Autism Spectrum Disorder in Stafford, VA
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects brain development, influencing how individuals perceive and engage with others, leading to communication challenges and repetitive behaviors.
Historically encompassing conditions like autism and Asperger's, symptoms often emerge in early childhood.
Some children show typical development but later regress, manifesting autism traits between 18 to 24 months. While there's no cure, early interventions can be significantly beneficial.
Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior.
The term "spectrum" in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity.
Autism spectrum disorder includes conditions that were previously considered separate — autism, Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and an unspecified form of pervasive developmental disorder. Some people still use the term Asperger's syndrome, which is generally thought to be at the mild end of autism spectrum disorder.
Autism spectrum disorder begins in early childhood and eventually causes problems functioning in society — socially, in school, and at work, for example. Often children show symptoms of autism within the first year. A small number of children appear to develop normally in the first year and then go through a period of regression between 18 and 24 months of age when they develop autism symptoms.
While there is no cure for autism spectrum disorder, intensive, early treatment can make a big difference in the lives of many children.
Causes of Autism
Genetics
Several different genes appear to be involved in autism spectrum disorder. For some children, autism spectrum disorder can be associated with a genetic disorder, such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome.
For other children, genetic changes (mutations) may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder. Still other genes may affect brain development or the way that brain cells communicate, or they may determine the severity of symptoms. Some genetic mutations seem to be inherited, while others occur spontaneously.
Environmental factors
Researchers are currently exploring whether factors such as viral infections, medications or complications during pregnancy, or air pollutants play a role in triggering autism spectrum disorder.
Autism spectrum disorder has no single known cause. Given the complexity of the disorder and the fact that symptoms and severity vary, there are probably many causes. Both genetics and environment may play a role.
Social communication and interaction
A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have problems with social interaction and communication skills, including any of these signs:
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Fails to respond to his or her name or appears not to hear you at times
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Resists cuddling and holding, and seems to prefer playing alone, retreating into his or her own world
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Has poor eye contact and lacks facial expression
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Can't start a conversation or keep one going, or only starts one to make requests or label items
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Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm and may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech
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Doesn't appear to understand simple questions or directions
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Doesn't express emotions or feelings and appears unaware of others' feelings
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Doesn't point at or bring objects to share interest
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Inappropriately approaches a social interaction by being passive, aggressive or disruptive
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Has difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, such as interpreting other people's facial expressions, body postures or tone of voice
Symptoms of Autism
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Early indications of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in some children can include limited eye contact, not responding when called, or seeming uninterested in caregivers.
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Some kids appear typical initially but might later display withdrawal, aggression, or lose previously gained language skills, with most signs evident by age 2.
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ASD manifests differently in every child, with varying behavior patterns and severities, spanning from low to high functioning.
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Learning challenges are present in some, while others, despite possessing average or above-average intelligence, may struggle with practical application of knowledge and social adaptability.
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Given the diverse symptom presentation in each child, gauging severity can be tricky but usually hinges on functional impairment levels.
Risk factors
The diagnosis rate for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is on the rise. While it's uncertain if this surge is due to improved awareness and diagnosis or an actual increase in cases, it's possibly a mix of both.
ASD doesn't discriminate based on race or nationality. However, several factors can amplify a child's susceptibility:
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Gender (Your child's sex): Boys are roughly four times more prone to ASD than girls.
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Family history: If a family has one child with ASD, the likelihood of another child having it increases. Plus, it's not rare to find parents or kin of an ASD child displaying subtle social or communicative challenges or showing behaviors associated with the disorder.
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Other disorders.: Some medical conditions can heighten the ASD risk or induce similar symptoms. Notable ones are fragile X syndrome (a genetic disorder affecting intelligence), tuberous sclerosis (leading to benign brain tumors), and Rett syndrome (mostly in girls, affecting head growth, intelligence, and hand functions).
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Extremely preterm babies: Infants born before the 26-week mark might be at an elevated risk for ASD.
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Age of Parents: There's some chatter about older parents potentially having children with a higher risk of ASD, though this theory warrants further exploration.
Patterns of behavior
A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have limited, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities, including any of these signs:
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Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand flapping
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Performs activities that could cause self-harm, such as biting or head-banging
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Develops specific routines or rituals and becomes disturbed at the slightest change
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Has problems with coordination or has odd movement patterns, such as clumsiness or walking on toes, and has odd, stiff or exaggerated body language
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Doesn't engage in imitative or make-believe play
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Fixates on an object or activity with abnormal intensity or focus
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Has specific food preferences, such as eating only a few foods, or refusing foods with a certain texture
As they grow older, some children with autism spectrum disorder show increased engagement with others and exhibit fewer behavioral challenges. While some, particularly those with milder symptoms, might progress to lead typical or nearly typical lives, others may persistently struggle with language or social interactions. The adolescent years can sometimes exacerbate behavioral and emotional challenges for them.
