There may be no obvious delay in their cognitive development. Genetics and brain abnormalities may be involved. It is part of the range of conditions included in Autism Spectrum Disorder. The pediatrician can determine if the child should be seen by a specialist, such as a developmental pediatrician, psychologist, or other clinician who is familiar with ASD.
Testing and assessment usually involve a team of medical and psychological professionals. They will also interact with the child and conduct assessments to evaluate what symptoms the child shows when interacting with others. A medical doctor might ask questions or order tests to make sure there are no other medical concerns for the child. They should be adjusted over time as those needs change.
With help, parents can learn how to best support their child. Your doctor may refer you to a developmental specialist. However, research suggests that certain factors during pregnancy and after birth may put a child at higher risk of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Those factors include:. With more education and information available, doctors are able to diagnose this disorder in children as young as 18 months old. There is no blood test or medical imaging scan to diagnose the condition.
Because the cause of autism spectrum disorder is unknown, there is no way to prevent or avoid it. It can prepare him or her for adult life. Treatment usually includes a mix of speech, physical, occupational, and cognitive behavioral therapy CBT. The therapy team will decide how often it needs to work with your child. Therapy sessions might look like this:. More importantly, ask your therapists how to apply the therapy at home.
Children do best when therapy is the same at school and home. Therapy is not a one-time treatment. Repetitive therapy helps your child develop a desired behavior. Children should not be punished for undesired behavior. Instead, therapists use incentives and rewards giving your child extra free time, a healthy snack, or something that is important to them to encourage appropriate behavior.
Peers may feel like their behavior is eccentric. Your child can be successful at school and in their adult life.
This article was contributed by: familydoctor. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Asperger syndrome AS is a type of autism. Autism affects how a person interprets language, communicates, and socializes. AS used to be considered its own condition, with its own diagnosis, but that changed in Now, kids who show signs of AS are diagnosed with autism and are considered "on the autism spectrum. The term "autism spectrum" refers to a wide range of developmental disabilities.
These disabilities can appear in different combinations with varying degrees of severity: two children with the same diagnosis, though they may share certain patterns of behavior, can have a wide range of skills and abilities.
As a result, general terms such as "low-functioning," "high-functioning," "autistic tendencies," "pervasive developmental disorder," and others are often used to describe children whose behaviors fall on the autism spectrum.
Kids with AS are generally considered to be on the "high-functioning" end of the autism spectrum. Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to have AS. T he incidence seems to be increasing, but this might be b ecause milder cases are being identified more frequently.
Although Asperger syndrome is no longer considered to be a diagnosis all on its own, many parents and people in the medical community still use the term. The disorder is named after Hans Asperger, a Viennese pediatrician who, in , first described a set of behavior patterns apparent in some of his patients, mostly males.
Asperger noticed that although these boys had normal intelligence and language development, they had severely impaired social skills, couldn't communicate well with others, and had poor coordination. According to the Asperger Syndrome Coalition of the United States, the onset of AS may be later than what is typical in autism — or at least is recognized later.
Many kids are diagnosed after age 3, with most diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 9. AS is characterized by poor social interactions, obsessions, odd speech patterns, few facial expressions, and other peculiar mannerisms.
Often, kids with AS have trouble reading the body language of others. They might engage in obsessive routines and show an unusual sensitivity to sensory stimuli — for example, they may be bothered by a light that no one else notices; they may cover their ears to block out sounds in the environment; or they might prefer to wear clothing made only of a certain material.
Overall, kids and teens with AS can function in everyday life, but tend to be somewhat socially immature, relate better to adults than peers, and may be seen by others as odd or eccentric. Other characteristics of AS can include motor delays, clumsiness, limited interests, and peculiar preoccupations.
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