The severity and symptoms of autism vary from one case to another, but in all cases it affects the affected person’s ability to communicate with those around him and develop mutual relationships with them. What are the characteristics of an autism patient, how to diagnose him, and the different treatment methods at Al Mousa Specialist Hospital, and this is what we will discuss in this article, so follow along with us. 

What is autism

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning it affects brain growth and development, leading to differences in how information is processed and how a person communicates and interacts with others. 

The symptoms of autism vary greatly from one person to another. Some may have mild symptoms, while others suffer from more severe symptoms. It is classified into three grades or levels based on the severity of the symptoms and the level of support the person needs, which are as follows:

• First degree: It is referred to as mild autism, where the person sometimes appears normal and is able to speak in complete sentences, which makes the diagnosis of autism more difficult, but he may have difficulty forming friendships and exchanging fluent conversations with others, difficulty understanding signs and body language, and difficulty adapting to changes. People with this degree need simple support in social and communicative situations.
• Second degree: People with moderate autism face noticeable difficulty in social communication, even with support. Their speech is limited to simple phrases, and they engage in repetitive stereotypical behaviors. They need significant and regular care and support in social situations, behavioral therapy, and specialized educational interventions.
• Third degree: This is the most severe degree of autism, in which the affected person needs specialized, comprehensive care in all aspects of his life on an ongoing basis, with little or no ability to communicate verbally, and the typical behavioral symptoms appear more frequent and severe. 

Causes of autism

Until now, there are no specific and precise causes for the emergence of autism, but it is believed that it may result from a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors, and there are some factors that increase the risk of developing it, including: 

العوامل الوراثية:

• Having a family history of infection. 
• Some genetic mutations occur.
• The presence of certain genetic conditions, such as Fragile X syndrome. 
• The parents are older. 

Environmental factors:

• Such as the mother's exposure to chemicals during pregnancy. 
• The mother suffers from some diseases during pregnancy, such as diabetes, obesity, or viral infections. 
• Taking certain medications during pregnancy. 
• Suffering from some birth complications, such as lack of oxygen. 
• الولادة المبكرة. 
• Low birth weight of the baby. 
• Gender: Males are 4 times more likely to develop autism than females. 

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Symptoms of autism 

Usually, the symptoms of this disease appear on the child in early childhood, between the ages of one and two years. The symptoms vary from one patient to another, and range from mild to severe. The characteristics or symptoms include the following:

Difficulties in communication and social interaction, which appear in the form of:

•  Difficulty making eye contact, avoiding eye contact or difficulty maintaining eye contact.
• Difficulty understanding social cues, such as understanding facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice.
• Difficulty making and maintaining friends, and the person may prefer to play alone.
• Delayed language development, and may use language in a non-stereotypical way.
• Difficulty understanding other people's feelings, as well as expressing one's own feelings.
• The child does not respond when you call him by name or seems as if he does not hear you at times. 
• A child with this disease does not like to be hugged or held, and prefers to play alone. 

 Different behavioral patterns, which appear in the form of:

• Making repetitive movements, such as flapping your hands, swinging, or shaking your head.
• Following a certain routine, sticking to it, and being extremely upset by any change. 
• Paying attention to strange details, such as focusing only on the car’s wheels.
• Intense and limited interests and may spend long hours thinking or talking about these interests.
• Sensory hypersensitivity or decreased sensitivity to sensory stimuli, such as noise, light, or touch.
• Learning difficulties.
• Doing a strange movement pattern, such as walking on your toes.
•  Some people with this disease have trouble sleeping or digestive problems. 
• Digestive problems: Some people with this disease may suffer from digestive problems or epileptic seizures.  

Methods of diagnosing autism

Diagnosing autism is a major challenge for doctors, as there is no single specific medical test to diagnose this disease, and its symptoms are similar to other conditions.

