Are you on the autism spectrum quiz

— If the parents quickly got involved, understood everything, found excellent specialists, they have enough opportunities to implement all this, then how much is it possible to bring the child to the norm?

- There will be development, this happens in 9 out of 10, on the one hand. On the other hand, we do not know the final point of this development. For some, it never stops and moves very actively. Some slowly, slowly approach their ceiling and cannot move on. nine0003

- Is it completely impossible to understand in advance?

- In two, three, four years, no way.

- How does puberty affect here? Are there always complications at this age?

— Optional. Puberty is just one of life's crises, one of the important periods, serious and intense. Like any crisis, it has good and bad sides. For some, this is due to remarkable improvements in the development of organization and attention, with breakthroughs in social skills, because when there is a desire to make friends with a girl, the boy begins to wash and take care of his appearance. Some may have problems with emotional regulation. nine0003

— What are the consequences if a child with autism is not developed?

- This is best understood in terms of human terms rather than medical ones. It is very hard to live when you are a 30-year-old man with the communication skills of a 1.5-year-old, with the desires of a 17-year-old, with the strength of a 20-year-old and with everyday skills like a 4-year-old. You are locked into yourself and you cannot communicate with others.

You want to live, walk, you want to go to your grandmother. You are 30 years old, you have not seen your grandmother for a long time, you love her madly, but you cannot go to her without mom and dad. This, of course, is a crisis for a person; as a result, it leads to breakdowns or depressions. nine0003

When they don't help, then the person is very, very poorly developed, it's very, very hard for him. And those around him are also hard.

Photo: Timothy Archibald / timothyarchibald.com

- If a child with autism begins to show aggression, is it possible to help him?

- There are technologies that can wean him from this and replace this behavior with the correct, socially appropriate. A friend of mine, a wonderful behavioral analyst, has some interesting cases of this kind of behavior. nine0003

For example, she worked with a young man with an autism spectrum disorder who had a very difficult behavior: he did not cooperate with adults at all, on the contrary, he constantly sought to control and manage adults, on the street he could approach any person and get into his personal belongings, pockets and bags, get items out of there. It was almost impossible to stop him. Because of this behavior, he did not leave the house for several years, the apartment was divided into two parts. nine0003

First of all, the specialists established managerial control over his behavior, that is, taught him to cooperate, if necessary for defensive purposes, and in accordance with certain rules, applying physical blocking. When control became better, behavioral contracts began to be used with the boy, when for performing certain actions he got access to something very pleasant.

This pleasant - motivational stimulus - for the boy was bags filled with something, later he was allowed to check the pockets of other people, tear up magazines, study certain brochures that he liked. nine0003

All this was hidden until the boy fulfilled certain conditions, and he was given rewards when these conditions were met. So the boy was taught self-control. Of course, in the beginning it was very difficult and was built by behavioral specialists who literally lived with the boy for a week.

What is remarkable about this story is that the family was able to actively get involved in this work and support it, and now the young man calmly goes out into the street, traveling with his parents. This is an example of the use of such technologies. nine0003

- There is an association that a child is raised like a puppy, the necessary reflexes are developed.

— No. Still, when we train puppies, we teach them to do things that are unnatural for them - we teach them to pee in a tray. What animal in the world pees in a tray? None. Animals pee on a tree or under a bush, wherever it suits them, and then they go.

We teach people to do what they have to do - this is not training, this is therapy. Another thing is that with those who find it difficult to understand what they want from them, we work for a long time. We actively praise and encourage them for what they do. This is learning what they should have learned a long time ago. nine0003

— And when such a child starts learning, he may not even suspect that something is wrong with him? And then, when he succeeds, he probably feels good?

— A holiday, of course. Here is that young man with the bags - he left the house. Previously, due to the fact that he ran, took away bags, he was locked at home, and he did not see the white light. And then he walks like a man, with everyone nearby - and there is a huge sense of self-worth.

- Are there any autistic traits that a neurotypical child has in a fairly obvious way? Should parents be concerned or is this a common occurrence?

— Do you know what kind of thing is there? A person with autism is likely to have all the problems that people can have: anxiety, bad mood, behavior problems, learning problems, attention problems, hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity, and so on. But these are not specific problems, absolutely anyone can have them, but they are more likely to be in a person with autism. nine0003

Often people with autism have a special sensory sensitivity - they do not feel pain, but they feel hot. But the same thing can happen in a person without autism or with other neuropsychiatric diagnoses.

