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What To Do When You Catch Your Child Touching Themselves

Parenting

Children will touch themselves. The only thing parents should control is their reaction.

by Patrick A. Coleman

Updated: 

Originally Published: 

d3sign/Getty

Parents are generally unprepared for how much a child will touch, grab, pull, poke, and probe their own genitals. And this kind of self-exploration tends to happen far sooner than most parents expect. But it’s completely normal for a child to touch themselves and eventually even masturbate. So what should you do if you catch your child touching themselves? Put it in context and address the issue in a reasonable way.

When it comes to kids exploring their own bodies, there’s no shortage of baggage and hang-ups about sex. That puts parents on edge. And when parents are on edge, they may resort to shame or anger to stop a practice they consider abnormal or even immoral. The harsh truth is that child masturbation is neither. Parents may find it uncomfortable to catch their children touching themselves, but that discomfort doesn’t mean the behavior is bad. Child masturbation is just part of growing up.

Here are more harsh truths about child masturbation that every parent should understand before they tell their kid to stop touching themselves.

Harsh Truth #1: Children Will Touch Themselves Sooner Than Parents Expect

There are a whole bunch of people in this world who are shocked by the idea of a child touching their own genitals. But even as babies, a child will touch their junk. Most often this happens during diaper changes or baths. The biggest concern here is not that the child is getting some sort of illicit pleasure. That’s just silly. The biggest concern is that the child may hurt themselves due to lack of coordination or sharp fingernails. So keep the nails trimmed and don’t worry about a baby who has discovered their penis or vulva.

Harsh Truth #2: Kids Touch Themselves Out of Normal Curiosity

As a baby grows into a toddler, their lives are ruled by one prime directive: developing an understanding of what they are and how they fit into the world. Part of that understanding comes from a child exploring their body, including their genitals.

For a child, all parts of the body are made equal. There is no difference to them between rubbing a penis and rubbing a toe. It feels different, sure. But so does touching the tip of their nose. The important part is that they understand that each part of their body has a function. If a parent wants to talk to a child about their genitals, they can explain that those parts of the bodies have functions, just like the other parts. You use your ears to hear, your hands to grasp, and your penis or vulva to urinate.

That’s all they need to know.

Harsh Truth #3: Child Masturbation Is a Form of Self-Soothing

The genitals are made to respond to stimulation. The outer portion of the sex organs are packed with nerve endings. After puberty (hopefully well after puberty), those nerve endings become incredibly important for sexual response. It’s a significant part of the reproduction of the human species. Even in children, those nerve endings are already primed. As such, touching one’s genitals feels good and comforting.

The term “comfort” is the key. Adults understand this. Many men, for instance, instinctively slip a hand under their waistband while relaxing and watching the game. If they were accused of doing something sexual, they would feel outraged because having a hand in the pubic region is about comfort. It’s the same for kids. Touching themselves can feel as centering as thumb sucking.

Harsh Truth #4: Child Masturbation Is Only a Problem Because of Adult Context

Parents may feel shocked if they catch their child masturbating. But whether a kid is rubbing their vulva or playing with their penis, touching themselves at a young age is a completely innocent act. Parents don’t see that because their recent experience around genitals is primarily sexual. That is the adult context: The sex organs equal sex. But that’s not the case with kids.

That said, there is an important point here. If a child is inserting an object into themselves, or touching themselves and speaking in a way that feels beyond their years, there might be a problem. It can be a sign that they’ve been introduced to sexual concepts too mature for their age. In the worst cases, it can be a sign of sexual abuse. In these instances, it would completely appropriate to bring up the behavior to a specialist or pediatrician.

Harsh Truth #5: Children Will Masturbate by Using the Couch

The couch is a safe, comforting space. And as a child grows older, they may seek safe comfortable places to engage in their exploration. Girls may straddle pillows and boys might hump them. These things happen, and they are completely natural. Freaking out about it won’t help anyone.

That said, maybe direct the child, sans judgement, to the cushions in their own bedroom.

Harsh Truth #6: The Best Reaction to Kids Touching Themselves at Home Is to Ignore It

It’s completely natural for a parent to feel weird about a kid touching themselves. But, again, those emotions are based on adult context. Still, they can be rather strong. That’s why it’s important to take a beat before reacting.

