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FDA approves first agent for treating autism symptoms: risperidone approval called ‘breakthrough.’.: An article from: Clinical Psychiatry News

Autism is a pervasive development disorder, it affects the way a person communicates and relates to other people. Children affected by this disorder have problems with the understanding of reality, interacting with people, places, events, sounds and lights, and they can also have problems with their imagination.

It is known that children affected by autism also have a limited range of interests, and about 75% of them can have mental retardation as well.

The symptoms of autism usually appear before a child is 3 years old, and last all his life. These symptoms can vary, they can be sometimes mild, or very severe.

There can appear difficulty with verbal communication, the inability to take part to a conversation even when the child has the ability to speak, difficulty to interact with people and with the surrounding reality, lack of imagination, inability to make friends and the preference to play alone.

We can also mention the preoccupation with unusual objects or parts of objects, an unreasonable insistence on following routines in detail, difficulty with non-verbal communication and repetitive body movements or patterns of behavior (for example head banging, flapping, spinning).

There exists a form of autism called savantism, and those affected by this illness have exceptional skills in specific areas like music, art, numbers, and are able to perform these skills without any practice.

A child could be suspected of autism, if he does not gesture, such as point or wave, does not babble or coo by 12 months of age, does not say single words by 16 months, or does not say two-word phrases on his own by 24 months. Another sign of autism, a sign that can appear at any age is the loss of any language and social skills.

The cause of autism in not known, but there are some possible factors that may lead to autism. Researchers believe that some people can have a genetic predisposition to autism, it is possible that this condition to be passed on from parents to children. It is possible that in some children, environmental factors to play a role too.

There are also other theories that say that antibodies inappropriately produced by the body’s immune system may attack the brain of children, causing autism. It was also said that it is possible that children with autism have abnormal timing of the growth of their brains.

It appeared the question if some vaccines can cause autism or other kind of behavioral disorder. Some parents of children with autism suspected that there is a link between measles, mumps, rubella vaccine and autism, but there wasn’t found any convincing evidence.

Autism is a disorder that appears 4 times more often in boys than in girls, and there are about 10 – 20 cases of autism to every 10,000 people.

In order to diagnose autism, if the symptoms are present, the doctor will perform a complete medical history and physical examination. Then, he will do some tests, like X-rays and blood tests, to find out if the symptoms are caused by a physical disorder.

If there isn’t found a physical disorder, the child is sent to a specialist in childhood development disorders, trained to diagnose and treat autism. The doctor analyzes the child’s level of development, speech and behavior, and often can ask the parents of the child, or other adults that are familiar with him about the symptoms that they found.

At this moment there is no cure for autism, but there is treatment that can reduce undesirable behaviors, and allow relatively normal development in the child.

Treatment can include medications in order to treat specific symptoms, like anxiety, hyperactivity and behavior that may result in injury, there are also necessary therapies that increase the child’s functional abilities, and strategies for supporting positive behavior. The special education is structured in order to satisfy the child’s unique educational needs.

It is known that autism cannot be prevented or cured. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important, in order to maximize the ability to speak, learn and function.

The severity of symptoms varies very much, and improves with intervention or as the children age. Some people with autism are able to have a normal or almost normal life, but it is known that many children with autism do not develop enough functional and communication skills to live independently as adults.

Researchers are looking for genes that may increase the risk of autism, and are studying abnormalities of the brain that can cause autism. Other studies are looking after possible biologic markers present at birth that may show a child has a risk for developing autism, or are analyzing how different brain regions develop and function in relation to each other and how can the alteration of this relationship cause symptoms of autism.

For more information about child autism please review http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms.htm or even http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms-checklist.htm

Autism symptoms can be hard to diagnose as autism itself covers a wide spectrum of symptoms. It is a neurological disorder that affects the way a person interprets the things around them. It effects them on a behavioural, social and communicative level. Sometimes the first symptoms are visible right after birth, but it most cases it takes till the ages 1-2 for it to become more evident. Though there are different levels of autism, there are some common traits or a checklist of symptoms to be aware of in your developing child.

Here is a brief autism symptoms checklist of the most common traits.

