diagnosis in recent years has increased tens of times - these studies are engaged in biology and genetics. There are more questions than answers. Autism is an organic disorder associated with the characteristics of the development of the brain in the intrauterine period. In life there are a number of violations in social interaction, adaptation and immersion of the autist in himself.
What is the difference between down syndrome and autism?
Autism - what is this disease and how is it related to Down's syndrome? Some believe that this is the same diagnosis. Children-daunyata are mostly sociable, but in 10% of cases they become autistic. Differences of Down syndrome from autism:
- Down syndrome is a serious genetic disease of trisomy 21 pairs of chromosomes, represented not by two but three chromosomes. Autism - a violation of the development of brain structures.
- Down's syndrome has distinctive features in appearance, because of which, children with the disease look the same (a small flat nose, third eyelid, open mouth, flat face). Autists can be suspected of violations in behavior.
- Children with Down's syndrome suffer from dementia. Among autistics, there are many talented people with unique abilities, dementia occurs with concomitant diseases, pediatric neglect of the child, severe forms of autism.
Causes of Autism
An autism or organic disorder disorder, genetics do not give an accurate definition of why the disease develops among researchers more than the differences, but there are common causes and predisposing factors of the development of the disorder:
- deviations in the development of the brain in the intrauterine period;
- hereditary transfer;
- violation of metabolic processes;
- infectious diseases of the mother (toxoplasmosis, rubella) during pregnancy;
- vaccine vaccines (not confirmed).
Signs of Autism
What is autism and how does it manifest itself? Explicit autism immediately attracts attention, but the diagnosis can be made only after careful observation and examination. Very often, signs of autism are an indirect sign of other organic disorders or diseases, such as schizophrenia, Down syndrome , epilepsy and schizotypic disorder.
Autism in adults - signs
An autist is a person who is focused on things less typical of ordinary people. Autism in adults manifests itself from minor disturbances in communicative processes, to dementia. What is adult autism can be suspected on the basis of:
- increased sensitivity;
- poor adaptation in society and independent life;
- carefully observe the rules and rituals created by them;
- closedness, often combined with ingenious abilities.
Signs with severe degrees of autistic disorder:
- social disadaptation;
- inability to master elementary skills of self-service;
- dementia.
Autism in children - signs
An autistic child is a person immersed in his / her world. Each personality has its own unique characteristics and the manifestation of an autistic disorder individually, but there are common characteristic signs:
- from infancy, lack of affection for the mother;
- visual contact is not supported;
- children begin to talk very late and little;
- echolalia;
- prefers to play with unusual objects or with a single toy;
- excessive fearfulness.
At the age of 5 to 10 years, the following symptoms predominate:
- speech consists of scraps of phrases heard from adults, from television and radio programs;
- Change of clothes, changing of the route or situation in the premises cause the strongest anxiety;
- The child is characterized by stereotypes.
From adolescence, if the child is socialized, the following can remain stable:
- the desire for solitude;
- narrow range of interests;
- ritual behavior;
- frequent outbreaks of aggression.
Is it possible to cure autism?
Whether autism is treated is the main issue of parents whose diagnosis of children has been confirmed by research and diagnosis. Unfortunately - it is not treated, but this should not be a reason for despair. All the main work to improve the condition and socialization of the child falls on the shoulders of the parents. From their actions: following the recommendations of the doctor, love, patience and kindness depends the further personal development of the autistic child.
Treatment of Autism
Therapy of autistics is carried out depending on the severity of the course of the disorder. The mild form of autism is corrected with the help of psychotherapy and socialization programs. With success, the use of animal therapy (hippotherapy, dolphin therapy) - the autistic contact with animals leads to the stabilization of the psyche. In severe forms of autism, accompanied by serious disorders, drug therapy is used.
Medicamentous treatment of autism
Specific treatment for autism does not exist, there is only symptomatic, aimed at eliminating symptoms. Correction is carried out by drugs:
- Haloperidol (neuroleptic). Levels behavioral disorders, reduces hyperactivity removes motor excitement, facilitating social interaction of the child.
- Lithium preparations relieve attacks of anger and self-destructive behavior.