A parent who reacts to a kid touching themselves with shock or horror will affect the way a child understands the body part that they’re touching. The message is: doing that is wrong. Kids will pick up the idea that their genitals have a unique power to cause concern. That’s not particularly great for kids. It can drive them to explore even more or cause them to shut down and stop speaking to parents about their body parts.

The better way for a parent to react is to either ignore their kid or send them to a room where they can have privacy. However, it’s important to note that kids under 5 years old will likely struggle with the concept of privacy.

If a child is touching themselves in public, parents should keep calm and try to redirect their kid to an activity that requires them to use their hands, such as putting together a puzzle or doing a craft. Shame, on the other hand, is never advised. It can lead to emotional turmoil for everyone.

This article was originally published on

Is It Healthy for My Child to Be Touching Themselves?

Children start exploring their bodies a lot earlier than you might think. Here’s what to expect.

When parents think of milestones in their child’s development, there’s one that isn’t talked about that often: when kids discover their own genitals.

But here’s the thing: This behavior is almost always just as usual and common as when they discover and explore other body parts, like their toes or fingers.

It might be a little embarrassing or awkward the first time you notice your child touching themselves in this way (that’s usual, too), but how you react is also important to their development.

Babies less than a year old aren’t very mobile, but they do start developing some dexterity in their hands and fingers, which means they tend to grab at things, including parts of their body and their genitals.

“Babies and toddlers tend to discover their penis or vulva as soon as they can reach it,” says Lydia Bowers, a sex educator and author of “We Listen To Our Bodies.”

In other words, when they have access, like when they’re diaper-free, in the bath, or you’re changing their diaper, they might grab at their vulva or penis. This is natural.

At this age, Bowers says, “they’re doing a lot of exploring of their bodies and trying to figure out what parts are.”

At first, this grabbing might seem random or accidental, but it might become more purposeful over time. When they get more mobile, they might also push or rub against things.

While babies might grab at themselves when they’re very little, it can become more noticeable when children turn 2 and enter toddlerhood.

“We tend to see more toddlers and early preschoolers exploring their bodies more because of the shift from diapers, which are more restrictive, to underwear with easier access,” Bowers says.

This natural curiosity tends to last until they’re about 5.

By the time your babe is wearing 18 to 24 months clothes, they’ve started to discern their gender identity, becoming aware of who is similar to them and not, both physically and behaviorally by 3 years old. When this awareness develops, some children might become curious about their own genitals and those of other people.

By 5 years old, whether you’re aware or not, your kid likely has a more concrete internalization of their gender identity.

If your tot seems to notice and voice more differencesbetween themself and other toddlers, including those of their own gender, you might want to read this.

For example, you might see your child watch you curiously as you get dressed, look at their sibling’s genitals, show their genitals to others, touch themselves, or ask their peers to see their private parts.

This behavior is typical of their sexual development, though it can lead to some awkward or embarrassing moments for parents.

Some kids might also touch themselves when they’re scared or anxious — this behavior is more about self-soothing. “Some children do explore for the same reason that other children suck their thumbs: It’s comforting and soothing,” Bowers explains.

How to react to your tot touching their “parts”

Remember that if your child is engaging in this behavior, it’s not really a cause for alarm. Try not to laugh, shame, or scold them for doing it.

“Our reactions are important because we’re laying the foundation for children’s attitudes about their bodies,” Bowers explains. “Laughing, shaming, or yelling all send very specific messages — usually that certain body parts are ‘bad.’”

Then, she continues, “children often grow up feeling ashamed or embarrassed about their bodies.”

Also, your reaction is about more than the words you say. Kids will take in your tone of voice, facial expression, andwords when you react to what they’re doing — and it can become, inadvertently, one of their earliest lessons in sexuality.

That’s why it’s generally recommended that you use a calm and neutral, matter-of-fact tone when talking about body parts and sexual behavior.

Anatomically correct terms

It’s also recommended that you use anatomically correct terms, like penis, testicles, vagina, or breasts, when talking about body parts.

Made-up names for body parts can be confusing, especially if your children go to daycare or school and their friends, teachers, or caregivers don’t use the same words.

It can also suggest that there is something shameful about these parts of the body or the words used to describe them.

Instead, if you use the correct words, you’re setting up trust with your child. This lays the foundation for later conversations about consent, and it can make it easier for your child to tell you about their body.

