Autism is the colloquial name for a range of possible disorders included in the autism spectrum. The individual disorders that make up the autism spectrum differ both in the symptoms they produce and in their severity or timing. Unfortunately, the causes of many cases included in the autism spectrum remain unexplained.
Autism spectrum
The first mentions of autism began to appear in the medical literature quite late. In the 1940s, two doctors, independently of each other, made a description of similar disease cases. Leo Kanner then made the first systematic description of the disease, which he described as early childhood autism. Hans Asperger conducted research on affected children and took the name Asperger syndrome from his name.
In psychiatry, there are various classifications of diseases, of which the classification by the World Health Organisation (ICD 10) is mainly used. According to this classification, autism is included in the group of holistic developmental disorders. This group is made up of the following disease entities:
- early childhood autism (diagnosed before the age of 3),
- atypical autism (diagnosed after the age of 3),
- Rett syndrome,
- Asperger’s syndrome,
- different disintegrative disorders,
- hyperkinetic disorder (characterised by excessive mobility),
- other holistic developmental disorders,
- developmental disorders not specified.
Symptoms
The autism spectrum includes cases with a wide variety of symptoms and degrees of severity. The diversity of autism cases also translates into the use of different diagnostic criteria by different medical communities around the world. For example, in the USA, statistically one in 68 people is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. In Europe – due to the use of different criteria – autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed less frequently, in one in 150 people. For this reason, there are no medical studies that definitively define the range of disorders included in the autism spectrum, let alone the full aetiology. What can be said with certainty, however, is that autism spectrum disorders affect boys almost four times more often than girls.
Symptoms most often affect three main aspects of behaviour: communication skills, the course of interaction with other people and specific behaviour. Symptoms in an autistic person may involve each of these aspects to varying degrees. As a result, different autistic people will present with a different set of symptoms.
In terms of communication, the following specific symptoms stand out:
- a tendency to repeat the same words, sentences,
- echolalia, i.e. repeating words and sentences heard from others,
- problems with expressing one’s needs linguistically,
- problems with the grammatically correct formulation of speech, for example talking about one’s behaviour in the third person,
- other, individually occurring speech abnormalities,
- avoidance of eye contact,
- distorted body language or facial expressions that are difficult for others to understand.
In terms of social interaction, symptoms on the autism spectrum include:
- problems with making contact with other people,
- reluctance to feel physical proximity, touch,
- problems with verbalising their feelings,
- problems when playing, especially in the case of role play (for example, playing house, shop), or a tendency to play with oneself,
- indifference to other people.
The list of specific symptoms includes:
- rigid, repetitive and routine behaviour,
- tantrums, anger, aggression or anxiety,
- interest in unusual objects – washing machine, buttons, switches,
- notorious arranging of objects in the same position and arrangement,
- repetitive execution of the same movements.
Disorders included in the autism spectrum can in some cases be diagnosed as early as late infancy (around 11-12 months of age). However, it is often necessary to wait until several years of age for a full diagnosis. One of the first symptoms is the child’s disturbed reaction to the person of the mother – no smile, no eye contact, no reaction to her voice.
Causes of autism spectrum disorders
Potential causes of autism spectrum disorders include:
- genetic load (this is an unproven theory, but is based, among other things, on the observed clear tendency for autism to occur in both monozygotic twins, as well as on the co-occurrence of
- autism with other genetically determined disorders, such as Rett syndrome),
- the occurrence of conditions of a neurological nature (in some people diagnosed with autism, changes in brain structure are observed),
- pregnancy or birth complications (gestational diabetes, thyroid problems),
- use of certain substances by the mother (especially suspected drugs: anti-epileptic, analgesic and others),
- parental neglect during early life.
Source
- https://www.medonet.pl/choroby-od-a-do-z/choroby-i-zaburzenia-psychiczne,spektrum-autyzmu,artykul,1733835.html