April 2nd is World Autism Day. Since the creation of the date, for example, much has progressed regarding diagnosis, treatment and talk about the disorder, however, there is still a lot of prejudice and stigma towards patients.
Because of this, the ND Mais portal has separated some symptoms, treatment tips and some concepts to help you learn more about the autism spectrum and, of course, fight for the inclusion of patients.
Autism, according to the Ministry of Health, involves a neurological development disorder that impairs the organization of thoughts, feelings and emotions.
According to data from the CDC (Center of Diseases Control and Prevention), an organization linked to the United States government, today there is one case of autism for every 110 people. Therefore, mathematically speaking, Brazil has around 2 million autistic people.
According to the Public Library of the Ministry of Health, there are 11 common signs of autism. Check out:
- Have an abnormal delay in speech;
- Not responding when called and showing disinterest in the people and objects around;
- Having difficulty participating in group activities and games, always preferring to do tasks alone;
- Not being able to interpret gestures and facial expressions;
- Having difficulty combining words into sentences or repeating the same phrase or word frequently;
- Lack of social filter (excessive sincerity);
- Feeling uncomfortable in social environments and situations;
- Be selective in relation to the smell, flavor and texture of foods;
- Present repetitive and unusual movements, such as rocking the body back and forth, flapping hands, scratching some parts of the body (such as ears, eyes and nose), turning around, jumping suddenly, rearranging objects in rows or in color;
- Show obsessive interest in subjects considered unusual or eccentric, such as biology, paleontology, technology, dates, numbers, among others;
- Having gastrointestinal problems caused by anxiety.
Furthermore, some autistic people may manifest tantrums of anger, hyperactivity, passivity, attention deficit, difficulties dealing with noise, lack of empathy in certain situations and an increase or reduction in the response to pain and temperatures.
Classic autism: Degree of commitment can vary greatly. In general, individuals are focused on themselves, they do not establish visual contact with people or the environment; They can speak, but they do not use speech as a communication tool.
Although they can understand simple statements, they have difficulty understanding and only grasp the exact meaning of words, not understanding double meanings or comparisons.
In the most severe forms, they do not demonstrate any interpersonal contact. They are isolated children, who do not learn to speak, do not look other people in the eye, do not smile back, repeat movements without much meaning or keep spinning around themselves and have significant mental disabilities.
High-functioning autism (also called Asperger syndrome): People with autism have the same difficulties as other autistic people, but to a much reduced extent.
They are talkative and intelligent, even being confused with geniuses, because they are invincible in the areas of knowledge in which they specialize. The less difficulty in social interaction, the more they are able to lead a life close to normal.
Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (DGD-SOE): Individuals are considered within the autism spectrum, with difficulty communicating and social interaction, but the symptoms are not sufficient to include them in any of the specific categories of the disorder, which makes diagnosis much more difficult.
One of the great mysteries of autism is the causes of the disorder, which are still unknown to scientists. It is thought, for example, that there are causes such as genetic, biological and environmental factors.
There is no cure for the autism spectrum, however, there are treatments to minimize some symptoms of the disorder and improve the quality of life of patients, parents and family members, who also participate in the treatment.
The treatment may also include the participation of a multidisciplinary team including doctors, speech therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists and pedagogues, to encourage the individual to carry out daily tasks alone, develop ways of communicating socially and having greater emotional stability.
However, it is important to remember that only doctors can diagnose and recommend the best treatment for the disease.