It also makes it easier for them to talk with you if someone does something to them that makes them uncomfortable or without their consent, as they see you as a safe, shame-free person to talk with about these topics.

Private vs. public

It is OK to tell your kid that touching or exploring yourself should be done in private, not public.

It’s best to try to be nonjudgmental when you acknowledge what they’re doing, but remind them that their penis or vagina is private. This can help teach them about privacy.

You might say

“You should not touch your (penis, vagina, intersex parts) when people are around or in places where other people come and go.”

“The best way to handle these situations is to help children identify the appropriate contexts to engage in these behaviors,” explains Kellie Syfan, a board-certified behavior analyst and founder of Applied Behavioral Happiness (ABH) in Wake Forest, North Carolina. “We can make it a fun conversation for young kids by using silly examples for context.”

For example, she says, you can use these examples to illustrate:

You might say

  • “We don’t swim in the kitchen, that’s for swim time at the pool. ”
  • “We don’t eat under our bed, that for dinnertime at the table.”
  • “We don’t burp at the dinner table, that’s for the bathroom.”

Then, when your kid agrees about those situations, you can add: “We don’t touch ourselves at the dinner table, that’s for quiet time in our room,” Syfan says.

You can also try redirecting your child’s attention and hands to another activity — such as a toy or other fidget alternative — if they start touching themselves in a public setting.

Yours vs. mine

You can also start explaining the idea of consent to your toddler, in an age-appropriate way.

For example, if your child is trying to touch other people’s genitals, you can explain to them the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touch. In fact, experts generally agree that preschool age is the best time to start talking about this.

You can also explain why we don’t touch other people without their permission — and you can empower your child to say no to touch they don’t want to receive, too.

For example, it’s common for family members to “steal” a kiss, “grab” a hug, or tickle them when they visit with your child and not mean any harm. However, sometimes this behavior makes children uncomfortable. You can empower your kid and set up an understanding of consent if you teach them that have the right to say “stop,” “no,” or pull away.

Once your child is 5 or 6 years old, they have the ability to better understand privacy and personal space.

As a result, you should see a decrease in the amount of public touching your child does of their own body.

This doesn’t mean, however, that their self-touching stops altogether — but that’s common, too. It might take a little while before the idea of privacy truly sinks in, You can gently remind them when you can.

If you notice self-touching behavior or curiosity in sexual behavior, it might also be a good idea to start a conversation with your child.

It’s natural for kids in elementary school or before puberty to have some questions about their own bodies, where babies come from, or even sex — and the playground isn’t a very reliable source of information. If you can begin a conversation and give your child a shame-free way to ask questions, you can help give them a healthier view of their own bodies and sexuality.

If possible, try to resist the urge to view their behavior or questions through an adult lens. Children’s sexuality or self-exploration isn’t the same as adult behavior.

Most teenagers masturbate — and that’s usually natural, too.

Just like when children are little, as they enter puberty, kids will become more curious about their changing bodies and their sexuality in general.

Masturbation isn’t really a cause for concern, even if you notice your child is spending a lot of time alone or in the shower. So you don’t necessarily need to talk with them about it if you don’t want to.

However, you might consider discussing puberty, sex, and informed consent with them so they understand what’s happening to their bodies and treat others with respect.

Most of the time, curiosity in naked bodies or touching is harmless and ordinary. You should be able to distract or redirect kids if they’re zeroing in on self-touch publicly or trying to “catch a glimpse” of nudity.

“If it appears to be more of a compulsion, and they can’t be redirected, it’s worth a discussion with the child, if possible, to see if something is itching or hurting,” Bowers says. “Particularly as children shift from diapers to underwear and are learning to wipe themselves, itching is not uncommon.”

There are some behaviors that could indicate abuse though — so it’s important for a caregiver to be able to recognize them.

Possible red flags

  • Sexual knowledge that seems beyond the child’s years
  • A child becoming angry if they’re asked to stop a sexual behavior
  • A child talking excessively about sexual topics and in great detail
  • A child trying to coerce another child or aggressively touch someone else
  • Touching or sexual behavior between children more than 4 years apart in age
  • Self-touching that causes the child pain or distress
  • Trying to avoid removing clothing to change

If any of the above resonates with what you may have observed, you can seek professional help or speak with your pediatrician if you’re concerned about your kid’s behavior.

