Autism: Everything You Need to Know

Autism, which started in the first three years of life, is defined as one of the most common neurological disorders today. There are various problems in the contact and communication of children with autism with their environment, but patients can be brought to life with early diagnosis and correct rehabilitation programs. In this disease, which does not have treatment options such as a known drug procedure or surgery, the rehabilitation process varies according to the patient.

What is Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder, also known as autism, is a serious developmental disorder that begins in early childhood. Generally, there is no problem in the development of motor skills such as sitting and walking, height and weight gain. The external appearance of children with autism is not different from other children. On the contrary, they are children who look beautiful and healthy. Some may have a large head circumference. The main problem is that they have behaviors that damage social interaction, communication, limited interests and repetitive movements. Sometimes the symptoms start before the age of 1, in others, a normal psycho-social development and a retardation and hesitation in development are noticed after the first words such as “baby food, father” are uttered. Autism is thought to be caused by problems in the nervous system that affect the structure and functioning of the brain. This disease has nothing to do with parenting styles and the socio-economic level of the family.

What causes autism?

The exact cause of autism has not yet been found as a result of the researches carried out to date. Genetic and some environmental factors (birth complications, viral infections and environmental pollution) have been shown as the causes of autism, but have not yet been definitively proven. It is known that autism findings are observed in some genetic, neurometabolic (brain chemistry disorders) diseases or epilepsy that disrupt brain functions and cell communications. It has not been shown that there is a relationship between vaccination and autism.

What are the symptoms of autism?

It is difficult to decide whether the symptoms are the child’s carelessness or unwillingness to communicate. Speech delay can also be seen in many healthy children. The fact that the child sometimes shows symptoms and sometimes acts as if he is developing healthy can confuse the family. This is exactly why autism is called a spectrum disorder. Symptom severity from mild to severe; It creates a spectrum between a healthy but slow-growing child and a severe neuro-psychological illness. Difficulties such as sleeping and choosing food can often be found.

The most basic symptom of autism is the inability of children to make eye contact. There may be situations such as a short, timid look, looking as if there is eye contact, but not looking to understand the other person. Children who are called by name are often unresponsive and almost all have speech problems. These patients either do not speak at all or speak late or strangely. Imitation skills are limited. They learn imitations such as making bye-bye, saluting and using facial expressions late.

Autistic children cannot show their desires with signs and communication problems are very common. They show their needs by pulling the arm of the person who will meet them, taking them away, and crying. They are reluctant to communicate with their peers or elders. They cannot participate in group games and play meaningfully with toys. They prefer to be on their own rather than with their peers. Some children may experience repetitive abnormal movements such as “stereotype” such as swinging, clapping hands, flapping wings, or obsessive behaviors such as running around the corridor, turning the light on or off. Another important symptom of autistic children is their dislike of contact. Even in infancy, they do not calm down in the mother’s arms, on the contrary, they become uncomfortable. Autistic children live in a separate world of their own. An autistic child doesn’t care about being held up. He can go to everyone’s lap to achieve what he wants, he has no perception of strangers. By the age of 2-3, they show more interest in inanimate objects. They have games such as always holding an object in their hands, playing by arranging objects, turning the car over and turning its wheel, or lying down and watching the rotating wheel of the car. They like to play with a part of the toy rather than the whole. For him, there is not much difference between animate and inanimate. They don’t make meaningful eye contact with people. They can be extremely sensitive to sound, light and smell and may react unexpectedly. Sometimes they repeat what is told to them like a parrot, and they say pronouns like I-you in reverse.

How is autism diagnosed?

Autism is not diagnosed by laboratory tests and imaging methods. The diagnosis is made by observing the child by the child psychiatrist, asking some questions to the family, and developing tests. In terms of differential diagnosis, accompanying diseases, consultation may be requested from other specialties for blood tests, neurological, ear-nose-throat, metabolic diseases. Autism, which cannot be diagnosed in the mother’s womb, is four times more common in boys than girls.

What is the treatment for autism?

