Autism is a developmental disability that affects proper communication and interaction, especially in children.
Autism can be a genetic disorder or environmental influenced. There’s no single cause for it, and symptoms can be very mild or very severe.
Some symptoms of autism include;
- Not responding to their name by their first birthday.
- Lack of interest in playing, sharing it taking with other people.
- Prefer to be alone.
- Rejects Physical contact
- Avoids eye contact
- Don’t like to be comforted when upset.
Autism in children can be managed by;
- Setting realistic expectations
Reinforcing positive behaviors
Giving choices for non-preferred activities . - Using visuals and social stories
- Teaching coping skills and calming strategies .
- Practicing consistency each day
- Teaching self-monitoring and emotion regulation .
- Taking your child along for everyday activities.
Other methods include;
- Tests covering hearing, speech, language, developmental level, and social and behavioral issues.
- Using the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association.
- Recommending genetic testing to identify whether your child has a genetic disorder such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome.
