Question

To complete this assignment, describe the symptoms, characteristics and potential treatments for autism.

Answer 1

ASD refers to Autism spectrum disorder. It is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. The term “spectrum” associated with it means that there is a wide range of symptoms and levels of impairment affecting people with ASD. People with ASD have some common symptoms like they face difficulty in interacting socially but differences are seen with the onset and severity of symptoms. The symptoms and their severity are also likely to change over time. The signs of ASD begin in early childhood with minor symptoms in the usually in the first 2 years of life.

Not all kids with ASD develop their ability to communicate using speech and language or may have limited speaking skills. The ability of children with ASD to communicate and use language depends on their intellectual and social development. The features that commonly characterize the speech of children with ASD who have developed some useful language are as follows:

1. The children with ASD tend to speak in a repetitive manner. For example, a child may repeat the sentences that they have heard on a television program. They also have a tendency to repeat what others people have said in front of them or to them. This condition is called echolalia.

2. Many children with ASD develop limited abilities with speech and language. They are also seen to have good memories of things just heard or they have a strong vocabulary in their area of interest.

The goals of treatment for children with ASD can be:

A doctor treating a child with ASD will refer the child to a speech-language pathologist. The speech-language pathologist will perform a thorough evaluation of the child’s ability to communicate and will design a treatment program accordingly. In addition, the child may be sent for a hearing test as well just to ensure that the child’s hearing is normal.

The effort to improve the communication skills of ASD children should begin early even before going to school. The program is modulated to the child’s age and interests. It caters to the complete learning of the child. It teaches behavior and communication skills. Parents are also involved in the treatment program so that it becomes part of the child’s daily life.

For slightly older children with ASD, the training starts with single words and phrases. At the level of advanced training,c the child is taught to hold a conversation with another person by staying on the topic and taking turns to speak.

Some children with ASD may never develop oral speech and language skills. For these children, learning to communicate using gestures using the sign language becomes important. Sometimes these kids can also make use of pictures to convey thoughts.