There is no known treatment for autism spectrum disorder such as medication or surgery. The main goals of treatment are to increase quality of life and functional independence. It is to support delays in development, treat related disorders and help the family manage the process. The development and learning of the brain in the first 3 years is very fast. Early intervention with accurate and intense stimuli from the outside is the most effective method here, as in all developmental disorders.

Treatment is planned according to the needs of the child. Intensive and continuous education programs and behavioral therapies at young ages help children gain self-care, social and work skills. Thus, it increases functionality, decreases the severity of symptoms and maladaptive behaviors. The only “treatment” method known today is the preparation of special education programs individually and as a group according to the abilities and needs of the child, with family support, and their implementation by experts. The treatment, which requires special training and teamwork, is long-term and the team must include the child’s own doctor, special educator, speech specialist, child psychiatrist and / or child neurologist. The drug treatments to be applied are aimed at reducing the problems accompanying autism and existing problems, if any.

Frequently asked questions about autism

Is autism a genetic problem?

When mild cases are added to the table, autism is seen in one of every 110 children. Relatives may have a higher risk of autism than other children. According to researches, 3 percent of the siblings of a child with autism can have autism. If the family wants to give birth to another child, they should definitely consult a specialist. Consanguineous marriage can pose a risk for autism. Significant interactions can be found between mutations in various genes, or between the environment and the mutated genes. Thus, although a significant percentage of autism cases are related to heredity, this disease is not directly passed on through genetics. Therefore, individuals with direct autism may not be found in their family tree. Various genes have been identified as candidates for these, but the effect of each is very low on its own. In other words, mutations that cause autism may not be found in the parental genome.

What is the role of the family in autism?

The families of children with autism have an important responsibility. The process from the definition of the disease until the families accept this situation is very difficult. This period is also of great importance for the treatment of the disease. The motivation of the family as well as the support of the social environment to the parents are important to start treatment. Parents of children with autism may have difficulty accepting this problem first. In the first place, reactions such as anger and rebellion can be observed. Along with these, anxiety for the future may also occur. Situations such as embarrassment, feeling of guilt and then acceptance and adaptation can be seen. When the education process is started with post-diagnosis treatment, it is very important that the family receive professional support and prepare for this process. It is also known that a very intense effort was spent during this period when the family should be very patient. The most important parameters for the future of the child are the acceptance of the family that their child is special and the search for education and adaptation processes on this issue. The fact that parents come together with families who are in the same situation as their own children and have an idea about what they can do more for their children gives more support to this adaptation process. It is possible to talk about a changing life style after families adopt their children with autism and adapt to the process. Autism can regress with a special education process. In many studies conducted on cases with autism, it has been revealed that the adaptation process of children who receive family support is easier.

How is the autism test applied?

There is no medical test for autism, some screening methods can be applied. These are diagnostic methods that include observation of children. For example, the CARS Rating System is used in this regard. Children’s communication with other people, how they use their bodies, adaptation to changes and verbal communication are evaluated. There is also a list of questions in the M-CHAT method. Children under 18 months are studied. Questions consist of two parts. One is for the parents and the other is for the child psychiatrist. In addition, an autism screening test consisting of 40 items is used. This evaluates the communication and social situation of the child. There is also a screening test for two years old. Here, playing skill, motor skills and attention states are evaluated.

What should families pay attention to in autism?

Families should pay particular attention to the following items in their children and definitely get expert help.

• Social adaptation problems,
• Communication problem,
• Inability to perceive what is said or to do the act of doing,
• Inability to make eye contact,
• Performing repetitive movements,
• Inability to express oneself,
• Lack of gaming skills,
• Inability to distinguish between mother and father,
• Looking at objects peripherally,
• The flapping, turning, swinging, jumping movements

What are the types of autism?

The subject of autism types is one of the subjects for which no scientific distinction has been made yet. It can be said that disorders in autism can arise through a wide variety of mechanisms and for different reasons. Autism in a basic form; It is divided into two as the form accompanied by mental retardation and the form in which mental abilities are normal or superior. These can be defined as “high-functioning and low-functioning autism”. In some children, while normal development continues, autism may develop later. This can be a subtype of autism. Although the cause of the disease can be attributed to some events (such as parent separation), it is thought to have a genetic origin. Epilepsy can be seen frequently among autism patients. There are also types of diseases with and without epilepsy. Autism types can also be divided according to gender, science does not have a clear answer yet.

