Autism Symptoms
Autism Symptoms questions and answers
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Q: How does Kawasaki's Disease lead to autism symptoms?
Just wondering...I thought it could lead to heart problems, but not autism symptoms. Please enlighten me, someone.
A: Autism just means a group of particular symptoms of unknown origin -- at this present time. This is what the DSM says, which was published several years ago and badly needs to be updated. One could have a medical diagnosis which lead to autism symptoms, and a doctor could say, "infection induced autsim", "vaccine-induced autism", or some other medical diagnosis and then the words autism. Saying autism is just a breif way of saying that this person also has impairments in social and communication abilities. Thus, autism is a broud term used to describe that a person has significant impairment in social and communication areas. There are many illnesses that lead to autism symptoms that I have come across, lyme being the most prominent, Bartonella also prominent. My children no longer have autism after they were treated for pathogens and infections. You can google "infections autism" or "toxins autism" to learn all about it and even find practitioners in your area that know how to treat it. Don't expect the average medical doctor to know much about autism treatments; it is too new. The Internet has allowed us parents to learn what to do after our pediatricians and other specialists were offering us no help.
Q: my baby does not cry. is this autism symptoms. baby hears and responds to everything.?
my baby does not cry. is this autism symptoms? baby hears and responds appropriately to sound.
A: Of course not. Mine is 5-month old, and hardly ever cries; she is very active and happy, and just seems to think that the world is a nice and caring place - so, why cry? If your baby is healthy, happy, and responsive, there is absolutely no reason to worry yourself - babies cry from discomfort, hunger, etc., and not crying should mean that you are simply a great mother, and able to meet her needs on the spot.
Naturally, you could try and gently pinch your baby - she certainly would cry then, but this is absolutely pointless exercise if the baby is ok with her reactions and development.
I am sure you simply have a very happy and loved child.
Good luck!
Q: If a child had some symptoms of Autism but not others and received no treatment for it - would they?
would they grow up normally or would these seemingly random symptoms get worse and worse?
A: To me that totally depends on whether the person is actually autistic or not. People are so quick to throw labels around that many MANY children are being diagnosed and are not autistic. Sometimes these parents want their child to have the diagnosis so they can get the SS money. (I've seen this all too often.)
A person can have some symptoms that an autistic person may have, and not be autistic. My son is one of those, he has a few quirks that can be found on the list of symptoms, but he is in no way autistic.
If the person is actually autistic then I don't see those symptoms getting any better without the therapy necessary to learn how to cope and deal with them.
Q: What are the immediate symptoms of autism in a small child?
A: I can tell you what my son did or did not do when he was small. He had very few words, hand posturing and he didn't respond to his name. He had great eye contact when he wanted to look at us but not when we called his name. His hand posturing was bad enough that he couldn't feed himself with a fork or spoon. He had odd play, lined his toys around him. He also didn't want to play with other kids his age. Those are some of the signs that we saw when he was small.
Q: Does smoking marijuana during pregnancy cause autism or symptoms that mirror autism to the unborn child?
A: Smoking anything during pregnancy is a f*cking stupid thing to do.
Everything you ingest into your body goes into your blood and to the placenta, where your unborn baby will take that in. If you smoke marijuana you're giving your baby a drug.
Look here,
http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-safe-to-smoke-marijuana-during-pregnancy_2490.bc
It says you can affect growth, nervous system, problems with attention and solving problems, short-term memory isssues, concentration, judgement, possibly ADHD, higher risk of leukemia.
I hope this is a hypothetical question.
Q: Any one have a child with high functioning Autism? What can you tell me about thier symptoms/school accom.?
I am wondering if anyone has a child who has high functioning Autism and what you can tell me about thier behaviors? My son was just given a preliminary diagnosis of PDD. They said somewhere on the higher functioning side of the spectrum. I am wanting to hear information about the symptoms, treatments, school issues and what ever else you can tell me about it. My son is six years old.
A: PDD basically means that there are some issues that the person deals with that are symptoms of autism and aspergers, but that there are not enough symptoms in the right categories for an autism or aspergers diagnosis.
My son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS at 11 years old. He has always been frustrated by things at school, had horrible handwriting, been very literal, and had wierd mannerisms. He also tneds to gravitate to adults vs kids, gets stuck on certain topics and will talk at length about them no matter WHAT other people are talking about. Currently he is on shortened school days while we deal with his frustrationa nd anxiety issues that were causing violent outbursts at school. Up until now his only accomidation was a class aide to help with focus and frustration.
The best info you can get is a book called "a parents guide to aspergers syndrome and high functioning autism: how to help your child thrive". I got a lot of good info from it when I was where you are now.
Q: whats are some symptoms of autism?
whats are some symptoms of autism?
