Autism is a complicated diagnosis to make. It is used to refer to a spectrum of neurobehavioral conditions which contain repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication as well as challenges with social skills. ASD, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, is diagnosed easily when the symptoms are present in a child before 3 years of age. It is estimated that 1 in 59 children in the United States suffer from ASD. While there is no cure for autism, timely therapy and counseling can help alleviate most of its symptoms. Your job is to find the counselor that is the best fit for your child.
What makes its diagnosis so difficult?
Autism is difficult to diagnose as it manifests differently in different people. Each individual with autism struggles with a separate set of challenges than another. Additionally, there are many subtypes to the condition. These subtypes are influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
Causes
Doctors have still not been able to arrive conclusively on the causes of Autism. Some genes have thought to be responsible for the development of ASD. Environmental factors may also be blamed. However, nothing definite has been determined as of yet. What is known for sure is that parental practices have no bearing on the development of Autism in a child and neither does vaccine administration, as commonly thought.
How Autism is Identified
There are certain signs and symptoms which indicate that your child may be suffering from ASD. These are –
· Preferring to be socially isolated
· Avoiding eye contact
· Inability to understand emotions
· Avoidance of physical contact
· Unable to accept comfort from another when upset
· Inability to respond to his/her own name by their first birthday
· Delay in the development of language and communication skills
· Echolalia, i.e., repeating the same phrase in a loop
· Resistant to using/responding to common human gestures such as hand waving and nodding
· Flitting from topic to topic in course of a conversation
· Using abnormal speech patterns like a robotic voice or singsong manner
· Unhealthy fixation with certain topics that catch their interest
· Being obsessed with lining up and arranging things in order
Autistic children sometimes exhibit something called the savant syndrome. Basically, this means that the individual has extraordinary skills or abilities in a particular field.
Autism cannot be diagnosed through lab testing. Doctors usually rely on observation and parental reports of behavior to diagnose Autism in a child by ruling out similar conditions.
How can ASD be treated?
ASD is treated via several methods of behavior and communication therapy that cater to the unique symptoms exhibited by the Autistic child in question. Here are a couple of these treatments –
Applied Behavior Analysis – It is used in schools and clinics to reduce negative behavior and teach positivity to the child.
Behavioral and Language Interventions – These interventions are helpful in teaching autistic children behavioral and language skills.
Erin Saintil is a trained and experienced therapist practicing in Tampa Bay area of Florida. If you want to know more about therapy options for treating ASD, visit https://www.therapycts.com/blog/. You can also walk into Saintil’s clinic for autism counseling services. She is one counselor you shouldn’t skip on your search for finding the most appropriate counselor for your autistic child.
Collaborative Therapeutic Services (CTS) seeks to maximize clients’ options by offering a variety of services, hours, and service providers with diverse specializations. We offer evening & weekend appointments. Have questions? Contact Us Here or Call 813-951-7346. Located in Tampa, Florida.