Autistic not Diseased
Just different and unique in a normal world
Do you know autism is much more common than people think?
In the world right now, I discovered approximately one percent of the population is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and this number is growing. However, they are still the minority.
In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association merged four distinct autism diagnoses into one umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They included autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome.
What is Autism?
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder or condition is a neurodevelopmental disorder that involves delays of basic life skills and functionality. However, it should be noted that Autism is not an illness.
It is a developmental condition that results in difficulty in verbal and non-verbal ways of communication. As a result, the intensity and range of symptoms vary significantly across individuals. Although, this condition is not a disease. It begins in childhood and is lifelong.
The early diagnosis of Autism can significantly impact the quality of the life of the person. Therefore, making it is essential to ensure an accurate and early diagnosis of autism.
Symptoms
Symptoms begin from age 2 and they behave quite differently. As a result, This spectrum affects every family uniquely. Usually, autistic individuals usually have an inflexible thought pattern and behavior and may carry out repetitive actions. They can find it hard to communicate with each other
Stereotypical views about ASD
I discovered a lot of stereotypical views about how autism is caused by the vaccine. If you go around with this view, I am glad to tell you that you are wrong. Autism is not a disease, but a different unique way of thinking.
Research has made it known that various things cause autism. Especially things not noticed such as
Drugs took during pregnancy
Genes especially from Older father. They own substantially more than 50% of their variants.
What you probably don’t know about Austistic persons:
They are Empathetic
They sometimes resist physical touch and would like to be left alone
Have difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication
Difficulty in understanding other people’s emotions or feelings and even unable to express theirs
They perform repetitive movement
Behavioral issues
Develop a routine and get disturbed at the slightest change
Ways to help an autistic individual
Educational therapy
Family therapy
Speech therapy
However, the type of therapy is dependent on the child
There are, in my opinion, no conventional symptoms of autism. Everyone with autism is unique. Believing that there are classic symptoms is what I believe contributed to the widespread misdiagnosis.
During a conversation with an autistic fellow, he said:
“Even inside myself, these symptoms vary with time; I get various stimuli that seem entirely different, my sensitivity to certain substances varies, and my ability to understand and interact with the world changes.
My capacity to conceal and cover symptoms in order to fit in may entirely vanish in some conditions, such as PTSD. Sometimes, I zone out, bright lights mess with me. I guess I have people like me out there with probably stronger symptoms. Just like a lot of other folks like me out there, I live a normal life.
I am autistic, not diseased. I guess the problem is this world is not built for people like me”.
Having a child with autism can be stressful, time-consuming, and even affects the whole family. However, early diagnosis helps and makes living with ASD easier for the family and the child.