Autism spectrum disorder (asd)
Mmaotho Segotso | Friday August 21, 2020 14:12
To run away from complexities that come with disabilities, Batswana coined cruel nouns that stigmatise both the child and the mother. This has found its way into schools as very rarely do you find teachers compassionate enough to help these children.
MoBE preaches inclusive education and it’s even there in their policies but on the ground, the situation is dire. We still have a long way to go as a nation in educating communities about such.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioural challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged.
ASD begins before the age of three and last throughout a person’s life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children with ASD show hints of future problems within the first few months of life.
In others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months or later. Some children with an ASD seem to develop normally until around 18 to 24 months of age and then they stop gaining new skills, or they lose the skills they once had. Studies have shown that one third to half of parents of children with an ASD noticed a problem before their child’s first birthday, and nearly 80%–90% saw problems by 24 months of age.
Causes
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.
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.
Signs and symptoms
Autistic person might:
Not respond to their name by 12 months of age
Not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months
Not play “pretend” games (pretend to “feed” a doll) by 18 months
Avoid eye contact and want to be alone
Have trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their own feelings
Have delayed speech and language skills
Repeat words or phrases over and over (echolalia)
Give unrelated answers to questions
Get upset by minor changes
Have obsessive interests
Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin in circles
Have unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
Social issues are one of the most common symptoms in all of the types of ASD. People with an ASD do not have just social “difficulties” like shyness. The social issues they have cause serious problems in everyday life.
Examples of social issues related to ASD:
Prefers to play alone
Does not share interests with others,
Only interacts to achieve a desired goal,
Has flat or inappropriate facial expressions,
Does not understand personal space boundaries,
Avoids or resists physical contact, and Is not comforted by others during distress.
Typical infants are very interested in the world and people around them. By the first birthday, a typical toddler interacts with others by looking people in the eye, copying words and actions, and using simple gestures such as clapping and waving “bye bye”. Typical toddlers also show interests in social games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. But a young child with an ASD might have a very hard time learning to interact with other people.Some people with an ASD might not be interested in other people at all. Others might want friends, but not understand how to develop friendships. Many children with an ASD have a very hard time learning to take turns and share—much more so than other children. This can make other children not want to play with them.
Communication
Each person with ASD has different communication skills. Some people can speak well. Others can’t speak at all or only very little. About 40% of children with an ASD do not talk at all. About 25%–30% of children with ASD have some words at 12 to 18 months of age and then lose them. Others might speak, but not until later in childhood.
Examples:
Delayed speech and language skills
Repeats words or phrases over and over (echolalia)
Reverses pronouns (e.g., says “you” instead of “I”)
Gives unrelated answers to questions
Does not point or respond to pointing
Uses few or no gestures (e.g., does not wave goodbye)
Talks in a flat, robot-like, or sing-song voice
Does not pretend in play (e.g., does not pretend to “feed” a doll)
Does not understand jokes, sarcasm, or teasing
People with ASD who do speak might use language in unusual ways. They might not be able to put words into real sentences. Some people with ASD say only one word at a time. Others repeat the same words or phrases over and over. Some children repeat what others say, a condition called echolalia. The repeated words might be said right away or at a later time.
For example, if you ask someone with ASD, “Do you want some juice?” he or she might repeat “Do you want some juice?” instead of answering your question. Although many children without an ASD go through a stage where they repeat what they hear, it normally passes by three years of age. Some people with an ASD can speak well but might have a hard time listening to what other people say.
People with ASD might have a hard time using and understanding gestures, body language, or tone of voice. For example, people with ASD might not understand what it means to wave goodbye. Facial expressions, movements, and gestures may not match what they are saying. For instance, people with an ASD might smile while saying something sad. People with ASD might say “I” when they mean “you,” or vice versa. Their voices might sound flat, robot-like, or high-pitched. People with an ASD might stand too close to the person they are talking to, or might stick with one topic of conversation for too long. They might talk a lot about something they really like, rather than have a back-and-forth conversation with someone. Some children with fairly good language skills speak like little adults, failing to pick up on the “kid-speak” that is common with other children.
Source: Johnson, C.P. Early Clinical
Characteristics of Children with Autism