Child psychologists or pediatricians can help assess your child’s behavior and guide you with next steps, if necessary.

If you think your child — or someone else’s — is being abused, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline.

Call 800.656.HOPE (4673)

If you find it difficult to talk with your child about touch, sex, and related topics, you’re not alone. As adults, we often have our own inhibitions or views on sexual behavior that can be tough to work through.

There are many resources to help parents with this topic, including age-appropriate books you can read with your child or let them read on their own. Here are a few examples:

  • Sex Positive Talks to Have With Kids, by Melissa Pintor-Carnagey
  • My Private Parts are Private, by Robert Edelman
  • My Body! What I Say Goes, by Jayneen Sanders
  • C is for Consent, by Eleanor Morrison
  • It’s Not the Stork!, by Robie H. Harris

Autism spectrum disorders in children

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Alpatsky Dmitry Aleksandrovich Neurologist, epileptologist, EEG doctor

07. 12.2015

Often, mothers come to the doctor with complaints of delayed speech development in a child. But in some children, with a close look, the specialist, in addition, sees the features of the child's behavior that differ from the norm and are alarming .

Consider a clinical example:

Boy S. Age 2 years 9 months. According to the mother, the child's vocabulary is no more than 20 separate words, consisting of two or three syllables. There are no phrases. Mom says that the child often has tantrums, is restless, it is difficult to fall asleep. The child's mother has no other complaints. Upon examination, the doctor notices that the child does not look into the eyes, is constantly in motion, reacts with a cry if something is not given to him or something is forbidden. You can calm the child only by giving him a mobile phone or tablet. Shows interest not in children's toys, but more in shiny pieces of furniture and interior. Starting to play something, quickly loses interest and switches to something else. Asking the mother, it turns out that the child is very selective in food. Not accustomed to the potty, defecation only in a diaper in a standing position. Difficulty falling asleep and waking up during sleep. The child underwent Electroencephalography and consultations with a clinical psychologist and a speech therapist. Based on the results of the diagnosis and the clinical picture, a diagnosis was made - Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are complex disorders of mental development that are characterized by social maladaptation and inability to social interaction, communication and behavioral stereotypy (multiple repetitions of monotonous actions).

Back in the middle of the last century, autism was a fairly rare disease. But over time, more and more children suffering from this disorder began to appear. Statistics show that the incidence of ASD in children over the past 30-40 years in countries where such statistics are carried out has risen from 4-5 people per 10,000 children to 50-116 cases per 10,000 children. At the same time, boys are more susceptible to this disease than girls (approximately 4:1 ratio).

Causes of RAS.

All over the world, until today, scientists studying the causes of autism have not come to a consensus. Many assumptions are put forward. Among the possible factors for the appearance of this disorder in children are some hypotheses:

- genetic predisposition hypothesis

- a hypothesis based on disorders of the development of the nervous system (autism is considered as a disease caused by disorders of brain development in the early stages of a child's growth).

- hypotheses about the influence of external factors: infections, chemical effects on the mother's body during pregnancy, birth trauma, congenital metabolic disorders, the influence of certain drugs, industrial toxins.

But whether these factors really can lead to the appearance of autism in children has not yet been clarified.

Features of the mental development of children with ASD.

To understand and recognize the presence of autism in a child, parents need to carefully monitor the behavior of the child, notice unusual signs that are not characteristic of the age norm. Most often, these signs can be detected in children under the age of 3 years.

Childhood autism is considered as a developmental disorder that affects all areas of the child's psyche: intellectual, emotional, sensitivity, motor sphere, attention, thinking, memory, speech.

Disorders of speech development : absent or weak cooing and babbling may be noted at an early age. After a year, it becomes noticeable that the child does not use speech to communicate with adults, does not respond to a name, and does not follow verbal instructions. By the age of 2, children have a very small vocabulary. By the age of 3 they do not build phrases or sentences. At the same time, children often stereotypically repeat words (often incomprehensible to others) in the form of an echo. Some children have a lack of speech development. For others, speech continues to develop, but there are still communication impairments. Children do not use pronouns, address, speak about themselves in the third person. In some cases, there is a regression of previously acquired speech skills.

