Children and Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder affecting children from birth or the early months of lif It results in delay in, and deviance from, the normal patterns of development These occur in three areas of behaviour:

· Social relationships and interactions
· Language and communication.
· Activities and interests.

When problems occur in all these three spheres of development, and at a deeper level than the usual variations expected in ordinary children, the distinctive pattern of autism becomes evident. In the past there has been confusion over terminology, but experts now consider that children with the triad of impairments should come under the umbrella diagnosis of "autism spectrum disorders" ^2,3, which should prompt further in-depth diagnosis. Gillberg² suggests that the diagnosis of autism should specify additional features such as severity, cognitive level, clinical traits and associated medical conditions

Although autism is probably present from birth, or very soon after, its nature means that the specific disorders of developmental progression will not necessarily be apparent for many months or even years.

Relationships, communication and activities are immature in all young babies. It is only when they become more sophisticated that delays and deviations from the usual may be evident. Diagnosis is complicated by the variations found in the mental ability of children with autism. About two-thirds have additional learning difficulties and their unusual behaviour patterns may be ascribed to an overall developmental delay. Conversely, autism may be overlooked in children with average and above-average mental ability. Any odd behaviours or abnormalities in development, especially in very young children, may be dismissed as mild or transient.

As babies become toddlers and toddlers become school-aged children, parents may become concerned about delays and behaviors that suggest autism. What are the early signs of autism? What is early intervention? How can parents find the resources they need to reach, teach and support their youngsters on the autism spectrum?

 

Cause
The cause of autism remains unknown. The most likely hypothesis is damage to the brain, perhaps prenatally, though this has not been conclusively proved. The factors responsible may include:

· genetic or chromosomal abnormality
· viral agents
· metabolic disorders
· immune intolerance
· perinatal anoxia^.

These factors can result in other handicapping conditions, which explains why children with autism often have additional learning disabilities and some may have identified medical conditions such as fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis and neurofibromatosis. However, this is not the full explanation as there are children who have damage to the brain as a result of these factors, but who do not have autism. There are also children diagnosed with autism in whom no cause is apparent, partly because the particular neurological impairment necessary for autism to occur has not yet been identified. In a review, Gillberg  noted overwhelming evidence that autism has biological roots but found no single consistent explanation.

Genetic factors were important in some cases, perinatal stress in others, while in certain cases autism could have been produced by a combination of genetic and environmentally-induced brain damage.