Not long ago I visited a boarding school for children with intellectual disabilities, where there were a lot of school-age autistic children. Watching them, I never ceased to be amazed at the creation of nature: why are they like this, how to communicate with them, how to understand them? What lesson do they bring to the world? After all, until recently there were not such a number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); their number is increasing, not only every year, but every month.
It’s like in the 70-80s, many indigo children were born, designed to help us in our search for truth, the meaning of life and the structure of the world. Now autistic people are being born. What will they save the world from? They all have one thing in common: communication is impaired. That is, they absolutely do not know how to communicate with people, even if they can speak and understand speech, as if something had broken inside them. They repeat words like parrots, say abstruse phrases, or squeal like piglets. Maybe they are teaching a lesson in humanism - through teaching them basic human communication, they can learn to communicate live themselves, without resorting to gadgets and chats. After all, it seems that the problem of impaired communication exists not only in children with ASD, but also in healthy teenagers, students, and adults who are increasingly prone to social withdrawal: they withdraw into themselves, communicate only on their phones, and avoid real problems?
To understand autistic children, we need to take a closer look at their behavior. What kind of rain children are there, how to classify them into groups and what approach to choose in order to provide real help, we will talk in this article.
Introduction
According to Wikipedia, autism is a disorder of the development of the nervous system, which is characterized by diverse manifestations, first noted in infancy or childhood, and a stable course of the disorder, usually without remissions. Symptoms usually persist in adults, although often in a milder form. One symptom is not enough to define autism; the presence of a characteristic triad is required:
- lack of social interactions;
- impaired mutual communication;
- limited interests and a repetitive repertoire of behavior.
Other definition of autism:
Autism is a disorder that occurs due to a deviation in the development of the brain, in which the patient experiences difficulties in communication, becomes isolated in a narrow area of interest, and repeatedly repeats certain actions. The patient may also react extremely irritably to certain sounds, colors and tastes.
The reasons for the development of this brain dysfunction have not been fully identified, but, as a rule, they are associated with environmental, immunological and neurological factors.
The occurrence of such a disease in children occurs as a result of a decrease in oxygenation of specific areas of the brain or chronic immunologically mediated inflammatory processes in the intestines.
Impaired blood flow (hypoperfusion) to the brain has been reported in children with autism. Hypoperfusion, in turn, contributes to the formation of functional defects not only by increasing hypoxia (oxygen deficiency in the brain), but also leads to the accumulation of modified metabolites or mediators.
The basis for the successful development of the nervous system is the balanced functioning of the immune system. Children with autism have abnormal functioning of the immune system. Astrocytes (support cells of the brain), which normally play an important role in regulating perfusion and protecting against infections in the central nervous system, begin to harm healthy cells. Children with the disease often have weakened immune systems and suffer from chronic inflammation. More often than not, immune imbalances have detrimental effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Children experience symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, intestinal damage and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Autism usually appears in the first three years of life. It occurs in both mild and complex forms. The symptoms of this disease do not always manifest themselves physiologically, so this disorder is detected by the child’s inappropriate behavior.
The first signs of autism that require contacting a specialist are as follows:
- the child does not try to speak or point at objects after the first year of life,
- cannot pronounce one word by 16 months or a phrase by 2 years,
- doesn't respond to name
- cannot play on equal terms with peers,
- can't focus his eyes
- constantly tries to build a sequence of toys or other objects,
- does not smile or respond to the behavior of others.
Later the following symptoms appear:
- inability to make friends among peers,
- inability to start a conversation
- weak imagination and inability to enter the game,
- repeated stereotypical phrases, incorrect use of words,
- excessive enthusiasm for certain subjects,
- excessive attachment to a certain routine.
Autism is one of three autism spectrum disorders (ASD; see Wikipedia for definitions). Individual symptoms of the “triad” are found in the general population, and the degree of their association with each other is low and the pathological manifestations are located in a single continuum with features common to most people.
Autism is a condition characterized by a predominance of a closed inner life, active withdrawal from the outside world, and poor expression of emotions.
According to the same Wikipedia, ASD includes a wider range of deviations, including disorders of speech and intellectual development.
There is no scientific consensus on the causes of autism or ASD. There is a theory about the genetic origin of autism, there is evidence that autism can occur as a complication of some vaccinations, there is a theory about the effects of pesticides or even paracetomol. Judging by this diversity of opinions and in the absence of clear evidence for each theory, it can be assumed that autism is not a single disease, but different diseases that have similar symptoms and therefore are combined into one diagnosis.
For our practical purposes, these scientific disputes are not important. In our experience, there are various physical and emotional reasons that lead to autism or ASD in a child.
Our classification of autism differs from the generally accepted one because we base it on our ability to cure it.
