Around 1 out of every 160 children suffer from autism.
In case you are witnessing any types of unusual behavior or your child is having issues while interacting socially or communicating with others, they might have autism.
The best way to find out whether your child has ASD or not you should consult with your doctor. The health expert will be able to give you a proper answer. Still, here we are, offering guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of ASD.
Diagnosis
At regular checkups, your child’s doctor will check for signs of developmental delays. In case your child shows any type of ASD symptoms, you will be referred to a specialist who will be able to treat your children with ASD.
In most cases, child psychiatrists or psychologists, development pediatricians, or pediatric neurologists are the experts who opt for an evaluation.
ASD varies widely in severity and symptoms. That is why the diagnosis is difficult. No particular medical test is there for determining the disorder. In most cases, an expert opts for the following to diagnose autism.
- Provide your child tests covering speech, hearing, development level, language, and behavioral and social issues.
- Observe your child and also ask how your child interacts socially, communication and behavioral development and changes over time.
- Present structures communication and social interaction to your child along with scoring performances.
- Utilize the criteria in the Statistical and Diagnostic Manual of mental Disorders that is published by the American Psychiatric Association.
- Involve other specialists in determining a proper diagnosis.
- Recommend genetic testing in order to identify whether your child has any type of genetic disorder, like fragile X syndrome or Rett syndrome.
Treatment
When we are talking about autism spectrum disorder, we must say that there is no complete cure also no one-size-fits-all treatment option available. The main goal of autism treatment is to improve your child’s ability to function.
It is usually done by reducing the autism spectrum disorder symptoms and also supporting learning and development. In this case, the early interventions during those years of preschool could help your child in learning communication. Critical social, behavioral, and functional skills.
In case your child has been diagnosed with ASD, you should talk with an expert about creating a treatment strategy along with developing a team of professionals in order to meet the requirements of your child.
Here are some of the best treatment options.
Behavior And Communication Therapies
A number of programs address the range of behavioral, language, and social difficulties that are associated with ASD. At the same time, a lot of programs also focus on reducing problem behaviors along with teaching new skills.
Other programs revolve around teaching children how to communicate better with others and act in social situations. ABA or applied behavior analysis can help children with autism in learning new skills and generalize all those skills to several situations through a motivation system that is reward-based.
Educational Therapies
Often, children with ASD respond well to highly structured educational programs. In order to be successful, those programs usually involve a team of specialists along with a number of various activities in order to improve social skills, behavior, and communication.
Autistic children, who are in preschool and getting individualized, intensive behavioral interventions mostly show excellent progress.
Family Therapies
Parents with other family members also can learn how to interact and play with their children who have ASD. They learn several ways to promote social interaction skills, teach daily living skills and communication, and manage problems.
Other Therapies
On the basis of your child’s requirements, speech can improve communication skills; occupational therapy can teach daily living activities, and also physical therapy can improve balance and movement. All these are really beneficial for autistic children.
A psychologist will be able to recommend different ways to address problem behavior.
Medications
When it comes to the core signs of ASD, no medication can work to improve them. However, some particular medications can help in controlling the symptoms.
There are certain medications that might be prescribed in case your child is hyperactive. At the same time, antipsychotic medications are often used in order to treat serious behavioral problems. And in case your child suffers from anxiety, an antidepressant can be prescribed. Certain dietary supplements are also available that can be explored with the help of your doctor to ensure your child’s dietary needs are met in order to support their neurological development
Always keep all your health care providers updated about the supplements and medications your child is taking. Some particular supplements and medication could interact and cause dangerous side effects.