Initial symptoms of autism are often noticed by a child’s parents or caregivers, especially within the first 3 years because any congenital signs of the disorder which are present at birth are difficult to identify or diagnosed during infancy.
It is only when the child starts to exhibit signs of being disinterested in playing certain games such as peekaboo, or does not begin to talk when other members of his playgroup or age starts to talk that the parents will begin to worry. The parents will begin to be more apprehensive when their autistic child begins to lose his or her language skills after starting to talk for a while. This condition often confuses the parents, especially about the child’s hearing abilities. In many cases, the child with autism does not seem to be able to hear, but at other times, he or she may appear to hear some distant background noise.
However, against popular opinion, very few children with autism are completely unsociable, or live in a world of their own. With powerful and effective strategies and early intensive treatment, most children with autism can improve in relating to others, can communicate well and help themselves in coping as they grow older.
As an autistic child moves into his or her teenage years, behavioral patterns will often change. While they will gain new skills or deepen old skills, most autistic children still lag behind in social skills such as relating to or understanding others. This places pressure on the autistic child as he or she moves into puberty and begin to recognize emerging sexuality.
It is during this phase of life that teens with autism are at higher risk of developing problems that may lead to anxiety and depression and in some cases epilepsy.
We often hear of cases of autistic children dying not because of autism, but because of related difficulties such as death from injuries sustained during a fall because of an epileptic attack or an episode of epilepsy.
In other cases, the autistic child may have a propensity to experiment with his or her sexuality and there are cases of self mutilation of the body, including banging of the head against the wall or hitting the arm against furniture.
It is important therefore to be fully aware of the autistic condition of a child or teenager and to take special precautions to enable the safety of the child or to provide a safe environment for the child with autism as he grows up.
It’s practical experience that counts when it comes to helping an autistic child. There are free videos and important relevant articles on the website Infantile Autism to help you. Discover all aspects of autism in children and how you can help your autistic child realize his fullest potential by checking out the website http://www.infantile-autism.com today.