Difficulties in communication and lack of emotional contact with others: Such children shy away from tactile contact, eye contact is almost completely absent, there are inadequate facial reactions and difficulties in using gestures. Children most often do not smile, do not reach out to their parents and resist attempts by adults to take them in their arms. Children with autism lack the ability to express their emotions, as well as to recognize them in the people around them. There is a lack of empathy for other people. The child, along with the adult, does not focus on one activity. Children with autism do not make contact with other children or avoid it, they find it difficult to cooperate with other children, most often they tend to retire (difficulties in adapting to the environment).

H violation of exploratory behavior: children are not attracted by the novelty of the situation, are not interested in the environment, are not interested in toys. Therefore, children with autism most often use toys in an unusual way, for example, a child may not roll the whole car, but turn one of its wheels monotonously for hours. Or not understanding the purpose of the toy to use it for other purposes.

Eating disorders : a child with autism can be extremely selective in the offered products, food can cause the child to be disgusted, dangerous, often children begin to sniff food. But along with this, children may try to eat an inedible thing.

Violation of self-preservation behavior: due to a large number of fears, the child often finds himself in a situation that is dangerous for himself. The cause can be any external stimulus that causes an inadequate reaction in the child. For example, a sudden noise may cause a child to run in a random direction. Also, the reason is ignoring real threats to life: a child can climb very high, play with sharp objects, cross the road without looking.

Disturbance of motor development: as soon as the child begins to walk, he is noted for clumsiness. Also, some children with autism are inherent in walking on their toes, a violation of the coordination of hands and feet is very noticeable. It is very difficult for such children to teach everyday actions, it is rather difficult for them to imitate. Instead, they develop stereotypical movements (performing the same actions for a long time, running in circles, swinging, flapping “like wings” and circular movements with their arms), as well as stereotypical manipulations with objects (tweaking small details, lining them up). Children with autism have significant difficulty in learning self-care skills. Pronounced motor awkwardness.

Perception disorders: difficulties in orientation in space, fragmentation in the perception of the environment, distortion of a holistic picture of the objective world.

Difficulty in concentrating: children have difficulty concentrating on one thing, there is high impulsivity and restlessness.

Poor memory: Often, both parents and professionals notice that children with autism are good at remembering things that are meaningful to them (this may cause them pleasure or fear). Such children remember their fear for a long time, even if it happened a very long time ago.

Features of thinking: experts note difficulties in arbitrary learning. Also, children with autism do not focus on understanding the cause-and-effect relationships in what is happening, there are difficulties in transferring the acquired skills to a new situation, the concreteness of thinking. It is difficult for a child to understand the sequence of events and the logic of another person.

Behavioral problems: negativism (refusal to listen to the adult's instructions, to perform joint activities with him, avoiding the learning situation). Often accompanied by resistance, screams, aggressive outbursts. A huge problem is the fears of such children. Usually they are incomprehensible to others, because often children cannot explain them. The child may be frightened by sharp sounds, some specific actions. Another behavioral disorder is aggression. Any disorder, violation of a stereotype, interference of the outside world in a child's life can provoke aggressive (hysteria or physical attack) and auto-aggressive outbursts (damage to oneself).

Each case of the disease is very individual: autism can have most of the listed signs in an extreme degree of manifestation, and it can manifest itself only in some barely noticeable features.


Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders

To diagnose autism, specialists use the criteria of 2 international classifications: ICD-10 and DSM-5.

But the main three criteria (“triad” of violations) that can be distinguished are:

- violation of social adaptation

- violations in the communication sphere

- stereotypical behavior

The main diagnostic steps include:

- examination of the child by a psychiatrist, neurologist, psychologist

- observing the child and filling out the "Autism Rating Scale", with which you can determine the severity of the disorder

- conversation with parents

- filling in questionnaires by parents - "Questionnaire for the diagnosis of autism"

Species PAC

There are several existing classifications of ASD, and the separation often occurs on completely different grounds, which, of course, can bring some inconvenience to a person who is initially little familiar with medicine or psychology; therefore, the most basic and frequently encountered types of ASD will be highlighted below: - Kanner's syndrome (Early childhood autism) - characterized by a "triad" of the main violations: difficulty in establishing contacts with the outside world, stereotypical behavior, as well as a delay or violation of the communicative functions of speech development . It is also necessary to note the condition of the early onset of these symptoms (up to about 2.5 years)

It manifests itself in children in 4 forms, depending on the degree of fencing off from the outside world:

Complete detachment from what is happening. This group is characterized by the absence of speech and the inability to organize the child (to establish eye contact, to achieve the implementation of instructions and assignments). When trying to interact with the child, he shows the greatest discomfort and impaired activity.

