What is Autism

by Dr. Marike de Klerk

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April is Autism spectrum disorder ( ASD) month.  We have all heard of Autism, but do we understand what this disorder really is? Please read the article below for more information on ASD.What is autism? A child with Autism's brain works differently in their interaction and processing of the world around them.  We don't know exactly why some people are autistic and others aren't, but we do know:

• Autism isn't a disease. Autism is a syndrome with multiple triggers and possible causes. There is not one treatment or medicine for it and it is unique for each person.
• Autistic people are neurodivergent. Neurodivergent is a word that describes people whose brains are different from what is “typical,” or expected. They may excel more in certain areas and need more support in other areas compared to their neurotypical peers.
• Autism is a spectrum. Everyone on this planet is unique — and that fact doesn’t change when we’re talking about autistic people. Autism is a spectrum in the sense that there’s a very wide range of personality traits, strengths and challenges you might have when you're autistic.
• Autism is often misunderstood. For decades, people as well as the medical fraternity have said and done things that we now know are wrong or even harmful to autistic people. For example, early forms of behavioral therapy used strict methods to try and get kids to act and talk like their peers. As we now have more understanding and information on the multiple facets of Autism, we can support these patients with more applicable treatments for the various symptoms as well as imbalances in their bodies.

How common is ASD?About 1 in every 100 kids in the world is autistic. 
Is ASD becoming more prevalent? This is a hard question to answer. Some people might say that it is indeed on the increase considering the toxic, imbalanced world we live in. The other side might argue that the incidence is increasing with more accurate diagnosis and awareness of this syndrome. 
What are the signs and symptoms of autism?Autism symptoms/characteristics are specific behaviors that healthcare providers look for when diagnosing autism. There are many autistic characteristics and different individuals will display different behavioural traits and combinations thereof. Providers organize these characteristics into two main categories:

• Difficulties with social communication and interaction. These affect how your child socializes.
• Restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests or activities. These affect how your child acts.

How the child socializesSocializing at age 2 is a lot different than socializing at age 5, 10 or 15. So, what these difficulties look like in a child can vary widely according to their age and a host of other factors.
Toddlers:

• Do not follow your gaze or look at things you're pointing to.
• Doesn’t respond to their name.
• Seems uninterested in taking-turn games like peek-a-boo.
• Doesn’t seek a significant person out to share something they’ve discovered.
• Look away rather than looking others in the eye.
• Uses another person's hand as a tool to pick up things they want.
• Prefers to play by themselves (continuing beyond age 2).

The older child:

• Talks about a narrow range of topics.
• Has one-sided conversations (no back-and-forth).
• Seems uninterested in starting a conversation.
• Has difficulty expressing their feelings or understanding how others feel.
• Has difficulty using and understanding body language — for example, they might face away from someone when speaking to them.
• Speaks in a monotone or sing-song voice.
• Has difficulty noticing social cues.

The Adolescent:

• Has trouble understanding what others mean — for example, they might not recognize sarcasm.
• Doesn’t initiate social interactions.
• Makes little or no eye contact.
• Has difficulty mixing spoken words and body language.
• Has a hard time building relationships with peers.
• Gets along more easily with younger kids or grown-ups.
• Has difficulty seeing something from someone else’s point of view.
• Doesn’t understand certain social rules like greetings or personal space.
• Appears standoffish when around others.

How your child actsThe toddler:

• Repeat the same words or phrases
• Repeat the same motions — like flapping their hands, rocking their body or spinning in circles.
• Does the same thing over and over with a toy or part of a toy — like spinning the wheels of a toy car.
• Gets very upset by changes to their routine.
• Lines toys or objects up in a particular order and resists anyone changing it.
• Won’t eat foods of certain textures.
• Reacts strongly to certain fabrics or other things on their skin.
• Shows strong interest in a specific object you wouldn’t expect, like a wooden spoon or fan.

The older child or adolescent:

• Repeats certain words or phrases from books, movies or TV shows.
• Has difficulty transitioning between tasks.
• Strongly prefers familiar routines or patterns of behavior.
• Has intense or highly focused interests — like certain topics or collections.

It is difficult to distinguish between what is a feature of autism and what is simply normal behaviour for a child. Lots of the behaviours mentioned above are normal for children to a certain extent and at certain stages in their lives. With autism, these behaviours eventually pose challenges for the person in school or work or in social settings.