Autism Spectrum Disorders

Medical Service Name – Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment condition that can lead to significant social, communicative, and behavioral difficulties. Although there is frequently nothing about persons with ASD that distinguishes them from others in terms of appearance, they may communicate, engage, conduct, and learn in unique ways. 

People with ASD have various cognitive, reasoning, and problem-solving abilities, ranging from gifted to severely impaired. Some persons with ASD require a great deal of assistance in their everyday life, while others require less.

Possible Causes

There is no one recognized cause for autism spectrum disorder. Given the disorder’s intricacy and s the symptoms and severity vary, there are most likely several causes. Genetics and the environment may both have an impact.

• Genetics:Autism spectrum disease appears to be caused by a combination of genes. A genetic disease, such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome, can be linked to this disorder in some children. Genetic variations (mutations) may raise the likelihood of this ailment in other children. Other genes may influence brain development or how neurons in the brain interact, or they may affect the intensity of symptoms. Some genetic mutations appear to be inherited, while others seem to emerge spontaneously.
• Environmental considerations:Researchers are presently investigating whether viral infections, drugs or difficulties during pregnancy, or air pollution have a role in developing autism spectrum disease.

Risk Factor

Children of all races and nations are affected by autism spectrum conditions. However, some circumstances raise a child’s risk. These might include:

The gender of your child: Boys are approximately four times as likely as girls to have autism spectrum disorder.

Family history: Families with one kid with autism spectrum disorder are more likely to have another child with the disease. It is also not unusual for parents or relatives of a child with autism to have slight social or communication skills difficulties. 

Other issues: Children with certain medical disorders are at a greater risk of autism spectrum disorder or autistic-like symptoms than other children. Fragile X syndrome is a hereditary ailment that causes intellectual issues; tuberous sclerosis is a condition in which benign tumours form in the brain; and Rett syndrome is a genetic condition that causes slowing of head development, intellectual incapacity, and lack of intentional hand usage.

Babies born prematurely: Babies born before 26 weeks of gestation are at a higher risk of developing ASD.

Ages of the parents: There may be a correlation between children born to older parents and autism spectrum conditions, but additional study is needed to confirm this association.

Sign & Symptoms

Children or adults with ASD might:

• not exhibit interest in items by pointing at them (for example, not point at an airplane flying over)
• not glance at things when someone points them out 
• have difficulty relating to others or have no interest in them at all 
• avoid eye contact and prefer to be alone
• having difficulty comprehending other people’s sentiments or discussing their own experiences
• choose not to be held or hugged, or may only cuddle when they wish to 
• look unresponsive when others speak to them, yet they respond to other sounds.
• be fascinated by others yet unable to communicate with, play with, or interact with them
• have difficulty adjusting to changes in routine 
• have unexpected reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound 
• lose abilities they formerly possessed (for example, stop saying words they were using)

Diagnosis

While autism is thought to be a disease of very early brain development, behavioral symptoms of autism often appear between the ages of 1 and 1/2 years old and 3 years old.

Because there is no specific medical test for ASD, such as a blood test, diagnosing the abnormalities can be challenging. To make a diagnosis, doctors examine the child’s behavior and growth.

Treatment Options at 7DMC

There is no cure for ASD currently. Early intervention therapy services by 7DMC, on the other hand, have been shown to boost a child’s development. 

Our state-of-the-art multispecialty clinic offers these services through an early intervention system. You can request an assessment using this system.

Furthermore, treatment for specific symptoms, like speech therapy for language difficulties, may not often need an ASD diagnosis.

ASD is frequently a lifelong disorder. Behavioral treatments or therapies that teach new abilities to address the underlying deficiencies of autism and lessen the core symptoms assist both children and adults with autism. 

Every autistic kid and adult are unique. As a result, the treatment plan is tailored to the patient’s special requirements. It is preferable to begin treatments as soon as possible so that the advantages of therapy might last throughout one’s life.

Many persons with ASD also have other medical concerns, such as gastrointestinal and eating problems, seizures, and sleep problems. Our doctors in treatment may prescribe occupational therapy, medicine, or a combination of the two