If you’re like many parents of young children, you’ve probably given more than a passing thought to autism, the developmental disability now known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that causes social, communication and behavioral challenges.
Because there are still so many unknowns surrounding it, including its cause, the possibility of a child having ASD is frightening to many.
What causes autism?
“We’re not 100 percent sure what triggers autism,” said Dr. John LaCount, a pediatrician with St. Elizabeth Physicians’ Florence office. “It could be certain chemicals, something in plastics or pesticides that’s causing it, but we just don’t know. That’s probably the scariest part of this disorder. We do know it is not from vaccines.”
Because it’s on a spectrum, ASD can range from very severe to very mild, and it’s four times more likely to occur in boys than in girls – a phenomenon so far unexplained by science.
It can be detected as early as 15 months, but a reliable diagnosis usually can’t be made until age 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Growing diagnosis
ASD diagnoses are growing, though, another scary aspect of this puzzling disability.
Although the increase in occurrences likely is due, in part, to better education and greater awareness, therapeutic treatments still are limited. They’re very time intensive, LaCount said, and while medications are available to help deal with the behavior, they can’t cure the disorder.
What to look for
The first symptom of autism many parents notice is a regression or a loss of language. “Kids with ASD lose their ability to verbalize their feelings and otherwise communicate in an effective manner, which is difficult,” LaCount said.
Other signs and symptoms to look for include:
- A child who won’t point to or look at objects when asked
- A child who has trouble relating to others or interacting with them
- A child who avoids eye contact and expresses a desire to be alone
- A child who repeats or echoes words or phrases in place of normal language
- A child who repeats actions over and over again
- A child who has trouble adapting to a change in routine
- A child who has an unusual reaction to the way certain things smell, taste, look, feel or sound
Your child also might have an increased risk for ASD if he or she has a sibling with ASD, if you or your spouse are older, if he or she has a certain genetic or chromosomal condition, or if you took prescription drugs valproic acid or thalidomide while pregnant.
“It’s frustrating to tell families a prognosis because you don’t know where the kid is going to be in five to 10 years,” LaCount said. “It is difficult to tell what a child’s progress will or will not be. Early identification and treatment provides the best possibility for improved outcome.”
For more information or additional resources, visit autismspeaks.org.