Psychosomatics of autism in children
Many psychiatrists believe that the causes of autism should be sought in early infancy (from 0 to 8 months). Experts are confident that in most cases the cause of the disease is psychosomatics.
Children close themselves off from the outside world and lose the skill of communicating on a subconscious level, for example, when they lose a sense of safety and security, when they are often surrounded by abuse, shouting, complaints, etc.
In infancy, the psyche of children is very weak and vulnerable, and in order not to experience stress, there is complete detachment from the external environment, from all irritating factors.
Psychotherapists notice that children in a calm and quiet environment begin to show a desire to communicate and feel comfortable.
So, the psychosomatics of autism in children is a kind of protective reaction to stress.
Types of autism - classification by the Be'er David Center
This chapter describes the types of autism as we understand them. This classification differs from that accepted in official medicine. It is the result of understanding specific cases in our practice and the diagnostic and treatment methods that should be applied in each case. The prognosis and duration of treatment for each type of autism at the Be'er David Center is based on this classification.
Childhood autism that occurs in the fetus as a result of maternal problems during pregnancy
One of the most common types of autism is autism resulting from an abnormal pregnancy. The following pregnancy disorders can lead to early autism in the child:
- Viral and bacterial diseases in the mother during pregnancy can lead to underdevelopment or damage to the central nervous system in the fetus. The most severe damage to the central nervous system occurs if the disease occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy. There is also evidence that severe maternal illness shortly before pregnancy can also lead to autism.
- Hormonal disorders in the mother during pregnancy. An example is disorders of the thyroid gland or pancreas.
- Renal dysfunction in the mother. Eclampsia.
- Disturbances in the functioning of other organs, leading to intoxication and damage to the central nervous system in the fetus.
- Taking certain medications during pregnancy. Apparently, the effect of a particular drug on the fetus depends on the characteristics of the mother’s body.
- Other harmful effects on the mother during pregnancy. Example: long-term radio and electromagnetic radiation, harmful atmosphere in the workplace where the mother works, and the like.
- Heavy maternal smoking before and during pregnancy. It is likely that the use of other substances can also cause disruption of the central nervous system in a child (for example, maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to the so-called fetal alcohol syndrome, which is diagnosed separately).
The prognosis for this type of autism, from our point of view, is usually favorable (at least for cases where an MRI scan does not show severe physical damage to the brain). The duration of treatment depends on the degree of damage to the central nervous system and associated complications.
Childhood autism resulting from birth trauma
There are different types of birth injuries. We subdivide:
- Hypoxia (oxygen starvation) during childbirth
- Displacement and/or damage to the bones of the skull and neck
Hypoxia, depending on the degree and time spent by the fetus with a lack of oxygen, can cause both mild deviations in the child’s development and more severe ones, sometimes bordering on cerebral palsy (cerebral palsy is usually diagnosed separately). Mild disabilities are usually diagnosed at an older age, usually already at school, when it is discovered that the child is not able to learn certain types of material (for example, the child has dyscalculia, dysgraphia or dyslexia) or is able, but only (for example) if he is read to study material out loud or vice versa, only if he sees it written.
If a child has any difficulties in learning, it is worth checking whether he has had a birth injury.
For this type of disorder, the prognosis (from our point of view) is favorable, but treatment may take longer depending on the degree of damage to the tissues of the central nervous system and other organs (for example, the gastrointestinal tract) due to oxygen starvation.
Disturbances in the location of the bones of the skull and spine can also lead to developmental abnormalities, often much more severe than those that arise due to hypoxia.
The prognosis for such injuries depends greatly on how damaged the skeleton is. For example, if we are talking about displaced cervical vertebrae, the prognosis is usually favorable. If the injury leads to severe anatomical disorders (microcephaly, fusion of the coronal suture), then the treatment will be long, and the prognosis greatly depends on the age at which treatment began and what the child’s condition is at that time.
Childhood autism resulting from postnatal trauma or illness
The central nervous system of a small child is not resistant to various influences and can be easily damaged in the following cases:
- Effect of anesthesia. General anesthesia (general anesthesia) can lead to varying degrees of central nervous system damage in young children.
- Impact of viruses. Young children have an immature immune system, whose response may be inadequate to the virus that has entered the body. In such cases, the virus may damage parts of the central nervous system, or it may provoke an abnormal response from the body, resulting in damage to the central nervous system due to an autoimmune reaction. This should also include the possibility of autism occurring after certain vaccinations.
- Diseases of the child’s internal organs leading to central nervous system poisoning.
- Head and back injuries in a child (for example, concussion).
There is no single prognosis for this type of autism. The forecast in this case depends on many factors and should be given on an individual basis after determining all the circumstances. In approximately half of the cases, complete healing cannot be achieved, but the situation can be improved and the quality of life of both the child and parents can be improved (example: a child sleeps 2-3 hours a day, is constantly hysterical, is aggressive due to severe organic brain damage. He can be brought into a state when he sleeps normally, eats, and is in a good mood).