Do you still know what the topic is? If we see a 4-year-old child with normal development, and he knows the alphabet and numbers, we will not be surprised at all. Well, well done, very good, well, he knows the numbers, he will be smart. We'll forget in 30 minutes that he knows these numbers. But if we see a child who can't speak and yet knows the alphabet and numbers, oh, let's say that's cool! Often these achievements look global in the absence of speech. nine0003

Same story with sound sensitivity. If we see a child who is afraid of loud noises and open spaces, but he is perfectly developed, goes to kindergarten, we will not pay attention to this at all - that's unusual, how interesting. And if we see the same thing in a person who does not speak, does not understand, we begin to give this phenomenon a lot of attention, as if it is something important. In fact, it is important that he does not speak, does not understand that it is impossible to agree with him. nine0003

I like this metaphor: if you cut a clearing in the middle of a forest, then trees, shrubs, grass will first grow on it, but then the same large trees that surround the clearing will grow, and all other trees, bushes, grasses will die or not grow . But if you cut down a clearing and make it so that neighboring large trees do not grow there, then anything will grow there, and all this will be noticeable only because these large trees did not grow there.

The same with social interaction and communication. When there is no good and effective social interaction, there is no communication, everything becomes noticeable: a good memory for numbers, a wonderful memory for dates of birth, for example. We would never attach much importance to this if the person behaved in the usual way. But he doesn't behave like that, and we notice these things. nine0003

The Pravmir Charitable Foundation helps the Communication Space project to raise money for renting premises and teachers' salaries. Let's help people with disabilities not to lose such a valuable and unique space in which they can feel comfortable and always get help.

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How to watch for autism in a child, signs of autism

Children with autism and their families can be helped, especially if the diagnosis is made early and correctly and the necessary assistance is provided. We hope this information will help someone take the first steps in learning and overcoming this problem.

Contents of the article

• What is autism?
• Autism symptoms
• Autism prevalence
• Risk assessment
• Autism screening test for young children
• Scoring algorithm
• Autism red flags

What is autism?

Autism, or autism spectrum disorders (ASD), is a term used to describe a group of developmental disorders of the central nervous system.

These disorders are mainly manifested by disorders in three areas:

1. How a person communicates with children and adults (social interaction disorders)
2. In the way a person talks, uses gestures or facial expressions (communication disorders)
3. In how a person behaves (originality, limitation and stereotyping of interests and activities)

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) include: childhood autism, atypical autism, Asperger's syndrome, organic autism and autistic disorder. All of these terms describe different manifestations of the same disorder. Autism often co-occurs with other disorders. nine0003

A significant proportion of people with ASD (between 25 and 50%) have comorbid mental retardation, often with motor and coordination disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and sleep disturbances. People with ASD are also characterized by peculiarities of perception of information, difficulty concentrating and irritability. By adolescence, approximately 10–30% of children with autism develop epilepsy.

A significant proportion of people with autism have normal intelligence, often people with autism have amazing abilities in the field of visual perception, memory, music

hearing, mathematics and other sciences. Some people with autism find themselves in art because of their unusual way of looking at the world. Contrary to a common myth, people with autism do not seek to live in their own world, on the contrary, many are very interested in communicating with others, are able to establish deep emotional bonds with people important to them, but do not have sufficient skills to communicate in the way they do. peers.

Each person with autism is unique in their manifestations, and at first glance it is difficult to understand what unites people with autism spectrum disorders. Some (about 20-25%) never start talking and communicate using alternative means of communication (gestures, exchanging cards or written text). In adulthood, they may need a lot of support and care, they cannot live on their own. Other people with autism develop language and other social interaction skills and are able to attend school, go to college, and work. nine0003

Symptoms of autism

Autistic symptoms may be noticeable in infants (however, experts have not yet agreed that these manifestations can be reliably characterized as ASD) and become more pronounced after a year. Obvious symptoms of autism become closer to two or three years. At this age, as a rule, it is possible to diagnose the presence of autism quite confidently. As the child gets older, most often the symptoms of autism begin to disappear or become less pronounced, but in most cases they remain to some extent noticeable. nine0003

Autism prevalence

Autism used to be considered a rare disorder, but it is now clear that this is not the case. When experts learned to identify and identify the various manifestations of disorders in autistic disorders, it became clear that approximately one in 90,003 90,002 children have autistic disorders, with boys four times more likely than girls. Currently, specialists have become much better at detecting autism, which has led to the fact that this diagnosis has become more common than before. But perhaps it's not just about the diagnosis, and more people are actually getting autism. nine0003

Scientists are trying to determine whether there is actually a real increase in the incidence of autism, and if it is, what is causing the increase in this disease worldwide.