Impairment of social interaction. Simply put the child has problems interacting with those around them. They often have marked delays in the use of non-verbal behaviour or body language such as eye to eye contact, facial expressions ( they often look at the world around them with a blank expression), body posture and gestures regularly used in social interactions. They may also have delays or inability to develop peer relationships appropriate for their age or mental development level. As a young child they also do not seek to share enjoyment with others. While other children will take you by the hand to show and share their accomplishments the autistic child lacks this.

Impairments or delays in their communications skills.The autistic child will often lack or have a delay in their language skills. This is not accompanied by them making up for their lack of speech with hand gestures or other ways of communicating. They also tend to have an impairment in being able to hold a conversation or start a conversation with another person. Characteristics of autism can also include a repetitive use of language ( only saying certain phrases).

Repetitive and stereotyped behaviours. Characteristic of autism is a preoccupation of specific interests. For example that of an obsessive compulsive disorder. The autistic child is also inflexible in schedule. Little changes in routine cause an autistic child extreme distress. Their routine is very specific in its rituals and timing.

Delays in at least one of the following areas. If any or all of the following are present you may have an autistic child ( onset prior to age 3). Delays in social interactions, language used in social interactions and or lack of imaginative play.

This is just a brief autism symptoms checklist, if you child displays a large number of these it is imperative that you follow up with a doctor. Early intervention is the best possible way to prevent or minimize the impairment your child may have from autism. You as the parent are your child best advocate.

I wanted to talk to you about being able to recognize the adult autism symptoms that some people may exhibit. Adults don’t actually develop autism, but in a lot of cases many people are not diagnosed and grow up without actually knowing. Of course, the likelihood of finding an adult with severe autistic symptoms is quite rare. It is possible for a person with mild symptoms to make it into adulthood without a medical professional knowing that there could be an issue. Often it can be misdiagnosed as ADD or ADHD. I think it is very important to be able to recognize adult autism symptoms because it makes you a more effective person when communicating with them.

If you look at the severe cases of autism that make it to adulthood, there are a lot of big warning signs that will alert you to the problem. The obvious ones are communication problems. They might not be able to speak to you or even listen to you properly. You may feel frustrated that you’re investing into a conversation with them, but they’re not reciprocating. Often adults with severe cases won’t be working a day job. It’s even more likely that they can’t properly take care of themselves and require assistance from a loved one or professional.

The adult autism symptoms of a more mild case are a little harder to see, for the average the person. Normally if they’re function in the real world, they have the basic skills of communication to function. You may notice that you feel they’re ADD or ADHD because of some autistic behavior. Autistic people will tend to repeat things and push the conversation back to an old subject over and over again. You may view that as an inability to pay attention, when it really is the repetitive tendencies caused by autism.

Adult autism symptoms expand further when it comes to the repetitive nature of the person. You may view them as a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). You may see them doing the same repetitive things over and over again. Naturally you’d assume OCD, but it could quite possible be an autistic tendency coming out.

Another symptom you may notice is that they could disassociate themselves from everyone. They could be closed off from the group and not want to participate. This is a very common behavior of autism. They maybe able to perfectly communicate, but they still lack those basic capabilities of relating to others. You may have viewed them as a shy person or a bit of a loner, but it could be an autistic behavior.

I’d like to finish by explaining to you that these are just basic views on adult autism symptoms. As you can tell, a lot of regular people can have these behaviors. There are shy people in this world. There are people that always bring the subject of conversation back to something because they’re genuinely interested in the topic. It’s important not to assume that someone has autism, just to be aware of it.

Signs Of Autism Toddler

There is an estimation of three to six of very 1,000 children have autism. Autism is a brain disorder associated with developmental matters mainly in communication and social interaction. The disorder affects boys a greater amount of often than girls. Signs of their disorder largely give the impression before age 3. Diagnosis and treatment has greatly improved in the past few decades, however, autism cannot be cured. It persists throughout life. Signs Of Autism Toddler

The recent increase in the number of autism cases in the United States may be more the result of improved diagnosis and changes in diagnostic criteria. Severity of symptoms is different in each case. Some children are able to grow up and live independently, while others may always need supportive living and working environments.