Active rejection. It is characterized by more active contact with the environment than the first group. There is no such detachment, but there is rejection of a part of the world that is unacceptable to the child. The child shows selective behavior (in communication with people, in food, in clothes)

Preoccupation with autistic interests. It is characterized by the formation of overvalued addictions (for years a child can talk on the same topic, draw the same plot). The gaze of such children is directed at the face of a person, but they look "through" this person. Such children enjoy the stereotyped reproduction of individual impressions.

Extreme difficulty in organizing communication and interaction. Autism at its mildest. Children are characterized by increased vulnerability, contact with the world stops at the slightest sensation of obstacles. These children can make eye contact.

- Asperger's Syndrome. Formed from birth. Children have an early onset of speech development, a rich vocabulary, developed logical thinking, and there are no disorders in mental development. But at the same time, the communicative side of speech suffers: such children do not know how to establish contact with other people, do not listen to them, can talk to themselves, do not keep a distance in communication, and do not know how to empathize with other people.

- Rett syndrome. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the development of a child up to 1-1. 5 years proceeds normally, but then the newly acquired speech, motor and subject-role skills begin to disintegrate. Characteristic for this condition are stereotypical, monotonous movements of the hands, rubbing, wringing, while not carrying a purposeful character. The rarest of the presented diseases, occurring almost always only in girls.

- Childhood psychosis. The first manifestation of symptoms before 3 years of age. It is characterized by violations of social behavior, communication disorders. There are stereotypes in behavior (children run in a monotonous circle, sway while standing and sitting, fingering their fingers, shaking their hands). These children have eating disorders: they can swallow food without chewing. Their unclear speech can sometimes be an incoherent set of words. There are times when children freeze in place, like dolls.

- Atypical autism. It differs from autism in terms of age manifestation and the absence of one criterion from the “triad” of major disorders.


Correction of patients with ASD

One of the most important sections of habilitation for children with ASD is undoubtedly the provision of psycho-correctional and social rehabilitation assistance, with the formation of social interaction and adaptation skills. Comprehensive psycho-correctional work, which includes all sections and types of rehabilitation assistance, which will be described below, is, along with drug therapy, an effective means of stopping the negative symptoms of ASD, and also contributes to the normal inclusion of the child in society. Types of RAS correction:

1) Psychological correction - the most common and well-known type; It is characterized by a fairly wide range of methods, of which the TEACCH and ABA-therapy programs are most widely used and recognized in the world.

The first program is based on the following principles:

- The characteristics of each individual child are interpreted on the basis of observations of him, and not from theoretical ideas;

- increasing adaptation is carried out both by learning new skills and by adapting existing ones to the environment;

- Creation of an individual training program for each child; use of structured learning; holistic approach to intervention.

The second program is largely based on learning, which depends on the consequences that have arisen after the behavior. Consequences can be in the form of punishment or reward. In this model, it is necessary to highlight the main methods, such as the procedure for creating a contour and reinforcing behavior similar to the target; method of teaching chains of behavior; method of teaching discrimination of stimuli.

2) Neuropsychological correction - this type includes a set of exercises consisting of stretching, breathing, oculomotor, facial and other exercises for the development of the communicative and cognitive sphere, and the exercises themselves differ markedly in time and quantity.

3) Work with the child's family and environment - first of all, this type of correction is aimed at alleviating emotional tension and anxiety among family members, since parents of children with ASD often also need help, including psychotherapeutic support and training programs (such programs are mainly aimed at developing feelings of understanding of the problem, the reality of its solution and the meaningfulness of behavior in the current family situation).

4) Psychosocial therapy - in fact, work with the child himself to form the cognitive, emotional and motivational-volitional resources of the individual for the possibility of further social adaptation, the need for which becomes more pronounced as the child with ASD grows older.

5) Logopedic correction - given the fact that speech development disorder is one of the cardinal manifestations of ASD, this type of work with a child will be an integral part of the correction program. It is characterized by a focus on the formation of vocabulary, the development of auditory attention, as well as phonetic and speech hearing.

