What is autism?

Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a wide range of conditions characterized by problems with social skills, repetitive behavior, speech, and non-verbal communication. It is a neurological disorder that affects a person’s thinking, perception, attention, social skills, and behavior.

There is a myriad of signs that go along with a wide variety of symptoms among people with autism.  Many experts now view autism not as a disease, but as a condition that a person is born with.

The main symptoms of autism are:

• Problems with social interaction and limited repetitive behavior;
• Difficulties in communication and social interaction, the person prefers to be alone;
• painful perception of everything new, the person is reluctant to be distracted from their activities, but sometimes can do something unexpected, for example, start singing in transport; often people with autism like to arrange things only in a certain order or perform some actions according to a clear algorithm.
• The behavior of children with autism is also often characterized by rigid patterns, from the repetition of elementary movements (shaking hands or bouncing) to complex rituals and often destructive behavior (aggression, self-injury, yelling, negativity).
• Many people with autism suffer from sensory problems. These are usually associated with increased or insufficient sensitivity to sounds, light, touch, tastes, smells, pain, and other stimuli.
• This disorder is often accompanied by increased sensory sensitivity and medical problems such as gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, convulsions, or sleep disorders, as well as mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and difficulties with attention.

Parents should pay attention to their child’s behavior as early as possible. Usually, the first signs of autism are noticeable as early as 11-13 months of age. These include a reduced response to name, to address, inability to use body gestures or words, or a peculiar use of words. As a rule, by 15-18 months of age, this diagnosis can be made fairly confidently.

Autism cannot be cured, but over time, it is possible to adjust behavior and adapt the person to social life. Therefore, the sooner parents contact early intervention services, the sooner their child will begin to develop adaptive and social thinking skills.

Yes, there are many subtypes of autism, which are most affected by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with autism has a different set of strengths and challenges.

People with signs of autism perceive the world around them differently. The ways in which people with autism learn, think, and solve problems can vary: some have very high IQs, while others have the opposite. Some people with autism may need a lot of support in everyday life, while others need less. In some cases, they are completely independent.

Modern science does not yet have a clear answer to this question. Research shows that autism results from a combination of genetic and nongenetic or external factors.

Genetic risk factors:

• Numerous studies of recent years show that autism tends to be inherited. Changes in certain genes increase a child’s risk of developing autism. If a parent carries one or more of these gene changes, they can be passed on to the child (even if the parent does not have autism).
• In other cases, these genetic changes occur spontaneously in the early embryo or in the sperm and/or ovum that make up the embryo together. Again, most of these gene changes do not themselves cause autism. They simply increase the risk of the disease.

Non-genetic factors.

Environmental risk factors, psychological, neurological, and biological. Research by American scientists shows that certain environmental factors can further increase or decrease the risk of autism in people who are genetically predisposed to the disorder.

Some suggested factors include:

• Birth before 35 weeks of pregnancy;
• Exposure to alcohol, nicotine, or medications during pregnancy;
• Maternal infections during pregnancy (especially rubella);
• Childbirth complications (especially oxygen deprivation);
• the age of the parents at conception (under 18 and over 35 are at risk);
• less than one year between pregnancies (autism is more common in one of the children of one-year-olds);
• Child poisoning before the age of one year.

Factors such as virus infections, vaccinations, complications during pregnancy, or environmental pollution have been studied by scientists in recent decades, but no definitive answer has yet been found.

According to the latest data released by scientists at Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA, the risks are reduced by the mother taking prenatal vitamins containing folic acid before and during conception, as well as during pregnancy.

It doesn’t. Every family has a unique experience with an autism diagnosis and in some cases, parents have reported that the first manifestations correspond to the timing of their child’s vaccination. Over the past two decades, however, scientists have conducted an extensive study to determine if there is any link between vaccinating children and autism. The results of that study: vaccines do not cause autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics has provided a comprehensive list of this study.

There is no definite answer to this question either. Some countries, like Tajikistan, have low levels of diagnosis and detection. In others, on the contrary, the diagnosis of autism is higher.  Naturally, their statistics are more accurate and detection rates are higher.

In the U.S., for example, in 2016 the WHO recorded 54 children with autism for every 10,000 children, and in 2021 there are already 81 children with autism per 10,000 children, according to World Population Review.

According to the Global Health Data Exchange, the countries with the lowest number of autism diagnoses include France (68 per 10,000 children) and some European countries. The highest rates are in Qatar and the UAE – 153 per 10,000 children.

In Tajikistan, the rate is 84.80 per 10,000 children, according to World Population Review.

Go to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. Specialized medical professionals diagnose autism using a checklist of criteria. They also assess the severity of autism symptoms. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale shows how comprehensive support a person needs in his or her daily life. In Tajikistan, you can contact the specialists of the NGO “IRODA” for support. Specialists and psychologists who already have experience interacting with people with such a diagnosis work there. This organization is so far the only one in the country, and it was created by parents of children with autism.

Contact details of the NGO “IRODA”:

www.autism.tj

Phone numbers: +992987360081, +992987360075

There is a partner project of NGO “IRODA” at the stage of development and coordination with the relevant agencies. A medical examination program is also under review. The program of social packages for people living with autism is also awaiting approval and implementation.

No, but it is possible to greatly adapt and improve the social skills of a person with autism. Several interventions have been developed and studied that can reduce symptoms, improve cognitive abilities and daily living skills, and maximize the child’s ability to function and participate in the community. Because all people with ASD have unique strengths and challenges, treatment plans tend to be interdisciplinary, may include parent-mediated interventions, and target the child’s individual needs.

Many types of interventions are available:

● ABA (Applied behavior analysis);

● social skills training;

● occupational therapy;

● physical therapy;

● sensory integration therapy and the use of assistive technologies.