- Fluoxamine, fluoxetine (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) - is used in autistic depressive states and stereotypes.
The treatment of autism by homeopathy is not medicated, but as an auxiliary tool has been successfully applied. Preparations of homeopathy in the treatment of autism:
- Baryta carbonica (Barite carbonica)
- Hellidonium (chelidonium).
Autism - treatment with folk remedies
The diagnosis of autism is a serious responsibility, lying on the shoulders of loved ones, and self-medication is unacceptable here. Traditional medicine can be an addition to the basic treatment appointed by a specialist. Treatment with herbs is to stabilize the psychoemotional state, for this, the herbal infusions are used:
- motherwort;
- valerian;
- sikshi Siberian;
- chamomile.
Diet in Autism
The disease of autism is a disorder of not only mental, but also metabolic processes. Attentive autistic parents noticed that their children do not tolerate certain types of foods, and when such foods as cereals, soy, cow's milk were excluded from food - the children felt better and became more adapted to the environment. This led to the idea of creating a special elimination diet for the treatment of autistic disorders, for this, the following components should be excluded from the diet:
- casein (found in all dairy products of animal origin);
- gluten (a protein present in cereals of wheat, rye, oats and barley);
- aspartame (artificial sweetener used in baking, carbonated drinks, chewing gum);
- glutamate sodium (additive, enhancing the taste of the product, which is added).
The following products are recommended:
- beans (beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils);
- Cereals that do not contain gluten (buckwheat, millet, corn, amaranth);
- low-fat meat;
- a variety of vegetables, fruits;
- a fish;
- soy milk.
Feature films about autistics
Many talented filmmakers often raise the theme of special people in their paintings. What is an autist and what peculiarities are peculiar to such people, you can find out by watching the following wonderful films:
- "The rise of Mercury / Mercury Rising . " American thriller in 1998 with B. Willis in the role of FBI employee, who defends the boy Simon, who revealed the new secret code of the government program "Mercury". Simon is 9 years old and mental operations with figures and ciphers do not represent any difficulty for him, he is a genius-autist who came under the close attention of special services.
- "My name is Khan. " The film refers to the events of 2011, when in the minds of people Muslims become the source of tragedies and terror. Rizvan Khan is a Muslim who suffers from a special form of autism asperger syndrome has managed to prove that among any nation and religion there are good and kind people.
- Rain Man . Dustin Hoffman as a man-savant (autist with genius abilities) with phenomenal memory and ability in a few seconds to produce complex mathematical calculations, while remaining at the level of development of a small vulnerable child. He is afraid to fly by airplanes, since he keeps in memory a huge number of people killed in a plane crash.
- "Temple Grandin . " The film was based on the biography of a well-known biology scholar and writer who, contrary to the diagnosis "autism", was successfully realized in the society.
- Adam / Adam . A film about the difficulties of socializing people with autistic disorders and the importance of finding their vocation.
Known autistics
An easy form of autistic disorders can "bestow" a person with genius in any sphere. Ben Affleck an autistic accountant in the film "Payback" played such a gifted genius accountant. In real life, it really happens that nature, having deprived one, rewards the person with other abilities and talents. In support of this fact, there are people who have given the world many discoveries and inventions. Famous people with autism:
- Leonardo da Vinci . The aspiration of the artist and the inventor to perfection and excessive fixation on the smallest details (the lips of the Mona Lisa were written by a genius for 12 years) suggest an autistic person in it.
- Kim Peak . The real prototype of the hero of the movie "The Man of the Rain." Kim was born with multiple pathologies of the brain. In the subsequent it turned out that the boy has a phenomenal memory and remembers up to 98% of the information read or seen.
- Temple Grandin . Going beyond the scope of the diagnosis, this talented female scientist has made a lot of social projects and tells about her inner personal experiences related to autistic disorder. She invented the so-called "hugging" machine, to calm the autists with hysterics.
- Lionel Messi . The famous striker of "Barcelona" and according to critics the best football player of the world L. Messi is an autist, which does not prevent him from being a pro in his business.
- Donna Williams . What is child autism, a talented artist and author of Australian bestsellers knows firsthand. As a child, Donna was deaf and mentally retarded until she was diagnosed with autism.