What is Autism?

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which affects from 5 to 10,000 children born among them, the most affected are males, and according to the latest studies there was an increase in the number of children affected by the disorder, reaching 60 out of every 10,000 children, showing a considerable increase in the number of cases. what is autism definition

In autism there is a compromise of functions such as social skills, communication skills and the presence of behaviors, and the loss of interest. what is autism definition

Conceptual changes have recently occurred and these have been published in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), in which Asperger’s syndrome has come to be considered a milder form of autism, both incorporated into the term called autism spectrum disorder. (ASD), the creation of this manual also helps in the diagnosis of these disorders, facilitating the identification of their severity.

Currently, there are several protocols and manuals established both by the competent health authorities and by the World Health Organization, the ICD-10, which help in the diagnosis, where the behavioral criteria are listed.

Causes

The causes of autism are currently unknown, but there are a number of factors that can lead to autism such as genetics and some external stressors capable of triggering the disease, such as the environment in which the individual was raised, pregnancy complications, viral infections, mercury contamination, but the probability that the disease appears due to genetic causes is 50%.

We can also relate the causes to the risk factors for the development of the disorder, among them we have sex, where the probabilities are four to five times higher in children, family history, in this case individuals who have reports of the disease in the family they are at greater risk, the age of the parents, the older the age, the greater the chances that the child will develop various diseases. what is autism definition

Symptoms

Children with autism show difficulties to relate in the first years of life, parents tend to seek help generally before the child is 3 years old, since some children do not seem to have the disorder before the first 2 years of life. what is autism definition

Some symptoms of autism can include emotional changes related to changes in the child’s routine, excessive attachment to personal objects, social disinterest, repetitive movements, lack of communication, gestural communication, repetition of memorized words in different situations, not referring to oneself as “I” some refer to him or you, difficulty in making new friends, preference for discreet places where there are no people around, avoidance of eye contact, aggressive behavior with you and with other people and poor attention span.

In addition to these symptoms, the autistic person may be hypersensitive to stimuli such as sight, hearing, touch, smell or taste. Enlarged, some avoid physical contact because it is oppressive, others avoid noise because they find the stimulus painful by covering their ears with their hands.

It is essential to seek medical help in the presentation of some of these symptoms already listed, but there is a possibility that this diagnosis can be made before the first year of life, for this reason parents should be attentive to symptoms such as not responding with expressions of joy at six months of age, Do not reproduce sounds and facial expressions until nine months.

Currently, with proper treatment, many symptoms can improve, but there is no cure for the disease.