Autism in Children – The Importance of Diagnosing Children with Autism Early
If a child develops Autism it generally appears within the first couple of years of their life. It is very common for children to be diagnosed around three years of age. The disorder of Autism is classified as a Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD).
It affects the child’s ability to develop normally in the areas of communication, social skills, and behaviors.
Some children display issues in all three areas of development while others only display them in one or two areas. The degree of disability in any of the given areas varies by child as well. If such developmental disabilities are observed by a parent, teacher, or medical professional an assessment can be done.
The Autism Spectrum of Disorders is applied. This is to help identify the common characteristics that children with Autism will likely display.
There are plenty of theories based on research as to the causes of Autism but the exact cause is still not known. One idea is that injuries caused during pregnancy or soon after birth lead to Autism. The Autism Genome Project (AGP) is currently looking into the concept of genetics playing a role in Autism.
Since the areas of functioning that are affected include communication, social skills, and behaviors is can be difficult to realize there is a problem until the child becomes a little bit older. The most severe cases of Autism are diagnosed the earliest because of the number of traits and characteristics of Autism they portray from an early age. Those children with high levels of intelligence are often unable to be diagnosed until around three years of age.
The sooner the diagnosis is made, the quicker therapy and other processes can be implemented. This is all in an effort to offset the severity of the Autism. The later a diagnosis is made the more the disability has become a part of the child’s core traits. While there is no cure for Autism, helping the child function at the highest level is a priority.
Many of the therapies implemented for Autistic children involve repetition so that they learn the correct behaviors, social skills, and communication methods that are found in the rest of society. The earlier Autism is diagnosed in a child the more that can be done to change their developmental disabilities. It is the best tool available right now for helping families with Autistic children find support and methods that work for their individual child.
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If you found this information on Autism In Children useful, you’ll want to read this article about Autistic Behaviour.
