Children should be brought up with utmost care. A child should not be your centre of attraction only because it is incapable to fend for itself, but also because it is not half as aware as you are or could be about its problems. Parents punish their children for the slightest of their mistakes; they at times even threaten children to bring home a lesson. Patience and observation are two key things in good parenting. The foibles of your child might indicate at an underlying medical condition. Instead of fixating over the mistakes try and locate the root cause. Early diagnosis of autism can save your child from a bleak future.

The following are a few symptoms of autism in children:

Social interaction is a huge challenge: Children suffering from autism are usually noticed to live in a world of their own. They hardly listen to people around them or hardly talk. The presence of many people can scare them or make them conscious. When spoken to, they look away. They do not feel comfortable in revealing their joys or fears. Autistic children like to play alone; they are not interested in group activities with friends.
Difficulties in communicating their needs: Communication is the biggest problem autistic children seem to face regularly. They are not able to express their needs and emotions. If they are hungry they might scream or break things but not ask for food. They even fail to comprehend instructions and seem confounded by simple situations. Their speech could comprise of mumbling. Autism in children could make them develop a condition popularly known as echolalia under the effect of which they mouth words without knowing their meanings in an extremely strange tone.
An obsessive, repetitive behavior: Children with autism could be persistent in some of their actions. Their body gestures could be repetitive; for instance, they can continue flapping their arms for hours together. Children in certain cases are also very particular about routine. Quite strikingly, objects affect them and they might scrutinize an object meticulously.
Sensory problems: Light sound and touch can have a huge impact on children suffering from autism. Patches of light and shade intrigue them whereas high pitched sounds could depress or intimidate them. They usually prefer deep pressure touch and might not respond to anything else.

Autism in Children: Prevalent Symptoms

Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD is a condition associated with brain development. ASD affects the way an individual perceives others and socializes with a group of people. This disorder shows up in early childhood; it includes repetitive and limited behaviour patterns and thus, makes it difficult for the affected child to interact or communicate with others.

The word  spectrum  in ASD refers to a range of signs related to the condition. Some children develop the symptoms of the disorder right from infancy, while others exhibit the same within 12-36 months of birth.

Signs to Watch Out for-

Early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder in toddlers include-

  Reduced eye contact
  Lack of response (to their name)
  Difficulty learning things
  Trouble communicating
  Speaking in an abnormal tone
  Repeating words, not knowing where to place them in a sentence
  Inability to express feelings/emotions
  Inappropriate approach to social interaction   being aggressive, destructive, or passive
  Difficulty recognizing non-verbal cues
  Lack of coordination
  Oversensitive to touch, sound, or light
  Repetitive movements - spinning, rocking, hand flapping

Every child with ASD has a unique behaviour pattern.

If you notice the above traits in your child and are concerned about his/her development, then you should visit a doctor right away. A specialist can recommend an appropriate line of treatment to manage the symptoms and help your child thrive despite being autistic.

Autism and Nutrition   Is There Really a Link?

Caring for an autistic child can be challenging on many levels, and healthful eating is no exception. A child living with Autism Spectrum Disorder may not be getting enough nutrients, primarily because they are not patient enough to sit through their meals.

If your child has ASD, you should definitely reach out to a paediatrician. He/she will most likely prescribe a  special diet  to provide your child with the essential nutrients.

  Switch to a casein-free, gluten-free diet. Exclude foods such as   fishes, eggs, seafood, soy products, nuts etc. Children with ASD have an abnormally leaky gut, and these food items often cause inflammation in the gut. This further deteriorates the symptoms.
  The doctor may recommend a low-fat, high-protein ketogenic diet   cottage cheese, avocados, poultry meat, coconut oil etc.
  Serve your child a good portion of vitamin-rich foods   cereals, fruit juice, oatmeal etc. However, make sure that you are aware of any allergic reaction your child may have before incorporating these in their diet.