A: With autism some characteristics are more profound in some then in others, some can have certain characteristics and not others, in other words since it is a spectrum disorder each persons characteristics will vary on individual basis and each can be from mild to severe. There are some conditions that have similar characteristics and some conditions that share some characteristics of autism and some conditions that co-exist with autism. There are different forms of autism such as Asperger's & PDD-NOS.
This is some common characteristics of autism from the Autism Society:
http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_whatis_char
Insistence on sameness; resistance to change
Difficulty in expressing needs; using gestures or pointing instead of words
Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language
Laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason; showing distress for reasons not apparent to others
Preference to being alone; aloof manner
Tantrums
Difficulty in mixing with others
Not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled
Little or no eye contact
Unresponsive to normal teaching methods
Sustained odd play
Spinning objects
Obsessive attachment to objects
Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain
No real fears of danger
Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity
Uneven gross/fine motor skills
Non-responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf, although hearing tests are in normal range
Sensory integration which can include a variety of sensory issues from sounds, lights, tastes, odors, textures, etc
Process and respond to information in unique ways
Aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present
Q: Does anyone know about curing autism symptoms thorugh nutrition modification?
A: I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but through vitamins, supplements, and switching to more natural products, my son has progressed dramatically in almost two years. I don't know about 'curing' autism, but nobody that doesn't know my son on a very personal level can tell that he is autistic. He's only four, so I'm not really sure what his future will hold, but so far he looks like it's no longer a real serious problem for him. I did remove red dyes as well, but this really didn't make a huge difference. That was the only thing I have done besides my own therapy to bring about his changes.
Q: What are the symptoms of autism in children under two?
A: Appears indifferent to surroundings
Appears content to be alone, happier to play alone
Displays lack of interest in toys
Displays lack of response to others
Does not point out objects of interest to others (called protodeclarative pointing)
Marked reduction or increase in activity level
Resists cuddling
Young children with autism usually have impaired language development. They often have difficulty expressing needs (i.e., use gestures instead of words) and may laugh, cry, or show distress for unknown reasons. Some autistic patients develop rudimentary language skills that do not serve as an effective form of communication. They may develop abnormal patterns of speech that lack intonation and expression and may repeat words or phrases repetitively (called echolalia). Some children with autism learn to read.
Autistic children do not express interest in other people and often prefer to be alone. They may resist changes in their routine, repeat actions (e.g., turn in circles, flap their arms) over and over, and engage in self-injurious behavior (e.g., bite or scratch themselves, bang their head).
Other symptoms in young children include:
Avoids cuddling or touching
Frequent behavioral outbursts, tantrums
Inappropriate attachments to objects
Maintains little or no eye contact
Over- or undersensitivity to pain, no fear of danger
Sustained abnormal play
Uneven motor skills
Unresponsiveness to normal teaching methods and verbal clues (may appear to be deaf despite normal hearing)
Research has shown that autism occurs more often in first born children and males. My daughter (first born) was an incredibly easy, cuddly baby, but definitely displayed language/communication delays. Her diagnosis is Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
Q: Can hearing impairment mock autism symptoms in young children?
I work at a daycare center/private preschool and a lot of our students have behavioral problems. There is a boy who is not directly in my classroom that has a lot of health problems. He is allergic to a lot of things including wheat and dairy products. Besides his allergies, he has a lot of problems when it comes to social behavior. A lot of the staff has been pushing his mother into believing he has autism; however, he does not have a lot of the symptoms for it. He doesn't stim objects, he makes eye contact when you call his name and when he runs out of the room (like a lot of my children do) he'll only run about two feet from the door and waits for someone to notice him.
I have worked with a lot autistic children in the past and I am not an expert or anything, but he doesn't follow any of the classic symptoms. The only thing that he does do is hum a lot. He hums when he's playing by himself or with other children.
Could he possibly have a hearing problem?
Brooke B-
I agree with you that it's not in the place of the staff to tell his mother anything.
I personally would never mention something like this to his mother- unless it was hinted- for example: "has your son ever gotten a hearing test? my nephew is the same age as your son and just got one." I have had discussions with his mother, because I have a lot of health problems myself and I know what it's like for someone to think you have something that you don't. I make sure that his mother knows if he spoke clearly too- the other day when I was reading to him, he pointed to the moon and said, "moon." A few weeks ago, he wasn't able to do that at all.
In other schools that I have worked in, you could get fired for talking to a parent about their child's behavioral problems.
If anything, I am thinking of suggesting a whispering activity to the teachers in that room just to see how he reacts.
