What is Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. Autism statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify around 1 in 88 American children as on the autism spectrum–a ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years. Careful research shows that this increase is only partly explained by improved diagnosis and awareness. Studies also show that autism is four to five times more common among boys than girls. An estimated 1 out of 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States. ASD affects over 2 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide. Moreover, government autism statistics suggest that prevalence rates have increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years. There is no established explanation for this continuing increase, although improved diagnosis and environmental influences are two reasons often considered.

 

(Pengenalan kepada Autisme)

Autisme adalah satu kekurangupayaan yang mendatangkan impak yang teruk ke atas perkembangan dimana penghidapnya memerlukan penjagaan untuk jangka masa sepanjang hayat. Ia biasanya didiagnos dalam tiga tahun terawal selepas kelahiran. Sebelum menjalani rawatan, kanak-kanak autisme mempamerkan pola-pola perkembangan yang berbeza berbanding kanak-kanak normal. Kebiasaannya, mereka yang mengalami kekurangupayaan jenis ini mengalami masalah dalam komunikasi, sosial dan mereka tidak bertindakbalas terhadap sentuhan, rasa, pandangan, atau bunyi seperti rakan sebaya mereka.

Kanak-kanak autisme mempamerkan disfungsi tindakbalas yang ketara, termasuk pergerakan yang stereotipikal, mempunyai masalah tingkah laku, dan kadang kala mencederakan diri sendiri. Walaupun punca autisme masih belum diketahui dengan jelas, namun terdapat beberapa kajian yang menunjukkan bahawa ia mungkin disebabkan oleh pelbagai punca; seperti faktor-faktor genetik, gangguan terhadap perkembangan otak disebabkan oleh masalah kesihatan ibu semasa mengandung atau semasa bersalin, atau ibu bapa dan anak-anak terdedah kepada bahan kimia bertoksik. Oleh kerana punca autisme masih belum difahami dengan baik, langkah pencegahan belum dapat dikenalpasti. Walaubagaimana pun, kajian-kajian telah menghasilkan dapatan yang signifikan bahawa penggunaan teknologi analisis tingkahlaku gunaan boleh membantu kanak-kanak yang mengalami autisme untuk membesar menjadi individu yang produktif dan meningkatkan kualiti hidup keluarga mereka, terutamanya apabila intervensi dimulakan lebih awal.

Do you know what are the signs and symptoms of a child having autism? 

Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most obvious signs of autism and symptoms of autism tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years of age. Children with autism can display a wide range of symptoms, which can vary in severity from mild to disabling. General symptoms that may be present to some degree in a child with autism include:

• Difficulty with verbal communication, including problems using and understanding language
• Inability to participate in conversations, even when the child has an ability to speak
• Difficulty in non-verbal communication, such as gestures and facial expression
• Difficulty with social interaction, including relating to people and to his or her surroundings
• Difficulty making friends and preferring to play alone
• Unusual ways of playing with toys and other objects, such as lining them up a certain way
• Difficulty adjusting to a specific routine or familiar surroundings
• Repetitive body movements, or patterns or behaviours, such as hand flapping, spinning and head banging
• Preoccupation with unusual or parts of objects

 

 

 

How to identify whether your child has ASD or not?

Its not an easy task for many parents to observe the early symptoms present in their child indicating they have autism. There are several symptoms that parents should know of to ease in the process of identifying whether their son or daughter has ASD or not. These symptoms are namely,

• Your child does not babble or coo by the age of 12 months
• Your child does not gesture, such as point or wave, by 12 months of age
• Your child does not say a single word by the age of 16 months
• Your child does not say two-word phrases on his/her own (rather than just repeating what others say) by 24 months
• Your child has lost and language or social skills (at any age)
• Your child does not establish or maintain eye contact
• Your child does not make facial expressions or respond to your facial expression