What are the levels of autism?

Autism occurs in a developing brain. It can occur with some disruptions during brain development before the baby is born. Separate syndromes may also occur in different autism types through different mechanisms. Developmental stages can be determined according to the age of the child. The first 8 months are an important period. During this time, it is possible to get an idea about the symptoms of autism. Scientific screening can be done at the age of 18 months. The definitive diagnosis can be made at the age of 3 when the speaking period is.

What is atypical autism?

Patients who show signs of autism but do not meet sufficient diagnostic criteria for this disease are evaluated in the “atypical autism” group. The recovery process of atypical autism can be easier. In the treatment process, it is aimed to develop children’s skills and strengthen their speech with special training.

Does the vaccine cause autism?

The source of the claims that childhood vaccines can cause autism is the presence of mercury, a heavy metal that allows viruses and bacteria to survive. Many families with children with autism are generally suspicious of this situation around 18 months and this period corresponds to the time of 3-in-1 vaccination in the routine vaccination calendar. However, in the report published by the World Health Organization; It has been explained that the half-life of ethyl mercury (thiomersal) in the body is less than one week, and there is no question of some chronic diseases related to mercury. It is methyl mercury that is difficult to excrete from the body. Methyl mercury does not contain thiomersal. Many scientific studies have been carried out to investigate this relationship due to the claims that a number of chronic diseases, especially autism, have increased with the use of vaccines containing thiomersal. The World Health Organization has also declared that the measles vaccine is not associated with SSPE and autism.

Is not being able to speak a sign of autism?

Inability to speak in children may also be a symptom of autism. The language development process in childhood according to the age group proceeds as follows:

• The baby makes natural sounds such as crying, coughing, sneezing in the first month. At the end of the first month, their cries begin to differ according to various situations.
• In the second and third months, the baby laughs, begins to utter consonants such as “k” and “g” and vowels such as “a”, “e”, “o”.
• An increase is observed in the number of vowel and consonant sounds between the 4th and 6th months. Towards the end of the 6th month, the child begins to combine consonant with vowel sounds; it may sound like ba, da, ma, for example.
• Between the 7th and 10th months, syllable repetitions like ma-ma are observed. Baby creates sequences that resemble adult speech but are not understood. Starting from the 11th month, he begins to place monosyllabic words between incomprehensible sound sequences. Then he begins to pronounce the first meaningful words.
• Uses words between the 12th and 18th months purposefully. It has a vocabulary of 3-50 words. Shows objects and body parts.
• Between the 18th and 24th months, he follows simple instructions, names the objects and pictures. The vocabulary contains 50-70 words.

It is a period when two-year-olds begin to walk, talk and realize their own selves. The rapid development in the second year of life makes the child independent in many ways. The effect of acquiring language skills with motor skills on the independence of the child is great. Two-year-olds run, hold on and go up and down the stairs. In this period, he uses 70 or more words he knows and makes simple sentences consisting of two words. Two years are the age of questioning. At this stage, the child asks how and why questions persistently.

However, not being able to speak alone is not a symptom of autism. The situations that cause delayed speech can be listed as follows:

• Familial language delay
• Developmental language delay
• Premature birth or growth retardation
• Conflict situations such as speaking two languages, using the right hand or the left hand
• Hearing loss, hearing perception disorders
• Oral problems such as tongue tie, cleft palate-lip
• Autism, mental retardation diseases
• Lack of psychosocial stimuli
• Wrapping child up in cotton wool and not giving him/her the opportunity to speak

Could a self-talked child have autism?

Self-talk is common during infant development. Families may also be concerned about this situation. Children repeat what they just learned, and these repetitions can take hours. New words entertain them. This situation should not be confused with autism. Autistic children can repeat a word or a question for days. No matter what the parent reacts, children with autism can repeat the same word. The people who will make the distinction are child and adolescent mental health professionals and child psychologists.