Thanks =)
A: Not all children with autism have obvious stims. Autism is such a huge spectrum it's really hard to tell. I have a 6.5 year old daughter that I suspected had Aspergers. After hours (over many days) of evaluations, they diagnosed her with Autism. She is said to have too many language problems for Asperger. She doesn't do anything obvious that would lead teachers or daycare providers to believe she has Autism. She is extremely social, but at the same time, very socially inappropriate. She makes eye contact, and if you don't live with her, you would never see how much she actually stims.
On the other hand, my 3 year old son shows obvious signs of Autism. He flaps his hands when he's happy, lacks consistant eye contact, is speech delayed, almost always plays alone, melts down in public, rocks, bangs his head, lines up his toys, has even had a trial run on an anti-psychotic, and he has yet to be diagnosed with anything.
I would recommend an official hearing test to ALL parents. My daughter's hearing is fine, but she has some problems processing auditory input. On the other hand, my son needed tubes at 18 months for excessive fluid and constant infections. Another common (but not diagnostically important) trait is sleeping issues. Any parent I have ever spoken to who has a child on the spectrum, has gone through (or will be soon) a sleep study and knows that Meletonin does nothing.
The statistics people use of 1 in 150 are misinformed. Most people assume the statistics refer more to the Classic Kanner's (original) Autistic, and that's not true. A high percentage of that statistic includes children like my daughter. Most people who work with children with Autism, are also only familiar with the more classic, low or non verbal autistic, because my daughter doesn't need a school claiming to *specialize* in autism. She's fine in a mainstream class, and at the moment has no services.
Q: What are the symptoms of a child with autism?
how do you know your child is autistic?
A: If your baby otherwise seems to be growing and developing normally, then that is probably not a sign of autism. Among other normal developmental milestones that you would expect at this age include that your baby smiles, is usually comforted or soothed when she is picked up, follows objects past the midline of her face, make 'ooo' and 'aah' type cooing noises, and maybe has begun laughing. You should definitely discuss it with your Pediatrician if you don't think your baby's behavior is normal though.
The symptoms you describe could also be seen in infants with high muscle tone, especially if her muscles usually seem extra stiff. This is something that you should also discuss with your Pediatrician, but it isn't really related to autism at all.
Among the early signs and symptoms that parents and Pediatricians look for to alert them that a child needs further evaluation for autism include:
* not smiling by six months of age
* not babbling, pointing or using other gestures by 12 months
* not using single words by age 16 months
* not using two word phrases by 24 months
* having a regression in development, with any loss of language or social skills
Infants with autism might also avoid eye contact, and as they get older, act as if they are unaware of when people come and go around them, as you can see in this autism screening quiz.
Keep in mind that autism usually isn't diagnosed until about age 3, although some experts believe that some children begin to show subtle signs as early as six months of age.
There is also an autism study that showed that some children with autism had abnormal brain growth. Specifically, they had a smaller than average head size at birth (at the 25th percentile), but then had a period of rapid head growth during which their head size moved up to the 84th percentile by age 6-14 months. But rapid head growth is not a sign in all kids with autism.
In general, if you are concerned about your child's development, especially if you think that they might have autism, you should talk to your Pediatrician and consider a more formal developmental evaluation.
And keep in mind that when a child arches her back a lot, it can be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux (Sandifer Syndrome), although you would usually expect other symptoms, like spitting up and being fussy.
Getting An Evaluation
One of the frustrating things that occurs when parents think something is wrong with their child's development is that they may be told 'not to worry' or that they 'should just wait.' Experts think that it is better for parents to trust their instincts and get their child evaluated if they think that they aren't developing normally. This guide from First Signs is a good resource for parents trying to share their concerns with their Pediatrician.
Your local early childhood development program may also be able to do an evaluation if you are concerned about your child's development.
Q: is my daughter displaying autism symptoms?
my daughter is 18 months old. The lady in daycare always tells me to watch out cause she might be autistic. Her pediatrician didnt say anything about it.It bothers me that the daycare lady thinks she is showing signs because she screams a lot during transition like from playtime to eating time or eating time to nap time. Shes a very picky eater. She throws and plays with her food. She sometimes hits the back of her head gently in the wall of our room and laughs when she does this cause i get mad at her but she doesnt do that anywhere else. She says a lot of words compared to other kids her age. She can communicate and understand what i say. She loves to play, read, color and watch tv. For me, she seems very normal. Is it normal for kids her age to have tantrums during transition? is this autism symptoms that she has? need some enlightment on this thanks
A: These are common childhood behaviors, which are also observed in children with autism. This is because children with autism are delayed in these areas of development which help them mature out of these behaviors. Just a note on behavior modification (as this is my field of work), STOP reacting to her banging her head, you should ignore it, walk away, don't get mad or even talk about it with her. You are describing it as an attention seeking behavior and ANY attention you continue to give it will keep it going. You can also educate her teachers on how to help her transition more smoothly. Tell them it will help to give her fair warning on when the transition is coming. Tell them to get creative in making the transition more fun. Tell them to emphasize what is fun about the next activity so that she is less upset about leaving the fun she is already having. Also, because it seems from your description that she feeds off of others reactions. Tell them to make sure they are not giving extra attention to the behaviors (such as throwing food/having a fit about transitioning) because she will want that attention even if it's negative attention. Please, don't be afraid to talk with your pediatrician and discuss any concerns, also make sure your pediatrician is educated in recognizing signs of autism and aspergers symptoms. Many pediatricians are not. Normal speech development can occur in children with autism or especially with students with aspergers (and typically children with aspergers have an advanced language development).
