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Yours,
Health and Science Editor
Name
Moly
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Profession
Question
I understand that autistic children's main problem is socialization. Why do they have learning problems?
Answer
Children with autism have problems with social interactions; they have impaired verbal and nonverbal communication and they have a pattern of repetitive behavior with narrow, restricted interests which affect their ability to learn.
Sounds and visual distractions are other areas for concern when teaching the autistic child. Sounds such as school bells are fire alarms can hurt their ears and cause either a violent reaction or bad behavior. Also, most of time autism is associated with low cognitive function which may be due to actual low IQ or because the child does not have the desire to learn.
Name
Naseer
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Profession
Question
Why do we find autism common now, but we've never heard of it ten or twenty years ago?
Is it something new like bird flu?
Answer
Leo Kanner (1943) was the first person to describe and name a pattern of behaviour he observed in a small group of young children, which he termed early infantile autism. Asperger (1944) So it is not a recent disease but people are more aware of it now. The incidents of autism up 172% since the 1990s.
Estimated prevalence rate of people with autism spectrum disorders in the UK is 91 people in every 10,000.
Name
Syed
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Profession
Question
I have a neighbor whose son suffers from autism. I want to help him, how do you think?
If I told him to bring his child to play with my children, will this work?
Answer
It is great from you to offer this and to try to help your neighbour. If you are a parent of an autistic child you need to put your child in a structured environment as soon as he or she is diagnosed which is the best method to start to teach the social skills and behavior redirection that your child needs. This can be an exhausting job for a parent which leaves no time for personal relaxation or freedom of the stress it takes in raising such a child. A team effort needs to be extended from other professionals that service to the child as well as turn taking between siblings, neighbours and parents.
So you have to ask first about the right environment for this child to play with your children and what toys he prefers more. You can get this information from his parents or the professionals who are working with this child. Without this information the child will not accept to play with your children and he will have a hard time at your home.
Name
Razan
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Profession
Question
Are there types of autism or it is just one thing?
Answer
Autism is one of what is called Pervasive developmental disorders which include several that are characterized by impaired reciprocal social interactions, aberrant language development, and restricted behavioral repertoire. Pervasive developmental disorders typically emerge in young children before the age of 3 years. These include:
Rett's disorder appears to occur exclusively in girls; it is characterized by normal development for at least 6 months, stereotyped hand movements, a loss of purposeful motions, diminishing social engagement, poor coordination, and decreasing language use.
In childhood disintegrative disorder, development progresses normally for the first 2 years, after which the child shows a loss of previously acquired skills in two or more of the following areas: language use, social responsiveness, play, motor skills, and bladder or bowel control.
Asperger's disorder is a condition in which the child is markedly impaired in social relatedness and shows repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior without a delay in language development. In Asperger's disorder, a child's cognitive abilities and adaptive skills are normal.
Name
Sara
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Profession
Question
My son is one year old now, he is a bit quiet, and sometimes I feel he is afraid to play with other children. But, he is normal in other things. Can he have a feature of autism?
Or he is just shy?
Answer
Among the early signs and symptoms that parents and pediatricians look for to alert them that a child needs further evaluation for autism include:
- not smiling by six months of age
- not babbling, pointing or using other gestures by 12 months
- not using single words by age 16 months
- not using two word phrases by 24 months
- having a regression in development, with any loss of language or social skills
Infants with autism might also avoid eye contact
- Do not respond to name
- Don't seem to know how to play with toys
- Excessively line up toys or other objects
- Are attached to one particular toy or object
- At times seem to be hearing-impaired
It's important to remember that there are many possible explanations for most of the symptoms listed above. A child's attachment to a particular toy or difficulty with language skills is not, in itself, a sign of autism. Also, keep in mind that autism usually isn't diagnosed until about age 3, although some experts believe that some children begin to show subtle signs as early as six months of age.
In general, if you are concerned about your child's development, especially if you think that they might have autism, you should talk to your pediatrician and consider a more formal developmental evaluation.
Name
Marwa
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Profession
Question
A friend of mine has an autistic child, and she lives in a developing country where special schools are very expensive.
What do you suggest so she can help him at home?
Answer
The autistic child must have an educational program that individually fits the autistic child's abilities and works around the disabilities to teach the child alternative forms of communication and behavioral skills. This will allow them some semblance of a normal adulthood. If your friend's child has just been diagnosed with autism, her family are about to have a life changing experience. Her doctor will probably suggest a team of specialists who will take on the child's case that will probably change during the child's lifetime as new symptoms appear or the child's age and needs change.
There are multiple autism societies in each of our Arab countries which can help your friend to have the service for her child with affordable prices. She cannot do the teaching program at home as she will need speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, neurodevelopmental therapists and others who need to put a program for the child. These specialists can help her to do some activities at home to develop her child's skills too.
Name
Sanu
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Profession
Question
I want to ask if autism can be discovered earlier than two or three years?
Thanks
Answer
Many parents are worried, in part because autism is so much in the headlines these days. It's a good idea to keep a weather eye on your young child, because even very young children can be diagnosed. And research shows that the earlier the diagnosis and treatment, the better the prognosis for good outcomes.
Possible indicators of the Autism Spectrum Disorders:
- Does not babble, point, or make meaningful gestures by 1 year of age
- Does not speak one word by 16 months
- Does not combine two words by 2 years
- Does not respond to name
- Loses language or social skills
- Poor eye contact
- Doesn't seem to know how to play with toys
- Excessively lines up toys or other objects
- Is attached to one particular toy or object
- Doesn't smile
- At times seems to be hearing-impaired
Name
Dick
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Profession
Question
Why should autistic children go to special schools? Are they mentally retarded?
