Yoga And Brain Health In Kids

Love, Support and Understand Autism

world autism awareness day

The month of April has been observed as Autism Awareness Month across the globe.

Autism is a severe developmental disability that generally begins at birth or within the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that changes the way the brain functions -- causing delays or problems in many different skills from infancy to adulthood.

the spectrum of autism

Autism belongs to a collection of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). A spectrum disorder is a group of disorders with similar features. While one person may have mild symptoms, another might have more severe ones. There also are differences in the nature of the symptoms themselves and when they are likely to first appear.

It is very important to understand the early signs and symptoms of Autism for better prognosis.

 Early Warning signs of Autism in Babies are:

1.  not babble or coo by 12 months of age

2.  not gesture, such as point or wave, by 12 months of age

3.  not say single words by 16 months

4.  not say two-word phrases on his or her own (rather than just repeating what someone else says) by 24          months

5.  lost any language or social skills (at any age)

6.  not establish or maintain eye contact

7.  not make facial expressions or respond to your facial expressions

Symptoms of Autism in children are:

• Difficulty with verbal communication, including problems using and understanding language

• Inability to participate in a conversation, even when the child has the ability to speak

• Difficulty with non-verbal communication, such as gestures and facial expressions

• Difficulty with social interaction, including relating to people and to his or her surroundings

signs of autism:resource-halcyon

• Difficulty making friends and preferring to play alone

• Unusual ways of playing with toys and other objects, such as only lining them up a certain way

• Difficulty adjusting to changes in routine or familiar surroundings, or an unreasonable insistence on following routines in detail

• Repetitive body movements, or patterns of behavior, such as hand flapping, spinning, and head banging

• Preoccupation with unusual objects or parts of objects

Children with autism do not follow the typical patterns of child development. In some children, hints of future problems may be apparent from birth. In most cases, the problems in communication and social skills become more noticeable as the child gets older (between 12 and 36 months) and starts lagging behind other children of the same age.

As children with autism get older they often have unusual responses to sensory experiences, such as certain sounds or the way objects look. These symptoms can range from mild to severe - and will be different in different children.
For instance, a child may find it easy to learn to read, but have trouble in social situations. However, with autism, each child will display communication, social, and behavioral patterns that are individual but fit into the overall diagnosis of autism.

Hence it is very important for the parents , caregivers and pediatricians to make early identification of autistic features.

Remember, the earlier the diagnosis, the better will be prognosis....

Dr. P Pathak

www.swavalambanrehab.com
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