Can Autism Be Prevented?
December 9th, 2009 | 
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Autism is a pervasive development disorder. It is actually a group of illnesses that cause delays in the development of many basic skills, such as, the ability to form relationships and socialize with others, the ability to communicate and use imagination. Many children with autism are confused in their thinking a have problems with the world around them. They usually have a limited range of interest and are unable to bond with their parents or siblings.
Symptoms of autism will usually appear before age 3, but will last throughout life. Some of the symptoms are difficulty with communication, including using and understanding language, difficulty in using non-verbal communication, such as, gestures and facial expressions and the inability to make friends and even preferring to play alone. An autistic child may have a distinct lack of imagination and be unable to adjust to any change in routines or surroundings. They may exhibit an unusual insistence on following daily routines in exact detail.
While babies all develop at their own pace, you should consult a physician if any of these warning signs are present. If your baby does not babble or coo by 12 months of age, or seems unable to gesture, point or wave by 12 months or is not saying at least single words by around 16 months of age. If your child has lost any language or social skills at any age it could be a warning sign worth some further exploration by a physician.
While the exact cause of this disease is not known, much speculation about the correlation between childhood vaccinations and autism has surfaced in recent years. Some parents believe there is a link between the vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella. Research, however, suggests that the only link is that symptoms of autism usually appear shortly after age one, or the usual time these vaccinations are started. Researchers believe there is no connection other than a coincidence of timing.
Autism treatment usually includes a combination of special education, speech, physical and occupational therapy and behavior modification. There is no medication to specifically treat the disease, but some medication may be used to treat specific behaviors such as, hyperactivity, nervousness or behaviors that may result in injury.
Can autism be prevented? Unfortunately, no, but with early diagnosis and treatment, symptoms may improve as children age. The outlook appears better for children with higher levels of intelligence who are able to communicate with language. Again, regular visits to a pediatrician can detect any signs of autism so that early treatment can be started. The earlier treatments begin the more effective they will be.
By: Steve Kettle
About the Author:
Posted in Autism
December 9th, 2009 11:05 am
Great article. You clearly describe what symptoms can occur when your child is autistic. I really wonder whether those children actually know that they suffer from this disorder. I can imagine that the parents will have a tough job at guiding their child as they will feel much more concerned than partents with “healthy” children.
December 9th, 2009 4:26 pm
Great Article. My girlfriend is a speech therapist and LOVEs working with autistic children.
December 10th, 2009 8:03 am
a very well written article. Children having austism should be loved & cared for as any other child.
December 11th, 2009 5:05 am
Very nice post. It’s really surprising just how many children are diagnosed with autism. My wife is diabetic and autism is very common in children where one of the parents is diabetic. Either way, a parents love is one cure for autism.
Again great article!
December 11th, 2009 10:14 am
This is what I am afraid most of mu child. It is too difficult to understand and then it cannot be cure. Thanks for the article, it helped me a lot.
December 11th, 2009 6:52 pm
I am a parent of an autistic kid too. thanks for the article. Holds a lot of truth!
Best,
Anna
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T-Shirt Druck
December 16th, 2009 4:14 am
Can autism be prevented? Unfortunately, no, it cannot be prevented or cured.>>>>>> I hope one day we can cure it…..
December 16th, 2009 11:20 pm
It would be interesting to see if there was a link between autism onset and whether the child had been immunised or not: ie. is there a higher prevalence of autism among children who have been immunised? Myself and my siblings were not immunised because our parents thought that the information about it and it’s possible consequences was insufficient.
January 6th, 2010 4:48 am
Children with autism are special and need a lot of attention and care.
April 29th, 2010 4:32 pm
I got mumps last year and it was really very painful. I have to take some pain killers to ease the pain. ‘;
June 5th, 2010 9:09 am
Nice article. I just liked your view about autism. Autism is now common in everywhere. Many children are just suffering from this problem. They should need special attention and lots of care. I think parents should treat them with affection and love. Through this they can build their child’s morale.