Answer
About 70 to 75 percent of children with autistic disorder function in the mentally retarded range of intellectual function. About 30 percent of children function in the mild to moderate range, and about 45 to 50 percent are severely to profoundly mentally retarded.
Epidemiological and clinical studies show that the risk for autistic disorder increases as the IQ decreases. About one fifth of all autistic children have a normal, nonverbal intelligence. The IQ scores of autistic children tend to reflect most severe problems with verbal sequencing and abstraction skills, with relative strengths in visio-spatial or rote memory skills. This finding suggests the importance of defects in language-related functions.
Unusual or precocious cognitive or visio-motor abilities occur in some autistic children. Perhaps the most striking examples are idiot or autistic savants, who have prodigious rote memories or calculating abilities, usually beyond the capabilities of their normal peers. Other precocious abilities in young autistic children include hyperlexia, an early ability to read well (although they cannot understand what they read), memorizing and reciting, and musical abilities (singing or playing tunes or recognizing musical pieces).
The goals of treatment for children with autistic disorder are to target behaviors that will improve their abilities to integrate into schools, develop meaningful peer relationships, and increase the likelihood of maintaining independent living as adults. Educational and behavioral interventions are currently considered the treatments of choice. Structured classroom training, in combination with behavioral methods, is the most effective treatment for many autistic children.
Autistic children may not need a special need school and can be integrated in normal schools but they need a special structured environment which cannot be offered in many normal schools.
Name
Sunita
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Profession
Question
How can I suspect that my child might be having autism?
Answer
Autism is a complex disorder of the central nervous system that has the following 3 defining core features:
- Problems with social interactions
- Impaired verbal and nonverbal communication
- A pattern of repetitive behavior with narrow, restricted interests
A number of other associated symptoms frequently coexist with autism. Most people with autism have problems using language, forming relationships, and appropriately interpreting and responding to the external world around them.
Autism is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in early childhood. Although the diagnosis of autism may not be made until a child reaches preschool or school age, the signs and symptoms of autism may be apparent by the time the child is aged 12-18 months, and the behavioral characteristics of autism are almost always evident by the time the child is aged 3 years. Language delay in the preschool years (younger than 5 years) is typically the presenting problem for more severely affected children with autism. Higher functioning children with autism are generally identified with behavioral problems when they are aged approximately 4-5 years or with social problems later in childhood. Autism persists throughout the person's lifetime, although many people are able to learn to control and modify their behavior to some extent.
The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, puts a diagnostic criteria for autism as follows:
A. A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3):
(1) qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
a. marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction
b. failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
c. a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest)
d. lack of social or emotional reciprocity
(2) qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following:
a. delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)
b. in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
c. stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language
d. lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level
(3) restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
a. encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
b. apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
c. stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
d. persistent preoccupation with parts of objects
B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years: (1) social interaction, (2) language as used in social communication, or (3) symbolic or imaginative play.
C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by Rett's disorder or childhood disintegrative disorder.
Name
Rushd
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Profession
Question
Dear Doc
Thanks for this session. I just want to ask about the relation between autism and MMR vaccine. Is there a relation or not?
Thank you
Answer
In 1998, British gastroenterologist Dr. Andrew Wakefield published a paper suggesting a possible association between childhood MMR (Mumps/Measles/Rubella) immunization, bowel disease and autism. Wakefield proposed the idea that interaction between viruses could (1) have a negative impact on a child’s immune system; (2) lead to persistent infection in the gastrointestinal tract; and (3) lead, in the long run, to possible brain damage and autism.
But the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) agree that MMR vaccine is not responsible for recent increases in the number of children with autism. In 2004, a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that there is no link between autism and MMR vaccine, and that there is no link between autism and vaccines that contain thimerosal as a preservative.
Name
Salma
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Profession
Question
When can I teach my autistic child to pray and some verses of the Qur'an?
Answer
Understanding how autistic children learn is key to teaching them with the same intensity as you teach other children. This may seem like a straightforward idea, but autistic children learn so differently that understanding autism itself is a must when you teach autistic children. Autistic children are often visual thinkers. Thus teaching by speaking will not be entirely effective.
Record Qur'an that the child should be used to and then let him playback the sounds at the volume of their choice. When he is comfortable with one sound, encourage him to increase the volume until he can take the sound at the volume it will occur.
To teach him to pray videotape yourself while you are praying or take photos of yourself and put them in front of him so he can understand the steps of pray.
You can teach him as early as you want. Many autistic children love to hear the Qur'an and stop playing to hear it.
Name
Mother
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Profession
Question
What is your advice to frustrated mothers who feel helpless with such abnormality?
Answer
If your child has just been diagnosed with autism, you and your family have a very hard time. After you get over the shock of an autistic diagnosis you will probably be overwhelmed with all the information and misinformation there is about the disorder.
I know it is not easy but be sure that your are the guide for your child. He will gain his communication skills better from you. Do not ever feel helpless as you are doing so much for your child. You are his world so try to be cheerful, play with him, forget that he is autistic and deal with him normally, read hundreds of true stories, help others who have autistic children, join an association for autism in your country.
Believe me, mothers are the only hope for these children to develop.
