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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can result in significant social, communication, and behavioural difficulties.
#ASD#Autism#Behavioural difficulties
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can result in significant social, communication, behavioural difficulties . Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is considered a "developmental disorder" because symptoms typically appear within the first two years of life. Autism is referred to as a "spectrum" disorder because the types and severity of symptoms that children experience vary greatly.
People with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways in which are different from others. People with ASD have a good range of learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities, starting from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD require a lot of help in their daily lives, while others require less.
According to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), a guide used to diagnose mental disorders, people with ASD have:
• Difficulties communicating and interacting with others
• Restrictions in interests and repetitive behaviours
• Symptoms that impair a person's ability to function normally in school, work, and other areas of life
ASD's (Autism Spectrum Disorder) precise causes are unknown. According to research, genes can interact with environmental influences to influence development in ways that lead to ASD. Although scientists are still investigating why some people develop ASD while others do not, some risk factors include:
According to the DSM V, there are severity levels for ASD based on the level of support required by the child with ASD.
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Children’s social communication skills are developing as they grow and most children find it difficult to communicate their needs and feelings appropriately and tend to engage in repeated patterns of behaviours that can be stereotypical and show preference to do a set of activities over and over again.
However, for children with ASD persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interest and repetitive patterns of behaviours are quite evident before the child is 2-3 years of age and tend to cause functional difficulties leading to deficits in holistic development.
The following are the signs that can be observed in children with ASD.
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The World Health Organisation (WHO) Report (2021) estimates that 1 in 160 children is expected to have ASD globally. WHO states that accurate prevalence of children with ASD cannot be estimated as the prevalence of children with ASD in middle- and low-income countries are still unknown as the children with potential ASD are not identified/diagnosed and the data is not available.
A report from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2016) revealed the following details:
A research study by Katsnelson, A (2018) revealed the following details:
The following steps are to be followed by caregivers, parents, and/or educators to ensure early identification of children with ASD so that early intervention can be designed to support the child’s needs.
If a child is suspected to display signs of ASD- the first step is to take the child for screening by administering an observation checklist to determine if the child is displaying red flag signs of ASD in terms of social communication, behavioural and sensory challenges that affect the child’s development and quality of life.
If these challenges of the child are persistent in multiple settings and impair the child’s performance and functioning, then a formal diagnosis from a certified/licensed professional would be needed to start early intervention.
Finally, the child needs to be taken for a 'Diagnostic Evaluation' to formally diagnose the condition by a certified/licensed professional to design early intervention to support the child and his/her needs.
A combination of the following interventions can be used to support children with ASD and their families. These interventions can be instrumental in improving the child’s functioning.
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
ABA focuses on systematically studying the functional challenges of children with ASD and designing an individualized behavioural plan to manage behavioural challenges, develop appropriate behaviours and adaptive skills in children with ASD.
Social Skills Training
Social Skills Training can be used to teach one or more appropriate social behaviours to children with ASD to help them adapt to and navigate social situations.
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and language therapy can focus on developing speech and communication patterns in children with ASD.
Occupational Therapy (OT)
OT helps in developing and strengthening adaptive skills in children with ASD to help them with activities of daily living (ADL).
Remedial Intervention or Special Education Services
Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) can be designed for children with ASD to help them accommodate in school settings and achieve their academic goals.
Parental Management Training
Parents are taught more about the condition and are equipped with effective techniques to deal with behavioural challenges of children with ASD and promote appropriate development of behaviours.
ASD Support Groups
Support Groups are helpful to parents to connect with fellow parents who share similar experiences and concerns. This helps them to build networks, cope with the stressors and better deal with children with ASD by learning from one another.
Medication
Medications that have an effect on the central nervous system are prescribed by licensed clinicians to manage symptoms of ASD in everyday life. Finding the right medicine with the appropriate balance is crucial.
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