Early, intensive treatment can make a difference. Signs and symptoms of autism include:

• Fails to respond to his or her name

• Has poor eye contact

• Appears not to hear you at times

• Resists cuddling and holding

• Appears unaware of others’ feelings

• Seems to prefer playing alone – - retreats into his or her “own world”

• Starts talking later than other children

• Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences

• Does not make eye contact when making requests

• Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm – may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech

• Can’t start a conversation or keep one going

• May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but does not understand how to use them

• Performs repetitive movements like rocking, spinning or hand-flapping

• Develops specific routines or rituals

• Becomes disturbed at the slightest change in routines or rituals

• Moves constantly

• May be fascinated by parts of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car

• May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch Signs Of Autism Toddler

Some children with autism become more engaged with others as they mature. They may show less marked disturbances in behavior. Those with the least severe impairments may eventually lead normal or near-normal lives. Others continue to have severe impairments in language or social skills.

The adolescent years may mean a worsening of behavior problems. The majority of children with autism are slow to acquire new knowledge or skills. However, there is an extremely small number of children with autism who have exceptional skills in a specific are such as art or math. Signs Of Autism Toddler

There is no identifiable cause for autism. Researchers believe the disorder is related to abnormalities in several regions of the brain. Researchers have also identified a number of gene defects associated with autism. Don’t let your child suffer anymore! Lead your child out of his world through Signs Of Autism Toddler program now!

Sign Of Autism In Infants

With the growing awareness and recognition of the Autism epidemic in our society, more and more people now know somebody affected by the current developmental disorder. According to experts and recent research, Autism can be detected and diagnosed by a well-trained professional by the time a child reaches 18-months of age. Sign Of Autism In Infants

It is very difficult to determine if a child younger than this age is showing signs of Autism. There are, however, normal developmental milestones that parents can monitor to ensure their infants and toddlers are developing at a normal rate. It is important to note that just because an individual child does not meet one or more of these milestones it does not mean the child has autism or any other disorder. All children will develop at different rates.

If your child does not meet these milestones and you feel something may be wrong, your best bet is to consult your family physician and get your child tested further. There are three major areas where Autism will present itself in children. These areas are social skills, communication and behavior. Let us examine each. Sign Of Autism In Infants

Social Skills: Your child should begin imitating words or gestures such as hello and goodbye before 18-months. A child with Autism might not accomplish this developmental milestone and may not participate in social games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. Behavior: Young children with autism will often develop repetitive motions. These are actions that the child repeats over and over. Some examples include flapping of the arms or repeated rocking from side to side. This is often referred to as stimming.

Children with autism also often need to have routines. They need actions to be repeated in the same manor each time or each day. Communication: About two out of five children with Autism do not talk. This is a major sign. Normally developing children typically start saying their first words around one-year of age. Many children with Autism will only repeat what is said to them, or will not speak at all. Sign Of Autism In Infants

Some children start taking, then lose the ability or stop talking around 18-24 months. As mentioned earlier in this article, it is important to remember that all children develop and different rates. If your child demonstrates one or more of these characteristics it does not mean your child has autism. It might mean that you need to discuss the subject with your family physician. Don’t let your child suffer anymore! Lead your child out of his world through Sign Of Autism In Infants program now!

Autism is considered to be the most serious disorder among Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism is triggered by neurological dysfunctions, in some cases causing dramatic, irreversible damage in behaviors, social interactions, communication skills and even physical development. Although people who suffer from autism don’t always seem to be different from normal people, the presence of abnormalities is revealed by the way they socially interact, communicate, and learn.

Autism symptoms can usually be spotted during the first years of life. Despite the fact that autistic people share common features of the disorder, it is wrong to generalize the aspects of autism. People with autism, just like normal people, develop unique, distinctive personalities and have different ways of understanding and relating to the world. Furthermore, people with autism sometimes have high, above average IQ’s. Autistic people usually have good mathematical skills and good memory.

People with autism tend to experience emotional problems at different stages of their lives due to their evasive, withdrawing behaviors and they often become depressed. An obvious autism symptom is the predisposition towards stereotype, repetitive behaviors, and the preference for activities that involve maintaining a certain routine. People with autism strongly resist change and they are usually very tidy and organized. They categorize personal objects, maintaining everything in a very strict order. It is thought that autistic people refuse to engage in spontaneous activities due to their poor adaptability to new situations.