Health experts state that for children living with this condition, a balanced, nutritious diet can make all the difference in the world   it can improve their learning ability, help them to express themselves more and process information better.

Early Signs Of ASD In Toddlers!

The moment when you learn about your child being autistic can be a life changing moment for you. You might feel all the dreams and aspirations which you built around your child come crashing down on a pile of zilch. However, recent developments in this field show that you can certainly take steps to make your child more comfortable and bond well with them. 

Autism related disorder usually begin before the age of 3, when the child starts encountering problems in communication and social interaction. This article tries to help you find a way to deal with an autistic child:

Learn more about autism: Learn about autism as much as you can; a broad understanding of the causes and symptoms of the disorder can help you understand your child better. This will also enable you to respond to your child s needs better, both physical and psychological. 
Build a strong support system: It is difficult to parent a child who is suffering from autism. Communicating and interacting with your child might be extremely difficult and problematic. In order to overcome this stress, you should have a strong support network, a support network from which you can draw your strength and logic once you have to take major life decisions for your child. 
Review your treatment options: It is advisable to start treatment immediately after the diagnosis is done. Early treatment can help better your child s cognitive skills that can help him/her cope better with the surroundings and circumstances. The treatment options include behavioral training whereby self-help or social skills training is used to work on the child s communication skills and behavior. Specialized therapy is another option whereby the therapies are directed at a particular aspect of the child, primarily speech or physical functioning. 
Focus on your child s diet: Diet plays an important role in the regularization of any disease. Even in case of autism, deficiency of certain vitamins or minerals makes it very important to analyze the diet and then assess it. Consult with the doctor before making any modification to the child s diet. 
Behavioral training: Behavioral training is an aspect of autism treatment that allows the child to adapt to various conditions. Before a child undergoes behavioral training, it is advised to assess his/her behavior, functional abilities and the environment your child belongs to. The objective of this therapy or training is to induce desired behavior and get rid of the undesirable ones.

Tips for Parents to Deal with Autistic Children 

Autism spectrum disorders are a group of severe neurological and developmental disorders which begin in early childhood and can last throughout a person s life. It affects the ability to interact with others and also hinders communication and well as learning ability. A proper health center can diagnose the presence of autism spectrum disorder early on. Many tests are available for evaluation and diagnosis as it is a range of disorders which can have a variety of symptoms. The environment and genetics also play a role in the development of autism spectrum disorder but the exact cause of autism spectrum disorder is not yet known.

Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder:

Your child may not be able to respond when called by his or her name by 12 months age.
Will avoid eye contact and also have the desire to stay alone.
Have trouble understanding or relating to other people or talk about their own feelings.
Delayed speech and language skills which would affect the ability to speak.
Show unusual reaction to sound, smell, taste or feelings.
Answering questions with unrelated answers that have no meaning or link.
Prefer to play alone and would avoid physical contact.

Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation   The behavior of your child and development is first studied by the doctor in detail. The tests include genetic testing, neurological testing, hearing and vision testing among others. Doctors may also suggest other specialized tests in certain cases.
Developmental Screening   The development of your child s basic learning skills with respect to the age is checked. The doctor checks for some delays in the progress and will also monitor movement, behavior and speaking progress of the child. Some additional checks are also done for low birth weight, premature birth among other things.
Treatment:

Applied behavioral analysis   This is a notable treatment and widely accepted by doctors all over the world. ABA is known to encourage positive behaviors and improves a variety of skills in a child.
Occupational Therapy   Teaches the skills to live independently like eating, dressing and social skills. This can help people afflicted by autism spectrum disorders to lead a normal life within the society and thus relate to as well as interact with other people.
Speech therapy   It improves and focuses primarily on communication skills and also uses picture boards and gestures to improve the abilities and induce learning skills.

Autism Spectrum Disorder - How To Diagnose It?