Q: what is Autism, How they behave and symptoms .?
At what age we can find. Is it curable If curable what are the steps we can take for those child. In US where I can find the doctors or hospitals.
Thank you
Raja
Thanks for your answers.
If the child learned his mother tongue then The parents moved to US for job with the child. The child can learn English and he can go to the school is their any problems when he going to school. Is there any treatments in US.
A: Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism
Autism is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.
Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:
Lack of or delay in spoken language
Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
Little or no eye contact
Lack of interest in peer relationships
Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
Persistent fixation on parts of objects
Q: How do you cope with an autism diagnosis?
I've noticed some troubling red flags displayed by my toddler son and fear he may have autism. I'm not jumping to conclusions yet and I made an appointment to see a pediatric psychologist to see if that's true. The waiting now is killing me. I'm wondering how I can deal with all of my emotions about this. I'm terrified of the diagnosis of autism. However, I know that if he does have autism, an early intervention and treatment is critical. When I first saw a list of autism symptoms, I nearly threw up because so many of them described my son. How does a parent cope with this?
A: No parent wants to hear any diagnosis that will have a signifigant impact on their child's life. Autism can be particularly scarey. While the frequency grows, many people still don't understand it, thinking that all autistic people are like Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man. Parents do know however that autism has no "cure" which means this is something that will have an impact no only on the child's entire life, but on the dreams and hopes the parent's had for both the child and for thier own lives. It is very, very overwhelming.
That being said, the first thing you do is cry. There is no shame in crying. The image that you have had of your child..both the child as he is now and the dreams (no matter how far fetched then may be) of that child in the future..have been dramatically changed. You need to grieve that loss. Give yourself time to work through that feeling and put it into perspective. It will never fully go away... even though you will love your child just as much as ever, will still have hopes and dreams for them..but it will become a bittersweet moment, much like the feeling you get over the lost chance with the boy in high school.
Next, surround yourself with people you know, love and trust. These are the people you will count on in the future. These are the people who will be there to tell that you are a good mother, that you did not cause this and that you are doing everything you possibly can for your child. These are the people you will bounce ideas off of, that you will ask to help you find services or to give you much needed breaks. And once you have these people, make use of them. Autism can be tough on marriages. You and your husband must make time for the two of you to be a couple, not just the parents of an autistic child and your support group is going to be key.
Now you can start gathering some information. The internet provides more information than most people realize. I always advise parents with a new diagnosis to stick to sites from nationally recognized groups such as ARC, National Autism Society and Cure Autism Now. These sites provide strong, basic knowledge about autism as well as links to support groups and services in your area. For now, you may want to stay away from sites built and dedicated to the family of one child or designed to be forums or message boards. While you may eventually find these sites great places fo practical suggestions on daily life with a special needs child, in the beginning the postings that will stand out most will be the ones that tell about the most extreme problems, the worst case scenarios, the failure of the school systems. Yes, all of this can occur, but for right now you need to get information that will help you understand how much your child can do and achieve, not how hard it can be to get there.
Finally, consider finding a therapist to help you during this initial period. There will be a lot of challanges in the near future. Your husband may have a harder time accepting the news or be unavialable because of professional obligations. You may feel guilt and confusion. All of this is normal, but it can help to have an objective listner there to support YOU as you start to adapt to this change.
Know that even after all of this, there will still be days that make you wonder "Why us?" or wish for a more normal life. That is all perfectly normal. You will cry, be angry, be scared over and over, but you will quickly find out you are not alone. There are millions of families with autistic children. While it is not the life we dreamed of living when our child entered the world, we quickly realize it is the life we were meant to live. We can't imagine our lives being any different than they are and most of us would not really want them to be. Our kids are loving, sensitive, funny, challanging, gifted and unique. They help us see the wonder in the world, force us to look at things from new perspectives and find new solutions to old problems. Your life will be forever changed...and you will wonder how you manged your old life.
Please feel free to contact me if you need someone to talk to.
Mom of 10 yr old with moderat autism