The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities proposes the following autism symptoms in identifying the presence of the disorder:

poor emphatic skills, inability of understanding and coping with others’ distress;

inability of relating to other people, lack of interest in other persons; it is a fact that autistic people have behaviors oriented towards the self;

avoidance of social interactions, refusal of making eye contact, isolation from the external world;

difficulties in expressing feelings or understanding other people’s emotions;

poor responsiveness when called by their name, refusal of redirecting their attention towards people when asked to;

difficulties in expressing their needs and desires;

repeating ideas within a conversation, incoherent speech;

unusual reactions to external stimuli like sounds, tastes or smells;

deterioration of the skills they once possessed.

Children with autism need special care and attention and appropriate treatment in order to minimize the harm caused by their disorder. It is vital to pay attention to autism symptoms when suspecting that a child may be suffering from the disorder. Children with autism better deal with the disorder if they have been diagnosed with autism at an early age.

Adults with autism are able to take care of themselves, especially if they suffer from milder forms of the disorder. They can sometimes be successfully integrated in the society and some autistic people can even handle a job. However, many people with autism have unpredictable behaviors and need to be under the constant care of their families. Autistic people that have more severe forms of the disorder are usually institutionalized and kept under strict monitoring.

Autism is a condition that affects perception, attention, interaction with others, thought, and many other vital abilities. Unfortunately, because we know so little about how the brain functions, we can’t explain why autism appears or how can it be treated. The only thing we can do for autistic people is to try to help them integrate and fit in as much as possible, and to make them feel good about themselves.

The first thing that can be done in order to help an autistic person is need to discover if he/she is suffering from autism or not by checking the symptoms, because it’s up to the ones around those with autism disorders to discover them due to the fact that they are not aware of their own condition and will never visit a doctor on their own. In the children’s case it’s up to the parents or the family to see if their son or daughter have the autism condition.

Autism is a term that covers a wide-range of disabilities, from mild to severe ones, so there aren’t some specific symptoms of this so-called illness, but it is known that it affects behavior, interaction with others and communication skills, so those with problems of this kind and that present some other signs that seem to be common in autism cases are diagnosed with the autism disorder.

Here follows a list of the most encountered symptoms and signs of autism, but as mentioned before this affection does not follow a certain pattern, so don’t jump to any conclusions on your own. Only a certified doctor can put an accurate diagnosis.

The first autism symptoms can be detected during the childhood, and until the child reaches the age of 3 or 4 years old the disorder is usually very visible. Adults and children that suffer from autism disorders are completely ignoring other people, they are indifferent to whatever is happening around them, they like to be alone, they reject contact and communication with others and they stare for hours at a single thing sometimes. They are living in a world of their own and they are very sensitive to sensations such as strong smells or loud noises.

Austists cannot speak right, they have problems with the language skills, so they express their needs through gestures rather than through words. Young children with autism don’t like to be cuddled, tickled, or touched at all. The way they play is very different from other children’s play.

The world is a strange place that they don’t understand, so autistic persons need special treatment and special care, they need to be loved and protected because they are in danger all the time. For them it does not seem dangerous to cross the street when the traffic lights are red for example.

Therefore, discovering and properly diagnosing and treating autism is the first and most important step in helping those that suffer from it. So seek advice from a specialized doctor if you suspect your child or anyone else to be an autistic.

More informations about autism causes or about autism symptoms can be found by visiting http://www.autism-info-center.com/

Autism Symptom Checklist

Autism is a neurological disorder that may lead to drastic damage at behavioral, communication and social interactions level. Usually verified during the first periods of life, autism is believed to be a serious condition the present determines abnormalities in the development of children. Autism Symptom Checklist

The above all autism symptoms can sometimes be observed at birth. However, the presence of these kinds of a disorder is typically shown later, at ages virtually one or two years. Children with autism may encounters milder forms of the disorder, or, on the contrary, they may be affected by a large amount of severe forms of autism. Autism is a disorder that affects the way people relate to others, perceive and express feelings, communicate with other people, behave and adapt to new situations.

At the first sight, a person who suffers from autism appears to be normal and in fact, autistic people aren’t very different from people not affected by the disorder. Some autistic people have average and above average IQ’s, and the disorder affects people regardless of their intelligence level. People with autism usually focus their intelligence towards working with numbers, excelling in areas like mathematics. Despite the fact that many autistic people are very intelligent, they are unable to express themselves or to properly relate to other people. They usually have low emotional intelligence and behaviors targeted towards the self. Parents suspecting that their children might be affected by autism should pay careful attention to autism symptoms.