Speech, intelligence, worldview
Children with autism have impaired perception of the overall picture of the world. They analyze the object not as a whole, but divide it into details. They are interested in the car not as a form of transport, but only because its wheel moves.
Such children are not characterized by the desire to understand the world, study the properties of an object, its purpose. They choose attractive elements for themselves and follow them. Cognitive questions “why, why” lag in time.
Autistic children have a hard time getting interested in toys, but they focus on sensory stimuli. For example, a baby loves classical music so much that already at one year old he finds the right record in a stack and puts it in the player.
However, what is amazing is the ability of such children to remember what they, looking from the outside, do not pay attention to, hear what they do not listen to, see what they do not look closely at. When it is subsequently possible to establish verbal contact with them, the children talk about many things that, as it seemed, did not interest them.
As for memory, it can be said to be selective. They remember very well what is significant to them: the situation in the apartment, habits in the family, etc. Therefore, any violation of the routine causes indignation in them. Children are also good at remembering events that made them feel afraid.
A special feature of little autistic children is mechanical memory. They perfectly remember poetry, reproduce complex drawings and songs.
The speech of autistic children also has its own characteristics. In infancy, they are not characterized by humming and babbling. They appear very late. The first words are spoken on time, but these are not the usual “mother”, but completely different words that are not used for direct communication.
Many children's speech is either very poor, with a small vocabulary, or practically not developed at all. They hum, smack, and speak their own language. The words are incoherent and may use expressions taken from the cartoons they have watched.
Echolalia is observed - repetition of words addressed to the autistic person. Sometimes very complex expressions are repeated, but purely automatically, without understanding the meaning. There is a reversal of pronouns; when a child with ASD is asked what your name is, he answers: “Your name is Petya.”
The meaning of the speech of an autistic child is understandable only to close people, since he operates with abstract concepts. For example, when mom is angry, she answers her: “Have mercy, madam.”
Even if the baby’s speech is quite well developed, and his vocabulary is very rich, he is still incapable of dialogue. He speaks only about what interests him, in the form of a monologue, while the intonation of his statements suffers.
Autistic people easily learn foreign languages. But, as teachers note, they also master their native language as a foreign one.
In general, speech with RDA is also stereotypical. It is often incomprehensible to others, as it expresses the personal interests of its bearer. Spontaneous speech used in communication is poorly developed; children better perceive indirect speech addressed to others. They can speak clearly and without hesitation, using complex expressions, in the form of a monologue or echolalia, but they stumble, get confused and speak blurredly when trying to start a dialogue.
Complications of autism (autism as a consequence of organic or metabolic diseases of the body)
Sometimes autistic traits appear in children as a complication of a head injury or other underlying medical condition. In such cases, there is also no single forecast. Examples:
- Hydrocephalus in a child
- Epilepsy of varying degrees
- Metabolic disorders
- Other
This list does not exhaust all possible complications and their combinations. Prognosis and recommendations for each individual child can only be given during the examination and treatment process at the Be'er David Center
From everything written above, it is clear that the diagnosis of “autism” (and especially ASD) can hide a wide variety of diseases, from autism itself to birth trauma, epilepsy or other diseases. Despite the fact that different diseases can produce similar symptoms, each cause of the disease requires an individual approach and affects the effectiveness of treatment.
We have the impression that today the diagnosis “autism” has become “fashionable” in official medicine, and it is almost automatically given to children with any developmental delays or behavioral abnormalities, often without even trying to determine the true causes of the problem. We understand that in order to make an accurate diagnosis, medicine often lacks precise tools (all the tests and checks that modern medicine provides require correct interpretation, and often simply do not have the necessary accuracy). This is one reason why the medical prognosis of "lifelong disability" may not be justified, and the child may recover if treated correctly.
Story
The concept of “autism” was first described in 1911 by Eugen Bleuler, but it was considered in the context of schizophrenia, as one of its symptoms. Translated from Latin, it means “abnormal narcissism.” With this term, the psychiatrist tried to indicate the patient’s withdrawal into his inner world, isolation from the intrusive interference of outsiders, and separation from reality. In its modern interpretation, it began to be used at the suggestion of Hans Asperger, after whom one of the autism spectrum disorders, Asperger syndrome, was named.
The concept of “early childhood autism syndrome” was introduced into psychiatry by Leo Kanner. In 1943, he introduced the term “autism” into a completely new context by describing the stories of 11 children and diagnosing them with infantile autism. He pointed out that this condition is markedly different from schizophrenia in children. In the picture of the disease, he noted the presence of symptoms such as stereotypical movements and echolalia. One of the variants of ASD, Kanner syndrome, was also named in honor of Leo Kanner.
