There are no conclusive medical tests that immediately give us the answer to the question of whether a child suffers from autism. Blood or urine tests can’t diagnose it. In the diagnosis of autism, specialists primarily focus on observing the behavior of the child and its development.
Diagnosis of autism is divided into two stages
Child development test: a specialist conducts a test to show whether the child has the basic skills for a given period of life, whether he has certain delays. During this examination, the doctor asks parents a number of questions, such as whether they are learning well, how they speak, how they behave, whether they are moving properly. This is important because the delay in each of these areas may indicate developmental problems. Each child who goes to a specialist is examined for developmental delay and disability at the age of 9 months, 18 months, 24 or 30 months, respectively.
If a child is suspected to be at high risk of developmental disorders due to the fact that others in the family have autism, premature birth or low birth weight-additional screening is carried out. Children aged 1,5-2 years should be screened during the inspection.
Autism-can this disorder be treated? Autism can be of varying severity in each child. The child requires constant care. Treatment consists of various forms of psychotherapy-it should concern the whole family. the earlier we implement the therapeutic process, the greater the chances of improving functioning.
Autism – tips for parents: Consult your doctor if the child: he has impaired speech development, does not communicate with the environment, does not establish social contacts, he doesn’t respond to the name. It is very important to start treatment as early as possible.
Autism – treatment
At the outset, it must be stressed again that autism is not a disease, therefore it cannot be cured. In this process, the most important thing is the rapid recognition and implementation of therapy in cooperation with specialists: a neurologist, a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a speech therapist. It is then possible to support people on the autism spectrum and prepare them to function in society in the future.
However, there is no specific way that the brain of an autistic person suddenly starts to work in the way that most people do. It is becoming increasingly common to educate the public about tolerance for the diversity and uniqueness of people who function differently, including those with autism.
It is now possible to treat the disorder, which is autism, pharmacologically and behaviourally. However, it is incurable. Early diagnosis and therapeutic measures, eliminating the problems arising from this disorder are necessary to ensure the best possible development of the child.
Autism detected at an early stage of development, that is, in the first year of a child’s life, is called early. The second variant is late-onset autism, which gives symptoms in children 12 months after birth.
It should be remembered that the name “childhood autism” refers not only to children, but to the period of life when we observe the first symptoms. Therefore, one should not underestimate the diagnosis and the remarks contained in it when dealing with adults. This term was created to distinguish this disorder from the previously known and also referred to as autism similar symptoms that we deal with in schizophrenia.