What should parents do about autism?

With a special education-based treatment, autistic children can become individuals who are self-sufficient and compatible with the society. Parents should understand that their children with autism do not think like everyone else and accept this situation. In this case, the things that parents should pay attention to are listed as follows:

• You should observe and learn your child’s thoughts and behaviors. You have to keep track of what and when he reacts.
• Your child is happy in his own world; For example, you should know that another child in the park is not upset that he is not playing with him.
• You should set your expectations right from your child. You should be aware that you are entering a long period. If you lower your expectations, you can give your child the opportunity to make you happy.

Does television cause autism?

Researches show that children who watch TV before the age of 2 have a negative impact on their cognitive development and their language development is delayed. During this period, there are many studies showing a relationship between excessive television watching and attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder and autism. For this reason, the World Health Organization emphasizes that as a precaution, children aged 0-2 should stay away from television screens. Feeding the child food with mobile phones and tablets and using a screen to calm him / her will deepen the mild autism symptoms.

Is play therapy beneficial for autism?

Play therapy is a therapy approach that supports children with behavioral and emotional problems so that they can help themselves. In play therapy, the therapist helps the child express his emotions by playing with the tools he chooses in the playroom, which is a safe environment. In a study conducted in England, it was stated that children who received 6 sessions of play therapy had positive developments in participating in group activities, communicating, listening and focusing on activities. Play therapy is extremely beneficial for children with autism.

What is Asperger’s syndrome?

Asperger syndrome, which is generally similar to autism, is a lifelong problem. Recently, it is considered as a personality structure that disrupts social communication and harmony rather than illness. Asperger’s children emerged with school life; He is known for his symptoms of introversion, communication problems, difficulty understanding the intention of the other person, weakness in fine motor skills, obsessions, and limited interests. In Asperger syndrome, retardation in language and speaking skills is not observed. These children can sometimes speak explosively and in the same tone of voice. They don’t like the change and may have a hard time starting or maintaining a conversation. They may not speak monotonously and understand jokes. Their eye contact is weak, they can talk excessively about their favorite topics. For the correct diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome, help from experts should be sought.

Who makes the diagnosis of autism? Which experts can diagnose autism?

Specialists who can diagnose autism are child and adolescent mental health professionals, child neurologists and child psychologists. Child-adolescent mental health professionals recognize autism and conduct the treatment process. Child neurologists can also evaluate autism, but if there are different problems other than autism, they can carry out examinations and treatment processes for these problems. If you think your child has autism, you can apply to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases departments.

Is autism a mental illness?

No, autism is not a mental illness. Autism is a neurodevelopmental problem. Emotional, behavioral and cognitive problems occur as we grow up.

Have children with autism superior intelligence?

It is not easy to evaluate intelligence in many children with autism. Early reading can be signs of strong memory, with a state of memorizing letters and numbers. If we define intelligence as problem-solving skill and adaptation capacity, it is seen that it has difficulties at different levels.

Appearances of children with autism are similar?

No, the physical images of children with autism are not alike. All of them have different features. Like every child, he has a physical structure similar to his/her family.

Is the child with autism gifted?

Although a rare proportion of individuals with autism have a strong memory and superior abilities such as music, they often have adaptation and problem solving problems.

Is there any autism medication?

The only treatment for autism is early diagnosis and early and intensive education. Medications do not correct the main symptoms but can be used to resolve concomitant problems in autism.

Is autism seen in children of cold parents?

Research on mothers and fathers who do not have emotional connections with their children has shown that this has nothing to do with the child with autism. Although the reason for autism is not family attitudes; The family’s stance contributes greatly to healing behavior.

Can autism be overcome with a short education?

Autism is a lifelong problem that needs to be supported by training. It requires an intensive and long training process.

Is there an autism diet?

Autism is not a problem that can be cured with diet. Therefore, there is no autism diet. If there are metabolic problems, treatments and diets are used.

Is autism contagious?

Autism is not contagious.