Causes of autism

A child with autism can appear in any family, regardless of income, education, social status of parents. It is no one's fault that a child has autism. Autism is a disorder in which a combination of factors play a role. Genetic factors play a very important role: disturbances at the level of genes, molecules that store information about how the human body should form and develop. nine0003

Some of the genetic factors that cause autism are known and can be identified through tests, primarily spontaneous changes in genetic material, mutations. These changes may be enough to cause autism on their own. But more often, autism results from the interaction of genetic factors and environmental factors in which the child develops.

Autism has been shown to play a role in the environment, the state of the mother's body during preparation for pregnancy, the course of pregnancy and childbirth, as well as certain infections and certain drugs taken by the mother during pregnancy (for example, valproic acid, used to treat epilepsy ). nine0003

A combination of genetic and environmental factors influences the formation of the brain and changes the development and behavior of the child. Autism does not arise from neglect, rudeness, or withdrawal from a child.

Establishment of the diagnosis

The diagnosis of "autism spectrum disorder" is established when symptoms of autism are identified in the behavior and development of the child. The specialist conducting the diagnosis observes the child, can play or talk with him. He also asks relatives of the child about how the child behaves at home and about the developmental features of this child from birth. Sometimes professionals may ask parents to complete questionnaires and questionnaires, as well as conduct special diagnostic interviews with parents. All this helps in identifying and clarifying the symptoms of autism. But so far there are no instrumental methods or analyzes that make it possible to establish or refute the diagnosis of "autism" with a 100% probability. In Russia, the diagnosis of ASD is usually made by a psychiatrist, but many other specialists dealing with children can either draw the attention of parents to the symptoms of autism themselves, or recommend an examination by a psychiatrist. Having an accurate diagnosis allows parents to qualify for government-provided benefits. nine0003

Autism is not the fault of parents, grandparents, and especially the child himself, but a biological disorder.

In addition, the diagnosis also considers disorders and behavioral problems common in autism:

1. Motility disorders.
2. Heightened sensitivity.
3. Features of perception.
4. Self harm.
5. Violation of the sense of danger.

The following symptoms are for guidance only. Of course, not all of them can be observed in a child with autism at the same time, in addition, some of the symptoms occur in children without autism. nine0003

Once again, we list the main disorders characteristic of autism, which give rise to a diagnosis.

Behavioral symptoms of autism

1. Violations in the field of social interaction. (In the way the child communicates with children and adults).
2. Violations in the field of communication. (In the way the child talks, uses gestures or facial expressions).
3. Violations in behavior (originality, limitation and stereotyping of interests and activities). nine0274

Social interaction disorders

Social interaction disorders are the most important symptoms of autism.

Often a young child with autism behaves as if he is on his own wavelength, he may not show interest in the games of other children and even stubbornly refuse to participate in common games, it can be difficult to interest him in something that an adult offers him, he does not repeat the actions, movements and sounds of adults.

Communication disorders

Communication disorders are also a leading symptom of autism. Many children with autism begin to speak much later than others and may not use gestures. Instead, they use the hands of other people, lead adults to those objects that they want adults to do something with.

Other children may start speaking early and remember many words but do not use them to communicate. For example, they repeat favorite quotes from cartoons and books or words and phrases heard from others over and over again. Often, children with autism are less able to understand speech addressed to them. Often, they also begin to follow instructions later than other children, it may seem that they do not hear the words addressed to them. nine0003

Behavioral disorders

The third group of symptoms required for the diagnosis of ASD is the peculiarity, limitation and stereotyping of behavior, games and interests. Many children with autism play with toys in unusual ways (such as arranging them in a row or spreading them), may perform frequent repetitive actions, be interested in unusual objects, and move in strange ways, such as waving their arms, swaying in place, or running in circles. The manifestation of the symptoms of this group is very diverse. nine0003

Motility disorders

Motility features are not the leading diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of autism. But many parents and specialists note various variants of uneven motor skills in children with ASD. Some children can simultaneously demonstrate excellent body control in one area and be very awkward in another.

