Autism, which is also referred to as autism spectrum disorder, causes the individual to show repetitive behavioral patterns. This condition often impairs social interactions with the people around you. Doctors diagnose autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during childhood. Symptoms usually occur before the child attains the age of three years. Some people who have autism can experience debilitating problems, and others can function more independently. Asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorders all fall into the category of ASD. The common experiences of people with ASD include the adoption of repetitive patterns as well as the impairment in social situations. Some children with autism can show symptoms right, and others may develop more obvious signs as they grow.
Autism has also been linked to other conditions such as tuberous sclerosis complex and epilepsy. Studies have shown that between 20 to 30{a6f67836f830dda984823a8aba8034ee1ad8d1c5a4cfb5f95e93ddc537953bfc} of people with autism develop epilepsy at some point during childhood. ADS can have a number of effects on the patient’s communication and social interaction which includes the adoption of abnormal speech patterns like robot-like tone, avoidance of eye contact with other people, not babbling to parents as infants, not responding to their name when called, late development of coherent speech, having hard times maintaining conversation and frequently repeating phrases.
Children and adults with autism can also exhibit difficulty expressing their feelings and understanding the feelings of others. In some cases, people with autism can become so preoccupied with topics such as planes, cars, and train timetables, which seem to consume them. Autistic people can also exhibit motor and balance issues. Ten percent of people with autism show signs of savant syndrome even though this condition can occur in people with other different developmental conditions and nerve injuries. Savant syndrome usually occurs when people demonstrate extraordinary abilities in a particular sector, such as calculating complex mathematical problems at high speed, playing a musical instrument, reading two pages simultaneously, or the ability to memorize huge amounts of knowledge.
Some people with autism can also thrive on the ability to predict patterns in places and behaviors. Whenever there is a break in routine occurs, or there is an exposure to overstimulating environments, people with autism often feel overwhelmed. This often leads to frustration, outbursts of anger, sadness, and distress. There are no specific tests that can be used to test for autism, and doctors usually arrive at diagnosis after analyzing parental reports on the child’s behavior and through observation, which enables them to rule out other conditions.
The causes of ASD are currently unknown, but major studies are making significant progress in finding out how the condition develops. Several genes are being investigated by researchers which may help in unearthing the exact cause of autism. In some cases, these genes undergo spontaneous mutation, and in other cases, they are inherited. Autistic people can also undergo some changes in some important areas of their brains, and this impacts their behavior and speech. Environmental factors may also play a role in the development of autism, even though on-going research is yet to prove this.