Surviving Autism in Your Family
Many people do not understand Autism and its impact on their life and that on their loved ones. Autism is a disability that affects development. It can be very difficult and trying in case you are living with and dealing on a daily basis with a person who is suffering with autism.
Autism is usually diagnosed in children in the age bracket of 18 to 36 months. Autism can be very difficult to diagnose since there are no physical signs. Autism affects people in many different ways and thus it is known as a spectrum disorder. Autism will not be noticeable until the time when children should be developing their speaking and understanding skills. Autism is a disorder that is now more common than Down syndrome. It is more common in boys than in girls and there is no cure.
While there is no specific cause of autism, several factors are thought to contribute to the disorder. There are certain differences in the brain that can be linked to genetics and biochemical problems. Food allergies are also thought to be a factor in the cause of autism.
Symptoms in children generally present as lack of socialization and communication skills. Even though these are common traits, the experience for each child is different. In some cases children just don't learn to communicate as well as their peers. Others may start to develop these skills at a seemingly normal level, but later regress. In these cases, the regression usually occurs before thirty six months of age.
Children who are exhibiting autism-like behavior tend to be withdrawn and don't have much interest in playing with other children. While most children have an active imagination, and enjoy playing pretend games, autistic children don't tend to engage in this type of play. Children with autism can also do repetitive behavior such as rocking back and forth. There are many symptoms of autism, and while some children get to the point where they don't speak at all, others will appear to develop fairly normally but at a slightly slower rate.
Living with autism can be very difficult for families. Many parents of autistic children withdraw from friends and other family members since dealing with autism can be very exhausting and draining on a person mentally and physically. If you have a child with autism there are many support groups that can help you to deal with the life changes that come with autism.
Every child is different and thus the treatment tried will have different results. Though there is no cure for autism, various options are available to be tried to improve the communication skills of your child. A possible treatment could be to include the child with autism in the class with normal children.
Since each instance should be considered on a case by case basis, talk to your doctor about treatment options. You may have to practice some trial and error until you find the right program for your child.
Before trying any possible treatment one must discuss it with your doctor. Help must be taken from online forums in case required. It is a scary prospect to live with a child with autism but it has been seen that these children can also lead a full and happy life. It is possible to deal with autism and not inhibit your life too much by educating oneself and other around you.
About the author: Melinda Printon is the chief writer at Full Info on Autism, the web's premier location when you're after accurate up to date advice and ideas about Autism. For more free articles on Autism: visit: http://www.fiautism.com/articles
This and other unique content autism articles are available with free reprint rights.
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