Autism is usually diagnosed by a multidisciplinary team that includes a developmental pediatrician, psychologist, speech-language pathologist, and occupational therapist. The main steps in the process of diagnosing the disease include the following:

• Developmental screening is observing the child's behavior in different situations, such as playing and interacting with others, and evaluating basic skills such as learning abilities and speech development.
• Interview the parents, to obtain information about the family history and the child's development and behavior.
• Using diagnostic tools, such as rating scales, which are standardized assessment scales to evaluate a child's behavior and determine whether the child's likelihood of developing autism is low, moderate, or high, such as the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R).
• Parent questionnaires, where the doctor uses a screening tool called the Modified Autism Checklist for Young Children, which is a 23-question parent questionnaire, helps determine the child's likelihood and degree of autism.
• Comprehensive behavioral assessment of the child, to evaluate the child’s cognitive abilities, such as intelligence and memory, and evaluate the child’s language and communication skills, as well as his ability to perform daily life skills on his own, such as dressing, eating, and going to the bathroom. 

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How to treat autism

Despite the variety of ways to treat this disease, there is no definitive cure for autism.

In general, treatments and interventions aim to help children with this disease improve their skills, quality of life, and practice their daily activities. These interventions vary according to the needs of each person, and include:

• Behavioral therapies, through intensive behavioral intervention such as applied behavior analysis (ABA), which aims to teach new skills and reduce unwanted behaviors through rewards and positive reinforcement, and social-emotional communication therapy (SCERTS), which focuses on improving social communication and emotional regulation.
• Developmental therapies, such as speech and language therapy, which helps improve verbal and nonverbal communication. 
• Occupational therapy, which helps develop life skills and gain confidence and independence in activities of daily living, such as dressing and eating.
• Physical therapy helps improve movement and coordination for those who suffer from physical disabilities such as poor balance or muscle weakness.
• Pharmacological treatments: There is no medicine available that treats this disease directly, but medications can be used to treat the accompanying symptoms, such as antidote medications To overcome depression Psychosis and hyperactivity.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the effective methods in treating this disease in adults, as it aims to help sufferers understand the extent to which their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect each other.

الأسئلة الشائعة: 

Is autism a psychological or mental illness?

It is not considered a psychological or mental illness in the traditional sense of these terms. Rather, it is a type of neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the brain and its development. It usually appears in early childhood and affects communication, behavior, and social interaction.

The reasons for not considering it a mental illness are as follows:

• Autism has a clear neurobiological basis, as there are differences in the structure and function of the brain.
• The early appearance of autism appears in early childhood, while mental illnesses may appear at any age. 
• Differences in symptoms, as autism symptoms are mainly focused on communication and social behavior.

What are the behaviors of an autistic patient?

The behaviors of autistic patients vary greatly from one person to another, because autism is a broad spectrum that affects individuals to varying degrees, but there are common behaviors that appear in people with autism, and they can be divided into three main categories that can be summarized as follows:

• Difficulties in social communication and forming friendships, delay in the development of speech, and preference to be alone: ​​preference, and difficulty in understanding the feelings of others or expressing one’s feelings.
• Restricted and repetitive behavioral patterns, such as stereotypical repetitive movements such as flapping hands, turning, or walking on toes, specific and intense interests, adherence to routines, difficulty dealing with changes, excessive or decreased sensory sensitivity, and engaging in activities that may cause self-harm.
• Other symptoms, such as learning difficulties, sleep problems, digestive problems, angry outbursts, hyperactivity and impulsivity, or seizures of epileptic disorder, delayed development of language and motor skills. 

In conclusion, autism is not a disease that can be cured. Rather, it is one of the types of neurodevelopmental disorders that lasts a lifetime. However, early and continuous interventions and treatments make a big difference in the lives of people with autism, which helps them develop their skills and improve their quality of life.

Therefore, we advise you to visit the children’s clinic at Al Mousa Specialist Hospital if you suspect that your child suffers from autism, as the clinic is supervised by an elite group of specialists who hold the highest academic degrees and have extensive experience in diagnosing autism.

You can contact us on our numbers listed on the website for more details, reservations and inquiries. 

Sources and references

Signs of autism – autismspeaks

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – autismspeaks