If autism symptoms are spotted soon, the damage done by the disorder can be controlled. Autistic children that receive the appropriate treatment, special care and attention, are less likely to develop severe forms of the disorder. Therefore, speed is vital in detecting the first autism symptoms. Parents that notice abnormalities in the behavior of their children should consider keeping track of autism symptoms with the help an autism symptoms checklist. It is best to keep an autism symptom checklist and to verify the responsiveness of children earlier than the age of two years, in order to be able to intervene in the development of the disorder. Autism Symptom Checklist

Here is an autism symptoms checklist presenting the most common autism symptoms to small children and babies:

- inappropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills;

- strong resistance to environmental and behavioral change (autistic children don’t let people interfere with their routine, engaging in repetitive, stereotype behaviors and activities; they also have low adaptability to new situations);

- hyper-activity or hypo-activity (autistic children usually have extreme behaviors; they are either very active, being difficult to calm down, or passive, avoiding any interactions and showing little responsiveness to stimuli);

- inability to understand and act in the presence of danger (autistic children usually don’t seem to be aware of potential dangers);

- poor imitational skills (inability of imitating simple gestures or facial expressions);

- low responsiveness to the hearing of their own name;

- difficulties in social interactions, avoidance of making eye contact with people;

- the tendency of engaging in activities and behaviors that may result in self-harm (banging their heads against their cribs, excessively scratching their skin);

- poor emphatic skills (children with autism experience difficulties in relating with other people; they also can’t express their compassion or understanding to people in distress).

These autism symptoms presented above are the most common signs of abnormalities that children with the disorder might present and it is very important to spot them as soon as possible. Autism Symptom Checklist

This autism symptoms checklist should guide you in revealing the presence of autism during children’s first years of life. Don’t let your child suffer anymore! Lead your child out of his world through Autism Symptom Checklist program now!

Early Sign Of Autism In Infants

Autism is a multifaceted brain disorder the present influences a lot of parts in a simple progress, that includes his social, motor and communication skills. The good shock is, there are many slow but sure studies which seek to understand autism. Experts say that early detection and treatment of autism is vital. Early Sign Of Autism In Infants

There is increasing evidence overly it’s possible to detect autism in infants because the first part of intervention can make a big difference in minimizing the symptoms and any a great deal more unpleasent impact of the disorder, it is imperative for parents to comprehend autism’s signs and symptoms.

The symptoms of autism are normally noticeable by 18 to 36 months, and other mild symptoms may be apparent earlier than that; even during infancy. Therefore, parents should closely monitor or track their child’s progress. If the symptoms are identified by 12 months of age or earlier, rigorous treatment may reverse the signs.

Symptoms at the onset are easier to overlook primarily because it entails the lack of normal behaviors; and not the existence of abnormal ones. For instance, most babies with autism normally don’t reach out to get toys, or make signals to get your attention. Most parents misinterpret autism symptoms as signs of being a “good baby,” because the baby is withdrawn and is not demanding. True, a baby with those characteristics are easy to take care of, but these signs are some of the warnings that parents should be vigilant of. Early Sign Of Autism In Infants

What exactly are symptoms that parents should look out for? Here are some warning signs that you should watch for to ensure that your child is developing at a normal rate:

* One of the first signs of autism is if the baby does not look, make eye contact, or turn after hearing their name. * If the baby doesn’t smile in response.

* If the baby doesn’t mimic what you’re doing.

* If the baby doesn’t make attempts to talk (gibberish, babbling)

* If the baby is not visually attracted to things. Here are signs to watch out for toddlers:

* If the child is having difficulty communicating his needs.

* If the child suddenly stops to make attempts to talk.

* If the child has trouble developing his language skills. It’s normal for a parent to become worried once they see their child manifest these symptoms. If you have observed these signs from your infant or toddler, it’s prudent for you to make an appointment with your health provider. Early Sign Of Autism In Infants

Actually, it’s best if you’ll have your child undergo screening even though he seems to develop normally. Don’t let your child suffer anymore! Lead your child out of his world through Early Sign Of Autism In Infants program now!