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Understanding autism

The importance of strong communication can be difficult to express. It’s at the heart of our relationships. It’s at the core of our social interactions. It’s at the center of emotional development. And, it’s also a significant component of autism. Autism is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people communicate, interact, understand, and behave. Once only known as autism, today it’s called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) because it doesn’t look the same for everyone. A person’s abilities and disabilities determine where they fall on the “spectrum.” Discover what autism can look and feel like, along with the prevalence of the disorder, the risk factors, symptoms, and most effective treatments. Hopefully, this will help you understand the need to accept, respect, and support people with ASD—and then communicate these needs to others.

A sense of autism

Having a heart-to-heart conversation with a friend. Enjoying a social event. Understanding how other people feel. These are all things that most people take for granted, but they’re things that people with autism may have trouble experiencing. People with ASD may not look any different from others, rather it’s their brains that work differently. The symptoms of autism vary by person. As a result, people with ASD can experience many difficulties, but they can also have extraordinary skills and strengths. Some may find it hard to speak and comprehend other people, while others can have outstanding conversational skills. Some may find social situations to be uncomfortable and overwhelming, while others are completely at ease. A person’s behaviors and their levels of severity can range from low functioning to high functioning, which establishes where they are on the spectrum.

A developing disorder

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the cases of autism have increased by more than 300%. In the United States alone, autism affects 1 in 36 children, with boys diagnosed on the spectrum more than four times more often than girls. ASD is usually diagnosed around age five, with children displaying signs around the age of two. With the recent awareness of autism, 1 in 45 adults are diagnosed with ASD, perhaps after years of misunderstanding others, as well as themselves.

Understanding and addressing the risk factors

While the causes of autism remain a mystery, some research suggests that it may be a combination of nature and nurture. More specifically, studies show that a person’s genes may act together with their environment to affect vital aspects of brain development. Certain risk factors can increase the odds of developing ASD and determine how it manifests itself in a person’s life. However, just because certain factors can raise the risk of ASD, does not mean that everyone who has these genetic traits and environmental exposures will develop the disorder, with most not affected at all. Some of the biggest risk factors include:

Sex, with boys diagnosed more often than girls
A sibling with ASD
Relatives with the disorder
Older parents
A low birth weight
Certain genetic conditions
Complications at birth
Prenatal exposure to pesticides

Paying attention to the signs and symptoms

The symptoms of ASD are noticeable in social interactions, communication, relationships, repetitive actions, and routine behaviors. The most common symptoms of ASD include:

Trouble with the normal back and forth of conversation
Difficulty understanding what others are feeling or thinking
Difficulty sharing emotions, enjoyment, and interest
Problems with speech, coordination, and fine motor skills
Lack of eye contact
Unable to manage the volume or tone of voice
Challenges understanding body language, facial expressions, or gestures
Unable to express feelings and get emotional support from others
Trouble identifying personal space and boundaries
Repeating certain behaviors, words, or phrases
Making repetitive movements to control emotions
Extreme knowledge or interest in specific subjects
Insistence on routine, with severe distress at any changes
Unusual sensitivity to sound, touch, light, or texture

A spectrum of treatment options

Autism is not an illness or an ailment. It’s also not a medical condition that has a known cure. When it comes to treatment for autism, the focus turns to helping rather than healing. No matter the age at which it’s diagnosed, it’s important to start treatment as quickly as possible to learn new skills and reduce symptoms. The most common treatments are medications to alleviate problematic behaviors or feelings, as well as several types of therapy, from behavioral and cognitive to occupational, physical, and educational. Your CarolinaMD-affiliated doctor can help you determine the right treatment for you or a loved one.

Autism is about accepting differences, including the different ways it affects each person and the ways that people with ASD may seem different to others. Today, focus on the difference that you can make by understanding that people with ASD deserve to be supported, included, and treated the same as everyone else.

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