6) Medical correction of RAS. In some forms of autism, medication is needed for the child. For example, to improve concentration and perseverance, a doctor may prescribe vitamins and nootropic drugs that improve thinking processes and stimulate speech development. And with high impulsivity, aggression, negativism, pronounced signs of "withdrawal into oneself", psychotropic drugs can help. In some cases, autism is combined with epileptic seizures. In such cases, anti-seizure medications are needed. Many mothers are afraid of drugs. But drugs are prescribed for a certain period, and not forever. Adverse drug reactions are rare. And the result of the effect in most cases is worth the courage of the parents. In each case, it is necessary to individually decide what kind of therapy is needed. And the doctor should be able to clearly explain to parents all questions regarding medications.

The Children's Diagnostic Center in Domodedovo has all the facilities for diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders. Such as: examination by a child neurologist, clinical psychologist, speech therapist, examination - electroencephalography and video EEG monitoring. As well as correction techniques, such as ABA therapy.

Alpatsky D.A. (chief physician, neurologist of DDC), Litvinova E.V. (psychologist DDC)

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Surgery to remove adenoids is not a tragedy

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Rain Children.

What you need to know about autism

11 April 2019 12:01

Behind the poetic expression "children of the rain" lies the daily feat of people who are faced with a diagnosis of autism. Children who will never be able to perceive themselves as part of the world around them, and parents for whom every day is a series of battles and victories. First, fighting with yourself, accepting and realizing that their child will never be cured, and then fighting the disease for every gesture, every smile, every look and word of the child - small, but such important victories.

Scientists have not been able to reliably establish the causes of the disease. It is known about the genetic predisposition: signs of autism are more often manifested in people whose family already has an autistic person. Pregnancy in mothers of such children proceeds normally, and the children themselves are often very attractive in appearance - autism, as a rule, does not affect the physical development of the child. However, the development of autism is still in some cases associated with the manifestation of other diseases:

  • cerebral palsy;
  • maternal rubella infection during pregnancy;
  • tuberous sclerosis;
  • impaired fat metabolism (the risk of having a baby with autism is greater in obese women).

All of these conditions can affect the brain badly and, as a result, provoke symptoms of autism. However, what autism is, and what are the causes of its manifestation, is still not completely clear.

Early diagnosis plays an important role in the further development of an autistic child. Autism in children is manifested by certain signs. Early childhood autism is a condition that can manifest itself in children at a very early age - both at 1 year old and at 2 years old. What is autism in a child, and whether this disease occurs, is determined by a specialist. But you can independently figure out what kind of illness a child has and suspect him, based on information about the signs of such a condition.

Early signs of autism in a child

This syndrome is characterized by 4 main signs. In children with this disease, they can be determined to varying degrees.

Signs of autism in children are as follows:

  • impaired social interaction;
  • broken communication;
  • stereotypical behavior;
  • early symptoms of childhood autism in children under 3 years of age.

The first signs of autistic children can be expressed as early as the age of 2 years. Symptoms can be mild when eye-to-eye contact is impaired, or more severe when it is completely absent. As a rule, autism manifests itself very early - even before the age of 1, parents can recognize it. In the first months, such children are less mobile, react inadequately to stimuli from the outside, they have poor facial expressions.

The child cannot perceive a holistic image of a person who is trying to communicate with him. Even in the photo and video, you can recognize that such a baby's facial expressions do not correspond to the current situation. He does not smile when someone tries to amuse him, but he can laugh when the reason for this is not clear to anyone close to him. The face of such a baby is mask-like, grimaces periodically appear on it.

Baby uses gestures only to indicate needs. As a rule, even in children under one year old, interest is sharply shown if they see an interesting object - the baby laughs, points with a finger, and demonstrates joyful behavior. The first signs in children under 1 year old can be suspected if the child does not behave like this. Symptoms of autism in children under one year old are manifested by the fact that they use a certain gesture, wanting to get something, but do not seek to capture the attention of their parents by including them in their game.

An autistic person cannot understand other people's emotions. How this symptom manifests itself in a child can be traced already at an early age. If ordinary children have a brain designed in such a way that they can easily determine when they look at other people, they are upset, cheerful or scared, then an autistic person is not capable of this.

The child is not interested in peers. Already at the age of 2, ordinary children strive for company - to play, to get acquainted with their peers. Signs of autism in children of 2 years old are expressed by the fact that such a baby does not participate in games, but plunges into his own world. Those who want to know how to recognize a child 2 years old and older should simply look at the company of children: an autist is always alone and does not pay attention to others or perceives them as inanimate objects.

