Autism - Signs, Symptoms, Treatments, Resources, Support for Autism

Children with autism are LESS likely to misbehave intentionally than typical children. Their apparent bad behaviors -- such as bolting from the room, whacking a peer, refusing to take part in circle time, climbing the fridge -- are often caused by external problems that can be solved by calm, creative parents. 1) Know Your Child Few autistic children are intentionally "bad." Many have difficult behaviors. So what's going on? Each child is different, and knowing your own child is key to taking action. Is your child extra-sensitive to sound and light? Does she need lots of sensory input? Is he likely to misunderstand a close approach? The more you know, the easier it is to troubleshoot a situation. 2) Modify Your Expectations Your mother may have expected you to sit still through a full dinner hour. But that's not a reasonable expectation for most children with autism. Consider starting with a smaller goal -- sitting still for three m...

As a parent, you’re in the best position to spot the earliest warning signs of autism. You know your child better than anyone and observe behaviors and quirks that a pediatrician, in a quick fifteen-minute visit, might not have the chance to see. Your child’s pediatrician can be a valuable partner, but don’t discount the importance of your own observations and experience. The key is to educate yourself so you know what’s normal and what’s not. Monitor your child’s development . Autism involves a variety of developmental delays, so keeping a close eye on when—or if—your child is hitting the key social, emotional, and cognitive milestones is an effective way to spot the problem early on. While developmental delays don’t automatically point to autism, they may indicate a heightened risk. Take action if you’re concerned . Every child develops at a different pace—so you don’t need to panic if your child is a little late to talk or walk. When it comes to...

When pregnant women eat foods or take medicines that contain mercury, the mercury can be transferred to the developing fetus through the placenta. Infants can be exposed to mercury through foods, including breast milk, or medicines. Developing fetuses and young children are believed to be more susceptible to mercury exposure than adults because mercury can interfere with the developing nervous system. Guidelines for safe exposure to methylmercury, based on the analysis of cases where people were accidentally exposed to toxic levels of mercury, have been developed by three federal agencies1. Although the three agencies’ guidelines are each slightly different, each leaves a large margin for safety, and exposure to amounts that exceed these guidelines does not mean that the individual has been exposed to toxic levels of mercury. Additionally, it should be noted that, some studies show that ethylmercury (the kind to which thimerosal is metabolized) may be less toxic than methylmercury (the...

There is no proof that people who have autism have to lead a retarded life for the rest of their lives. People with autism are very creative and if let to develop in the field of their interest they tend to excel and even become famous. Some of the most famous personalities we know like even Albert Einstein have suffered from learning disabilities. Here are some of the most famous characters and celebrities with autism.     - Amanda bags, who is an advocate of autistic rights today in the United States     - Lucy Blackman an educated author     - Derek Paravicini, a blind British musician and composer     - Tim Ellis, Australian magician     - Dawn prince Hughes, a famous anthropologist     - Santosh Tajiri, creator of the famous Pokemon The people listed here may be known to some people and some may not have heard about them. The famous painter Leonardo da Vinci also exhibited symptom...

Potty training a normal, healthy child can be hard work. What do you do when that child is Autistic? Maybe they do not even understand what it means to use the potty. Here are some helpful suggestion when potty training and Autistic child. 1. Make sure the child is ready to be potty trained. Just because all the books says they need to be trained at two does not mean your Autistic child has the ability to do so. Do they know when they are wet or have a dirty diaper? Do they have a dry diaper all night? 2. Does your Autistic child have the skills to undress and redress. If not this can making potty training harder unless you intend to let them run around naked for the next few months. This can also make for a lot of time spent scrubbing carpets. It is best to wait to potty train until your child can easily undress and redress them selves. 3. Use a reward system when potty training. If they use the potty, or attempt to use it give them some type of reward. This can be a treat or a toy. M...

Autism is the common term for a range of disabilities medically classified as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). Autism/PDD is characterized by qualitative differences in the development of cognitive, language, social or motor skills, and these are usually apparent before age three. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) cover a wide range of behaviors and abilities. People who have ASDs, like all people, differ greatly in the way they act and what they can do. No two people with Autism will have the same symptoms. A symptom might be mild in one person and severe in another person. Some examples of the types of problems and behaviors a child or adult with an ASD might have follow. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by abnormal social interaction, communication ability, interest patterns, and behavior patterns. Autism is found to occur due to the vulnerability to environmental triggers displayed by the human genes. Seven major genes have been identified to be related ...

If you want to know what an autistic child looks like, look at your own child or grandchild. Look at the children who live next door to you and take a glimpse at every child you walk past on the street. These could very well be the faces of autism. There is no visible indication that a child is affected by this disturbing neurological disorder. Autism is the king of all tricksters. I know this to be true because whenever my husband and I take our son to the store or doctor’s office, the looks of disgust we receive in response to his unruly behavior never let up. Unless we inform someone, and we always have to, no one has a clue that he is autistic. When our ten requests for Darius to “settle down” won’t get through to him, when he is climbing on chairs or is having a screaming fit, people continue to stare through us with questions of, “Why won’t they do something about him?” or “If that were my child I’d really handle him.” From time to time, I find myself getting upset about the glar...

Do you know autism affects male children four times more than female children? The characteristic feature of autism in children includes non-verbal and impaired verbal communication. In addition to this the autism in children creates imaginative social interaction and activity. Infantile autism in children develops at about 30 months of age. Autism in children is a condition in which they find it difficult to build normal relationships with others. This can easily be diagnosed by disturbances normal characteristic behaviors. It has been found that autism in children is occurring at a rate of 4 in 10,000 children. Moreover, autism in children is considered a lifelong disease. The occurrence of the disease ranges from mild to severe. In mild form, the child with autism can live independently, whereas in severe form the autism requires medical supervision and support throughout his/her life. The risk factors and causes of autism include viral infection. Viral infection, mainly rubella vir...