Autism Symptoms for Children

Posted on October 10, 2009 by admin Comments (0)

Understanding some of the Autism Symptoms for Children will help to find appropriate intervention as soon as possible.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder that reportedly effects up to 1 in 150 toddlers. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized as a spectrum disorder because the degrees of the disorder can vary dramatically. ASD presents in the forms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Aspergers and severe Autism. Autism Symptoms for Children

To date there is no known cure of Autism, with research continuing there are suggestions that genetic pre curses to the disorder may exist. Early diagnosis and intervention offers the best outcome for the child. Parents who are concerned that their child may have signs of the disorder should seek a diagnosis as early as possible.

It can be very difficult for parents of babies and toddlers to see the signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder, as they are still developing but there are some definite early warning signs that parents can look out for.

Autism symptoms for children are a little more obvious for parents to detect when the child is showing signs of ADD and ADHD . Children suffering from ADD and ADHD often have very short attention spans, are extremely over active the majority of the time and very difficult to feed. Their world just seems to have too much in it and not enough time to see and touch it all.

If you are recognizing these Autism symptoms for children or early warning signs of ADD or ADHD in your child one thing that may be considered is their diet. There is much research to suggest that children with ADD and ADHD can be affected greatly by the foods that they consume. Chemical additives in the food and drinks they consume can have a dramatic effect on their disposition. Not to be confused with a sugar high, some additives in foods can exacerbate their agitated and uncontrollable restlessness. Eliminating these chemicals from the diet and replacing them with fresh foods and natural alternatives will go a long way to helping toddlers control their behavior.

Within the spectrum is Autism itself, this condition has no known cure and can affect a child dramatically for the rest of their life. This severity of this condition varies from very mild to severe. Some of the obvious warning signs for Autism include; your child not responding to his or her name, your child not responding to a smile with a smile, and an inability to be comforted with physical affection.

Children with Autism often lack the ability to understand human emotions. They have difficulty interpreting facial expressions and body language of others. This can often lead to frustration for both parents and children. Other warning signs include the constant repetition of words and movements or obsessing over one particular toy or object. If your child is showing any one of these early signs of Autism you should consider seeking out the medical opinion of a pediatrician. Early diagnosis and intervention can greatly improve the outcome for the child as their brain is still developing.

Speech delay is another one of the common Autism symptoms for children. The devastating reality for parents with children with Autism is that most children with Autism begin life following a normal path of development. The gradual loss of their fine motor skills and speech can be unexpected and very confusing. Many parents describe this experience as ‘losing their child’ to the disorder. It is heartbreaking and devastating.

There are many ways that you can support your child if they are showing signs of any of the Autism symptoms for children. Introducing a gesture-based sign language early on can help to maintain their ability to communicate, especially if the condition deteriorates rapidly and their speech is lost. Sign language that has been developed for babies and toddlers can be useful to help them with their communication, as they may not have the dexterity or attention span for adult sign language as yet.

If your child has been learning baby sign language from an early age and can communicate through this means, it is a skill that will prove invaluable if you later discover that your child has a speech delay or worst cases is likely to lose their speech altogether. When a child has regressed in their speech development because of Autism, the skills they have developed with sign language will be retained, allowing the parent and child a means of communication. It is important to recognize the Autism symptoms for Children as early as possible so there is no delay in seeking help.

Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart  available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.

Autism Signs in Children – What to Look for and When

Posted on September 24, 2009 by admin Comments (2)

Every parent should be familiar with the Autism signs in children so that they are able to take preventative or diagnostic action as soon as these signs appear. Early diagnosis will have a dramatic effect on how the condition deteriorates because there are many things that can be done to slow or reverse the process whilst the child is very young and still developing. What are the warning signs that your child might be at risk of developing an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and when should you start looking for them?

Autism Spectrum Disorder doesn’t consist of a single diagnosis as the name suggests; ASD is a spectrum disorder and includes the diagnosis of Aspergers and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD). Many autistic people are highly functioning; Bill Gates is a perfect example.  For others who are at the other end of the spectrum it can be a debilitating disease that gets more difficult to manage the older they become. Some sufferers will end up needing daily support from family or care workers for the rest of their lives. Although there is much data to support possible causes of Autism, the scientific and medical community continues to debate the possible triggers. It would be reasonable to suggest that some people are born with a higher predisposed risk of developing Autism and for others there may be environmental factors involved. Nonetheless, early detection is likely to be the saving grace.

Early intervention can provide the child with help that could play a huge role in how their future plays out. If the Autism is linked to heavy metal toxicity, ridding the body of these toxins needs to be done as early as possible before permanent damage is done to the brain. If the child is going to suffer from speech problems or language delay, early intervention will provide a solid foundation from which to begin their therapy.

One of the most common autism signs in children is flapping. This is particularly difficult to detect as it is a common trait amongst babies before they gain control over their limbs. Babies flap their arms particularly if they are excited, happy, want something or are tired. If this flapping continues well beyond the age where they are able to walk there could be cause for concern.

Another common autism sign in children is lack of desire for social interaction and a lack of apparent emotion. Autistic children and adults are withdrawn, preferring their own company over the company of others. If you are concerned that you baby doesn’t develop the normal social skills of his or her peers it might be worth further investigation. Bear in mind that children tend to play ‘around’ each other not ‘with’ each other until they are over the age of 2 years. A lack of eye contact coupled with a desire to be alone would be a cause for concern.

Obsessive behavior is another indicator which might go hand in hand with the lack of social interaction. If your child shows signs of being obsessive, especially in relation to tactile things, it might be an indication that you need to seek further help.

Autistic children and adults don’t cope well with change, especially if routines are broken. Look out for signs of obvious distress that are out of proportion with the event, especially if they involve a severe tantrum due to a broken routine.

Some children with autism also seem to have sensitivity to light and noise, although these signs of autism are more difficult to detect and may not be present in all cases.

Delayed speech is another sign of Autism in children, although this is not always the case. Some children start out on a path of normal development only to deteriorate later on after they reach the age of two. This is one of the reasons why ASD is such a baffling and frustrating condition; many parents suffer the heartache of ‘losing’ their child to symptoms that were not present in the first few years of life.

As difficult as it may be to seek out the diagnosis; understanding the signs of autism in children may assist you to seek support earlier, leading to a better outcome for the child.

Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart  available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.