Understanding autism – its causes, symptoms and treatment

As a parent you will have fears and expectations for your child. And you are likely to be more so, if your child is not developing like his/her typical peers. With the rising numbers of Indian childre

By: Dr Leena Deshpande | | Updated: August 6, 2013 11:45 am

As a parent you will have fears and expectations for your child. And you are likely to be more so, if your child is not developing like his/her typical peers. With the rising numbers of Indian children now coming under the autistic spectrum (1:250 as compared to 1:10000 before 20 years,), the topic has gained sufficient interest amongst parents. Dr Leena Deshpande, a renowned developmental pediatrician sheds light on this topic. Also Read - Loneliness in old age: Social distancing increasing loneliness in old people, says study

Autism is a severe form of neuro-developmental disorder where a child has problems in communication, socialization and has various behavioural problems in the form of repetitive behaviour, restricted play interests and sometimes very unusual interests. Also Read - Scientists found reason behind developmental disorder

Though no cause has been shown to be linked directly to autism, a combination of genetics and the environment have been found to be contributing factors. Also Read - Being too responsible could lead to OCD

Diagnosing autism is difficult…

Autistic spectrum disorder is an umbrella term to encompass all the neurodevelopmental disorders. There is a huge range of symptoms which differs from one child to the other. The common symptoms are related to three core main problems in autism – communication, socialisation and restricted behaviour.

Autistic children have problems with verbal (speech and language) and non-verbal communication (gestures, facial expressions, pointing). Parents need to look out for one of the symptoms from these ranges of communicative problems in their children:

The child may not speak or even try to communicate by pointing or gesturing.
The child may randomly repeat or echo what he/she has heard without understanding it.
The child has good vocabulary but may have problems with social communication
The child is unable to sustain or start a conversation

Symptoms related to socialization in autistic children could be:

The child does not respond with a head turn when the his/her name is called. This is a very important and early clue.
The child does not make eye contact while asking for something.
The child is self-involved i.e., they do not play interactive games with parents and other children. They prefer to have solitary play.
Pretend/imaginative play which children normally start when they are around 18 months of age, is delayed or lacking.

Other symptoms could include repetitive behaviour like spinning themselves, walking on toes, body rocking and clapping hands when excited.

Parents need to be alerted and seek a good doctor’s advise if the child

is not babbling and/or gesturing by waving hands or pointing by 12 months
does not have single words by 16 months
does not say two-word meaningful phrases by 24 months

Diagnosis of autism and autistic spectrum disorder is clinical i.e. it is based on the symptoms the child shows. Tests are done to rule out other conditions which may mimic autism. For example, children who have hearing problem might show autism-like symptoms such as not responding to their name, etc. So tests are conducted to rule out hearing problems. Diagnostic tests like MRI or genetic testing are done to rule out other conditions which may cause autism. For e.g. autism is known to coexist in fragile X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis.

There is no cure for autism

The earlier the diagnosis and intervention with therapies, the better is the outcome in the future. The various therapies recommended are:

Occupational therapy in the form of sensory integration.
Communication therapy to help the child with verbal and nonverbal communication.
Behavioural therapy.
Medications are used to improve some of the symptoms like irritability, hyperactivity and aggressive behaviour when they do not responded to other therapies.

Many new therapies are coming up worldwide claiming to treat autism. However, parents are advised to do their research and consult their child’s paediatrician before opting for them.

Myths surrounding autism are plenty!

MYTH 1: All autistic children are intellectually disabled

FACT 1: Not all children with autism have problems with their thinking capacity. Autism is a spectrum disorder. So children in the mild end of spectrum may have normal intelligence or even above average intelligence. Severely affected children may be intellectually disabled.

MYTH 2: Children will grow out of autism.

FACT 2: Autism is a lifelong problem. Symptoms might improve because of treatment but children don’t grow out of it.

MYTH 3: Autism is caused by bad parenting

FACT 3: In children with autism there is a neuro-developmental problem in the brain which causes the symptoms. Other factors are genetic or environmental. So autism is definitely not caused by bad parenting.

MYTH 4: Children with autism cannot attend mainstream schools.

FACT 4: Autistic children can attend main stream schools. The government gives educational concessions to such children which should be availed so that these children can progress in their learning ability as per their potential.

If you do have any further queries regarding autism and other developmental disorders, please post it in our ‘Ask an expert’ section.

Published : December 14, 2012 12:11 pm | Updated:August 6, 2013 11:45 am

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