Impaired social communication and interaction, and repetitive, restricted and ritualistic behavior are the major characteristics of autism, a neural development disorder. These signs start as early as three years old in children and affect the brain’s ability to process information due to some alterations in the organization and connection of the nerve cells and their corresponding synapses. Deciphering the occurrence of autism in children is not easy but it has a clear genetic basis. In some rare cases, agents causing birth defects are strongly associated with this condition. Debates on other causes, environmental in nature, such as pesticides, vaccines and heavy metals lack compelling scientific substantiation and are biologically doubtful.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention maintains that roughly nine per one thousand children have this medical condition in the USA. The advances in the diagnostic procedure for this disorder lead to the increasing recognition of children affected by this disorder since the 1980’s. However, determining the increase in the actual prevalence of autism in children remains unresolved. This disorder is permanent and severity may range from mild where the autistic child may grow to live on his own and the severe type where the child may need lifetime medical supervision and social support.
As understanding of autism increases, medical professionals identify three types of this disorder. The classic autism or Kanner’s Syndrome categorizes children with exceedingly constrained emotional interaction and follow a very strict routine. Children diagnosed with this type of autism have learning impairments but are interested with movement and objects. Extreme distress and agitation occurs with any changes in their routine. This is the least type of autism in children.
Another type of autism seen in children is the Asperger’s Disorder. This is a comparatively new diagnosis. Children with this kind of autism are ill at ease in public and do not socialize well with other children or adults. Obsession with patterns of any type, impaired motor skills but good adaptation and language skills often characterize this type of autism in children. More often than not, these characteristics are mistaken for Obsessive-compulsive or Attention deficit disorders. Health professionals think that children with Asperger’s are some sort of a genius. They manifest some talents that they focus on most of their time. Some historians believe that Einstein had this type of autism.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), a type of autism in children where the symptoms manifested are not specific to other types of autism. No easy ways exist to define specifically the symptoms of this type of autism that range from mild to severe. Another type that affects only the females is termed as Rett’s syndrome. Here the girls develop normally at first and by the age one to four years, they start to lose both their social and communication skills. The main characteristic of this genetic disease is the rhythmic hand movements, which impairs the hands’ purposeful use.
There is no available cure for autism in children. As these children become adults, autism remains and those with added learning impairments require supervision for the rest of their lives. Assisting these children in achieving their full abilities in the different stages of their lives is the goal of the interventions.