Features of perception - heightened sensitivity

Children with autism can be very sensitive and can hardly tolerate some sensations: noise, music, flashing lights, touching clothes, smells, etc., which others find quite comfortable in intensity. Hypersensitivity can manifest itself in all kinds of sensations, but sometimes it concerns only certain specific stimuli.

For this reason, children with autism can find it very difficult in a new situation or setting.

The more various stimuli around, the more likely that the child will not cope with such a load and lose control of himself. nine0003

Self-harm

In some cases, the desire for unusual sensations or reduced pain sensitivity can lead to the child injuring and harming himself. This behavior is not very common, but the harm can be severe.

Danger Sense Disorder

Danger Sense is sometimes impaired in autism. In this case, the child may behave as if he has no self-preservation instinct, he does not recognize situations that require caution, he may seek danger and break safety rules in the same situation again and again, despite previous negative experiences. This behavior is also not very common; on the contrary, many children with autism are fearful and anxious. If the child has a reduced sense of danger, then he must be observed very carefully: such behavior can lead to serious injuries. nine0003

Gastrointestinal disorders

Many children with autism have frequent gastrointestinal disorders. The child is willing to eat an extremely limited range of foods and/or has a sensitivity to the taste of food.

Sleep disorders

Many children with autism have sleep disorders. Children may not distinguish between day and night, remaining equally active at any time of the day, they may be difficult to put to sleep, they may often wake up at night. Sleep periods can be very short: one to two hours. Pain sensitivity in children with autism may be reduced and even absent, or, on the contrary, may be excessively high. Children with autism also have seizures. The likelihood of epilepsy as a comorbidity increases with age. nine0003

Risk assessment

How do you know if there are indications for a diagnosis or if the child is developing normally? The following pages offer two ways to assess the risk of autism in children. After checking with them, you can independently decide on the need to consult with a specialist.

If autism is suspected while completing the questionnaire, we recommend a more in-depth diagnosis by a specialist. It is likely that even in the absence of autism, the child may have other developmental problems and may need help. nine0003

If the result of one of the questionnaires indicates the possibility of autism and developmental problems, but the result of the other does not, we still recommend that you consult a specialist.

Autism Screening Test for Toddlers

Please rate the following statements for your child. Try to answer each question. If the behavior is rare (you've only seen it once or twice), note that it's not typical for the child. Filling out this questionnaire and evaluating its results will take you no more than ten minutes. Please read the instructions for completing and evaluating results carefully. nine0003

This test is a questionnaire, each question must be answered "yes" or "no" by circling the appropriate option. Complete this questionnaire based on how your child usually behaves. Please try to answer each question. If this or that behavior was shown rarely (you saw it only once or twice), note that this is not characteristic of the child.

Instructions for scoring the test results are at the end, follow these instructions after completing the test. nine0003

Algorithm for calculating the results

If you answered “No” to any question except 2, 5 and 12, this is a direct indication that the child is at risk of having an autism spectrum disorder.

For questions 2, 5, and 12, "Yes" indicates that the child is at risk of having an autism spectrum disorder.

Low risk: Overall result - 0-2 points.

If the child is younger than 24 months, it is recommended that the child be retested after the child is two years old. No other action is required from you yet. nine0003

Medium risk: Overall score 3–7 points.

Discuss the results of the test with the pediatrician, ask him to comment on your questionnaire. Based on the results of your conversation, decide whether to go for a further, more detailed examination.

High risk: total score 7–20 points.

Your child needs to be tested, and the sooner you start it, the more likely it is that the help will be effective.

Autism red flags

Often, even before the onset of conspicuous symptoms, a child may have behavioral patterns that indicate a high likelihood of having autism. Intensive research into the development of children with autism has identified symptoms that indicate a high risk of developing autism in young children. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as the "red flags" of autism.

If you notice these symptoms in your child, see an autism specialist. nine0057