Understanding what autism is, and if it is a mental health condition or something completely different can be complicated.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects a person’s abilities to fully engage with their surroundings. Therefore, people living with ASD relate to the world and people in different ways. It is a pervasive disability and is characterized by a wide variety of difference, thus no two people with ASD with have the same experience with it.
ASD is an umbrella term, which combines other diagnoses that were previously diagnosed and understood separately, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
There is no answer to what causes ASD (although, we do know that vaccinations – often argued to cause autism by some people in society – do not cause ASD). ASD is a neuro-developmental disability and is generally accepted that the causes are likely to be genetic, or neurological and is some cases both. There is no definitive proof or consensus on the causes and no known ‘cure’ for ASD.
ASD is very common. One in 100 people of school age are diagnosed with ASD, with boys being more likely than girls to be diagnosed. Although often, less severe cases of ASD will go undiagnosed, as the person with ASD may experience some difficulties in areas of development, other skills with develop normally, and thus the ASD inhibitions are written up as part of the normal development of children naturally being better than some tasks than others. In many cases, a diagnosis of ASD may only occur when the person is well into adulthood, even though it is something they would have lived through from childhood.
Some of the frequent indicators of ASD include:
- A hindered ability or failure to learn to speak or otherwise communicate.
- Trouble participating in common play habits or to play ‘imaginatively’.
- Extreme interests, such a favorite topics, items, or activities.
- The likeness of rituals and routines, which may or may not provoke a high degree of stress and anxiety when the routine changes.
- Complexity in processing sounds, tastes, smells and colours. One of the most common (and dangerous) indications of this is a difficulty with determining hot versus cold.
Therefore, Autism is a mental health condition that doctors can diagnose through its symptoms, although there is no knowledge on how causes it and there is no cure. It is, however, possible to obtain support for an individual with ASD, so that they can live a better quality of life. Thus, it is vital that their families, including parents and siblings, are provided with the right support and environment, so that they can have a better understanding and make changes to cope with the hardships their loved one may be facing.
That’s where Lizard Centre takes action. Contact us today to start the discussion if you’re looking for support for a child diagnosed with ASD.