About vaccinations
For many years, the dispute between parents and doctors about the ability of vaccinations to cause childhood autism has continued. Studies regularly appear confirming the connection between vaccination and autism and their refutations. Our experience says that there are many mothers who report that the child developed perfectly until 18 months, and then manifestations of autism began, which, as a rule, intensify with the age of the child.
Age 18 months is the age at which a child receives the triple vaccine of measles-chickenpox-rubella or its variations in most developed countries. This vaccination is done with a live, weakened virus.
One of the very unpleasant complications of the measles virus is measles encephalitis. Chickenpox can also cause damage to the central nervous system, known as chickenpox encephalitis.
We have not done formal studies (and have no such intentions), but we have observed some kind of inflammation in the spinal column in the brain in such children and assume that in some cases a weakened measles or chickenpox virus may give an unstudied complication in the central nervous system (weaker, than the well-known measles or chickenpox encephalitis), leading to autism. Since the likelihood of a complication occurring with measles is much higher than with chickenpox, we believe that the measles vaccine may be responsible for most cases of vaccine-induced autism.
Also, in the cases that we observed, children, as a rule, were born after some complications of pregnancy or childbirth in the mother. There is likely a connection between a child's weakened or immature immune system and his or her likelihood of getting complications from the vaccine. Mothers who are aware of complications during pregnancy or childbirth should be able to give their children this vaccine not at 18 months, as is now common, but later (say, after 7 years), when the child has already grown up and become stronger and his immune system has become sufficiently strengthened.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MILD OR HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISM
A classic example of high-functioning autism is Asperger's syndrome. However, this level is possible both in Kanner syndrome and in atypical autism. What exactly determines high functionality – read below.
Normal or high level of intelligence
Normal and high intelligence, including IQ. At the same time, a person may experience difficulties in solving unexpected and urgent problems or a lack of adequate response to changes in the usual rituals of life.
Normal speech, but some communication difficulties
For autism to be classified as high functioning, a person must have developed speech and the ability to use it to communicate. However, even here difficulties may arise in certain situations. For example, knowing several synonyms for the word "drink", it may be difficult for a person to order a specific drink in a cafe. In addition, monotony in voice modulation or an unnatural shade in tone is often noted - “like a robot.”
Main behavioral features
Preoccupation with one topic or a very narrow range of interests are common manifestations of mild autism. Rigidity to changes in routine moments, which can create difficulties in the community and at work. Some sensory problems are usually controlled by conscious behavior (a person knows how to anticipate and/or cope with sensory overload in non-aggressive ways that are more or less acceptable in society).
Anomalies in social behavior
There may be difficulties in prolonged eye contact, in maintaining a lively dialogue, in recognizing postures, gestures and facial expressions of the interlocutor, and communication with people of different ages - in accordance with social norms - often suffers. It is also quite difficult for people with mild autism to agree with another person or accept the point of view of a group.
Factors that increase autism symptoms
There are a number of factors that, while not themselves the cause of autism, nevertheless exacerbate autistic symptoms. The most well-known factors are parasite infestation and food allergies.
Parasites
If a child regularly comes into contact with dirt, sand or domestic animals, then there is a high probability that he is infected with some kind of parasites. Infection with certain types of parasites leads to increased hyperactivity, sleep disturbances and appetite disorders. If the infection is severe, the child may lag behind in physical development.
In addition to the standard parasite medications prescribed by your doctor, there are naturopathic remedies such as tincture of black walnut shells or white oak bark. To obtain these remedies, you should consult an experienced naturopath, as you need to know the exact dosage for a particular child.
What kind of disease is this?
Autism is a mental disorder that is detected mainly in children. In adulthood, pathology is diagnosed in extremely rare cases.
Most parents hear a similar diagnosis when their child is between the ages of three and five years. It is during this period that the symptoms are most noticeable and cannot be confused with other types of mental illness.
Although signs begin to appear much earlier than the specified age. There are many definitions that characterize autism. Translated, the word means “within oneself.” Most experts recognize the pathology as a developmental disorder, characterized by maximum immersion in one’s own world, as well as a pronounced deficit of emotions, interests, social interaction and communication.
From the outside it may seem that the outside world, with all its rules and regulations, does not bother a child with such a disorder at all. He lives within himself, and he is completely satisfied with this, but it is impossible to cure the pathology.
Boys suffer from the pathological condition much more often than girls.
Is illness a death sentence?
One of the main questions that parents are interested in. According to experts, approximately a third of people with this disorder suffer from a mild form of the pathology, in which there is a partial degree of dependence on parents or other people.
In this case, as an adult, the autistic person can live alone, work, and also start a family. Two thirds suffer from more severe forms, in which the dependence is complete and independent life is impossible.