Autism is defined as a neurobiological pervasive development disorder that includes lack of social skills and inability to reciprocate to social interactions. The patient may also have intellectual and cognitive deficits and problems in communication (verbal as well as non-verbal).

Ayurveda is the oldest study of medicine and has proved to be very effective when it comes to managing and treating those affected by autism. The earlier an autistic person resorts to ayurveda, the more effective it is.

Ayurvedic drink recipe for treating the symptoms of autism: (should be taken daily)
1.1/3 cup of yogurt
2.3/4 cup of water
3. Cumin
4. Coriander and
5. Ginger
Or
Diluted fresh pomegranate juice

Ayurveda in curbing aggression:
Autism includes heightened aggression and aversion from social interaction due to a neurological condition that impairs the functioning of the brain. Not all autistic patients are violent towards others, but may express their frustration by self-harm and emotional outbursts. One can curb these emotional outbursts by taking herbal supplements. An ayurvedic herb called brahmi (bacopa monnieri) which is known for its, anti-anxiety, neuroprotection and antioxidant properties can help considerably.

Regular massages using sandalwood, rose, lavender and gotu kola oils are also very calming and relieving, because it stimulates the blood flow and neuronal responses. Massage also helps in increasing eye contact and social relatedness, less stereotypical behavior and improved sleep.

Ayurvedic herbs for autism:
1. Brahmi- scientifically known as bacopa monnieri, brahmi is an important herb that delays the process of forgetting and improves memory. Not only does brahmi improve memory, but also increases the grasping power, intellect and speech and also corrects the abnormality of emotions, personality and mood of an autistic individual. It also helps in performing complex tasks such as comprehension, reasoning and learning.

2. Ashwagandha- scientifically known as withania somnifera, ashwagandha has high affinity for gamma aminobutyric acid (gaba) receptors. Low gaba activity is related to cognitive impairment.

3. Shankhapushpi- scientifically known as convolvulus pluricaulis, shankhapushpi is very effective in improving learning and memory and is highly effective in treating insanity and epilepsy. 

4. Centella asiatica- this ayurvedic herb is used as a medication for insanity, speech disorders and epilepsy, making it a very useful drug for treating autism.

Top 5 Ayurvedic Medicine for Autism Treatment

Autism is a development disorder which is characterized by the problems that occurred while interacting with people socially. And, sometimes the person's behavior becomes repetitive or restricted. This is basically caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Several risk factors are also there such as rubella or valproic acid infection during pregnancy.  Autism affects the process of sending information to the brain by changing the synapses of the nerve cells. However, the signs of autism often evolve slowly usually parents notice these signs in the initial years of their child's life.


Symptoms of Autism
Autism is basically a very highly unstable neurodevelopmental disorder which appears initially during infancy and then firmly follows without remission. And, the eating behavior might also be unusual at times.

People affected with autism might be severely impaired in some way or they might be evenly superior in other ways.
Some symptoms begin gradually after for 6 months and becomes well established by the course of time when they reach the age of 2 to 3 years and steadily continuous through adulthood.
Symptoms of individual occur basically within the general population and it pretty much appears not to be associated itself highly, separating common traits from being pathologically severe.
Infants with autism show very little attention towards social affection and tend to smile less often and take time to respond to their own name.
Children who are affected by Autism that functions frequently, often subjected to intense loneliness if compared to the non-autistic children.
Sometimes behaviors on these children might be self-injurious like biting its own hand or banging its head, poking their own eyes.
The daily activities might not vary at all like them and not tend to change the menu or how they dress.
Treatment for Autism
When a child is being treated with autism, then the main goal to lessen the deficit and the distress of the family and improving your child's quality of life. Some medications also used to treat the symptoms of ASD. Some common drugs, antidepressants or stimulants or antipsychotics suggest aripiprazole or risperidone. There must also be a specific teaching method that will help the autistic child to learn some significant social skills that will encourage him or her to interact more with others. 


Autism Signs Parents Need To Be Aware Of!

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