It is difficult for a child to play with imagination and social roles. Children 3 years old and even younger play, fantasizing and inventing role-playing games. In autistics, symptoms at 3 years old may be expressed by the fact that they do not understand what a social role in the game is, and do not perceive toys as integral objects. For example, signs of autism in a child of 3 years old can be expressed by the fact that the baby spins the wheel of a car for hours or repeats other actions.

Child does not respond to emotions and communication from parents. Previously, it was believed that such children are not emotionally attached to their parents at all. But now scientists have proven that when a mother leaves, such a child at 4 years old and even earlier shows anxiety. If family members are around, he looks less obsessed. However, in autism, signs in children of 4 years old are expressed by a lack of reaction to the fact that parents are absent. An autist has anxiety, but he does not try to return his parents.

In children under 5 years of age and later, there is a delay in speech or its complete absence (mutism). The speech is incoherent, the child repeats the same phrases, devoid of meaning, speaks of himself in the third person. He does not respond to other people's speech either. When the “age of questions” comes, parents will not hear them from the baby, and if they do, then these questions will be monotonous and without practical significance.

Stereotyped behavior includes obsession with one activity, repetition of daily rituals, development of fears and obsessions. At the same time, if the sequence of the ritual is violated, the child becomes hysterical or may show aggression or self-aggression.

Can autism be cured and is it curable at all? Unfortunately, there is no cure. How you can help your child depends on each individual case. Drug treatment is prescribed only in case of destructive behavior of a small patient. But, despite the fact that the disease is not curable, it is possible to correct the situation. The best "treatment" in this case is regular practice every day and the creation of the most favorable environment for the autistic. Classes are held in stages:

  • To form the skills that are needed for training. If the child does not make contact, gradually establish it, not forgetting who it is - autistics. Gradually it is necessary to develop at least the rudiments of speech.
  • Eliminate forms of behavior that are non-constructive: aggression, self-aggression, fears, withdrawing into oneself, etc.
  • Learn to observe, imitate.
  • Teaching social games and roles.
  • Learn to make emotional contact.

The most common treatment for autism is practiced according to the principles of behaviorism (behavioral psychology). One of the subtypes of such therapy is ABA therapy. The basis of this treatment is to observe what the reactions and behavior of the baby look like. After all the features are studied, incentives are selected for a particular autist. Speech therapy practice is obligatory: if the kid regularly works with a speech therapist, his intonation and pronunciation are getting better. At home, parents help the child develop self-service and socialization skills. Since autists have no motivation to play, they get used to the daily routine, everyday affairs, cards are created where the order of performing this or that action is written or drawn.

Why is early diagnosis important? There are conditions that mimic autism that can be confused with its symptoms. But other methods are used to correct them.

ZPRR with autistic features

The symptoms of this disease are associated with a delay in psychoverbal development. They are in many ways similar to the signs of autism. Starting from a very early age, the baby does not develop in terms of speech in the way that existing norms suggest. In the first months of life, he does not babble, then he does not learn to speak simple words. At 2-3 years old, his vocabulary is very poor. Such children are often poorly developed physically, sometimes hyperactive. The final diagnosis is made by the doctor. It is important to visit a psychiatrist, speech therapist with the child.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

This condition is also often mistaken for autism. With a lack of attention, children are restless, it is difficult for them to study at school. There are problems with concentration, such children are very mobile. Even in adulthood, echoes of this state remain, because it is difficult for such people to remember information and make decisions. You should try to diagnose this condition as early as possible, practice treatment with psychostimulants and sedative drugs, and visit a psychologist.

Hearing loss

These are various hearing impairments, both congenital and acquired. Hearing-impaired children also have speech delays. Therefore, such children do not respond well to the name, fulfill requests and may seem naughty. At the same time, parents may suspect autism in children. But a professional psychiatrist will definitely send the baby for an examination of auditory function.

Hearing aid helps solve problems.

Schizophrenia

Autism was previously considered one of the manifestations of schizophrenia in children. However, it is now clear that these are two completely different diseases. Schizophrenia in children begins later - at 5-7 years. The symptoms of this disease appear gradually. Such children have obsessive fears, talk to themselves, later delusions and hallucinations appear.

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