The first 2-3 years are especially difficult for a couple who has their first-born child. Young moms and dads are still learning how to be parents, and understanding that their child’s development is different is difficult. It’s even harder to admit that your baby may have a mental disorder. Childhood autism, or what is now called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), affects one in 88 children today. How to recognize the disorder and what should parents pay attention to? How to help them? This article was prepared by Guru Restoration CA, which has been helping children with autism disorder for 5 years.
What is autism?
Is it a condition that children are born with or is it an acquired condition in the environment in which they grow up?
Childhood autism is a congenital condition. It cannot be due to external causes, such as the social or cultural level of the family. The decisive role is played by the biological factor that determines the birth of such a child. Of course, there are external circumstances that, all other things being equal, provoke the appearance of symptoms of this disorder – a severe viral infection, in some cases, even a sudden change in the family environment, such as a sudden separation from the mother, hospitalization of the child in the hospital and others. Often the autistic child is the first-born in the family, and parents do not yet know how the child should develop. Subsequently, they remember thinking more than once why their child did not develop like other children, but still did not suspect any serious abnormalities. Therefore, this day – April 2 – just calls for adults to look more closely at the child in general, and to notice as early as possible any abnormalities in his or her development. And whether it’s autism or some other condition is up to the doctor to decide.
How can parents tell if their child has the condition?
Unfortunately, parents often do not immediately pay attention to atypical, uncharacteristic for their child’s age behavior. This fact has given rise to some myths that autism can arise from an incorrect educational approach by parents or after certain medical interventions, including preventive vaccinations. This is not to be believed, because childhood autism goes through a latent phase in its development when its symptoms are almost imperceptible, but this does not mean that it was not there from birth. However, it is necessary to know the so-called “red flags of autism,” when manifested, it is worth contacting a specialist. These include:
- The child does not use the index gesture,
- Doesn’t make eye contact, doesn’t smile back at a smile,
- Doesn’t respond to his name or to requests made to him,
- Doesn’t hear speech, does not understand why adults are addressing him or her
- Doesn’t speak a two-word phrase by the age of 2
- Doesn’t use toys for their intended purpose.
Often a child does not develop story play. For example, a car for a boy is not an image of a car he has seen in the street, but only wheels that can be spun. With a toy, the child cannot reproduce the story he has seen in life. Similarly, for a girl, a doll is not an image of a person she can put to bed or feed, but an indifferent object with moving parts. It is also worth paying attention to how the child communicates, whether he or she can follow simple instructions from an adult, concentrate attention. If parents notice the above features, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
Is it possible to cure autism or only to bring adaptation to a certain level?
Any specialist can suspect autism. Suppose a local pediatrician assumes that a child has autism and advises parents to see a psychiatrist. However, it is important to understand that the final diagnosis may be different from what was originally thought, and in addition to childhood autism at an early age, there are other mental disorders.
How can parents help their child cope with autism themselves? Can you give any recommendations for them?
The most important recommendation, from our point of view, is to initially understand the child’s abilities, not to do too much and not to set too high goals. The biggest conflict arises when parents are faced with a contradiction between the child’s real abilities and their own ambitions for him or her. And all the negative things that can then happen – protests, disobedience, experiencing disappointment and despair – all come from just this conflict.
The main principle for parents is to gain a sense of confidence as an educator and to get rid of excessive guilt. It is necessary to know that an autistic child is very sensitive to the internal state of his parents, easily reacts to their anxiety, confusion. As for mental development, one should be prepared for the fact that it will take a long time to achieve successes, even small ones. There is no such thing as a child falling asleep as one person and waking up as another.