The appearance in the family of a child with autism imposes additional worries and obligations on family and friends. The development of such children depends mainly on the persistence and diligence of their environment. One form of the disease is highly functional autism. How the disease manifests itself, what disputes and speculations are conducted around and how to help the baby adapt to the outside world is the topic of today's serious conversation.
Autism and High Functional Autism
The term "autism" refers to disorders in the development of the brain, as a result of which there is a shortage of social interaction and difficulty in communication. Autistic interests are limited, actions are repeated, contact with the outside world is minimal.
Highly functional autism is a form of the disease that is under active medical discussion. The term is commonly referred to people with a relatively high coefficient of intelligence (more than 70). The level of development of these patients allows you to partially perceive and process external information. However, patients with EFA are not free from difficulties in mastering social skills, they are a bit clumsy and often have a delay in speech development.
Classification
Medicine classifies autism by etiopathogenetic factors. This means that take into account the totality of the causes and mechanism of the disease. Since the clinical manifestations of all types of autism are similar, they were allocated into a single group, which was called the term "autism spectrum disorders". ASDs include Kanner’s syndrome, that is, severe forms of early autism, Asperger’s syndrome (highly functional autism), endogenous autism, Rett syndrome, autism of unknown origin and other types.
Causes of Autism, Causes of High Functional Autism
Despite the fact that a huge number of scientists are studying the disease, it is not yet possible to find out the common cause of autism. There are discussions about this. Doctors cannot find a common language even on the question of whether autism causes a single cause acting on genetics, cognitive development and neural connections, or are these different causes acting on the body at the same time.
The main responsibility for the onset of autism lies with genetics. But here, there is no complete clarity. Since there is an interaction of many genes and partial gene mutations with a strong effect.
The causes of high-functioning autism are also not well established. One of the latest studies in this area has revealed the occurrence of structural abnormalities in certain parts of the brain that are responsible for social interaction.
Another medical dispute
A number of scientists believe the statement that highly functional autism is Asperger's syndrome is erroneous. They claim that these are different diseases with similar symptoms. Let's try to explain what these doubts are based on:
- With EFA, a delay in the development of speech is observed, this is especially noticeable until three years. With Asperger Syndrome, there is no speech delay.
- Patients with Asperger Syndrome have better cognitive functioning than with EFA.
- EFA is characterized by a higher intelligence coefficient.
- In patients with Asperger syndrome, a more pronounced lag in the development of fine motor skills.
- Patients with EFA have a lower deficit in nonverbal abilities.
- Asperger patients have higher verbal abilities.
Nevertheless, many consider these two conditions to be one disease with a slight difference in symptoms and course.
Signs Physiological abnormalities
Highly functional autism, the symptoms of which are discussed in this section, has a number of physical and behavioral manifestations. Observations were carried out in large groups of patients by different scientists who noticed a certain pattern.
The physiological signs that are often found in children with EFA include:
- Dull or overly sharp sensory perception.
- Frequent cramps.
- Weak immunity.
- The manifestation of irritable bowel syndrome.
- Pancreatic dysfunction.
Behavioral Disabilities
Highly functional autism in children has a number of behavioral characteristics:
- Speech problems. Up to a year, children almost do not walk, by two years, the vocabulary is no more than 15 words, at three years the ability to combine words is inhibited. Children are incapable of generalizing and using personal pronouns. They talk about themselves in the third person.
- Weak or completely absent emotional contact with others. Children do not look in the eyes, do not ask for hands, do not smile in response to a smile. They do not distinguish parents, do not respond to appeals.
- Difficulties in socialization. In the environment of other people, the highly functional form of autism in the patient is manifested by discomfort, the desire to fence off, move away, hide. Adult autists experience unaccountable fear or anxiety.
- Bursts of aggression. Any displeasure causes autism anger, aggression or hysteria. The patient may strike or bite. Often aggression is aimed at oneself, this is observed in 30% of cases.
- Children with high autism have almost no interest in toys. They are not capable of imaginative thinking and do not understand what to do with toys. But there may be a strong attachment to one toy or to any object.
- Narrow area of interest. The ability to achieve results in one direction. Observation. The need to complete the lesson begun.
- Stereotypical behavior. Propensity to a certain course of action. Atypical, highly functional autism, like the usual form of autism, is accompanied by repeated repetition of the same word or action. In addition, patients submit their lives to a strict routine. Any deviations cause insecurity or aggression. To overcome aggression in this case can be very difficult.
Highly functional autism, the symptoms of which are considered in the article, enables the child to study in a regular school. However, for this, parents will have to make a lot of effort.
Speculation around autism
Many doctors and scientists have made a career in research on autism. But she also attracted many scammers. So, the British scientist Andrew Wakefield raised a huge wave in society by publishing a study that vaccinations against mumps, rubella and measles affect the development of autism in children. This topic has received a huge response. However, after a while she was completely refuted. But opponents of vaccinations continue to speculate with pseudo-research, not mentioning that it turned out to be erroneous.
How to help a child with high-functioning autism?
Autism is an incurable disease. He accompanies a person all his life. The child grows up, and the quality of his adult life depends on the persistence of his environment. If adults did not engage in correctional therapy and did not teach the child to interact with other people and objects, then he will never become independent.
There are a number of recommendations on how to organize an autistic life with a highly functional form of the disease. Their implementation makes it easier for the autistic to interact with the outside world:
- Make a schedule, adhere to a clear regime of the day, warn of any changes in advance, so that the autist will get used to the thought of changing the usual regime.
- Identify external stimuli. Both a child and an adult with high-functioning autism can fall into aggression from the smallest details. This may be a specific color, sound or action. Protect autistic from irritating factors.
- Learn to calm the tantrums that happen to patients with EFA quite often. Do not let the autistic get too stressed and tired.
- Take care of safety during tantrums. Remove all dangerous objects from the access area.
- Do not scream or scare the autistic, do not criticize his actions. Such behavior will increase stress, and the patient will not be able to calm down longer.
Do not refuse the help of psychologists, speech therapists and correctional programs. This will help a child with high-functioning autism to adapt a little in a complex and hostile world.