Childhood Autism





Childhood Autism

Introduction

The physical and mental development in homo-sapiens is unique to every individual. No two individuals grow up exactly in the same manner. Similarly, every child responds and perceives differently when given same books. Since birth we all are different. Some kids learn to speak clearly at the age of 2 years while some fumble at the age of 3 years. Some might relate to their surrounding quicker than the other. So it becomes difficult for parents to judge the signs of abnormal brain development in their little ones. The research paper presents a discussion on Autism (a brain disorder) and its affects. The paper also analyzes its symptoms and causes.

Discussion

Autism is a kind of mental disorder which directly effects the development of a child. The affected child has difficulty in establishing verbal or non-verbal communication with the world around them. An autistic child experience physical development like any other normal child. It is purely a brain disability. That's why it is not always easy to identify autism in a child on first look. They look like normal kids. However, such kids behave in a very different way. Their strange behavior becomes more obvious as they grow up. The disability affects 3 major areas: Communication, Social interaction and Imagination (The National Autistic Society, 2012)

Signs of autism in a child

According to the medical experts, the signs of autism become apparent at the age of 3. The disability cannot be identified before a child gets 18 months old even if parents closely observe their infants. Each child is affected in a different way. So, the signs of this disability are different in every child. Some might have substantial mental retardation while some lucky ones may have average intelligence. All parents should be educated about the early signs of autism in a child. It may help them spot the disability at an early age. So that extra care can be given to the child. The results are better if the affected children get an early treatment (Gordon, 2012). The following list represents a set of early signs in the little ones of age 6 to 18 months (based on research);

Affected children usually do not make a direct eye contact, he'd circulate his gaze in the surrounding (avoid looking into eyes).

The child does not respond when his name is called out while he does recognize the sound of the pet or the door bell at home.

The kid does not try to draw the attention of his parents or anyone else

Such kids make limited or no gestures.

They don't babble when you talk to them.

They avoid looking at things which are pointed to them.

Their facial expressions are somewhat disturbing or unusual (Barnes, 2011).

It is easy to diagnose autism in a school going kid. At the age of 3, average kids learn to speak sentences more clearly. They construct simple sentences. They have no difficulty in asking for food or their favorite toy. They can tell what they want. They learn shapes, alphabets, colors, animals ...