Q: Our grandson is autistic. I wonder if you have any theory about this situation being so common when it was never heard of 50 years ago. Thank you for any insight you may have.
A: A Swiss psychiatrist by the name of Eugen Bleuler is reported to have referred to a group of symptoms of schizophrenia in 1911. Some 30 years following, researchers in the United States began using the word autism to identify those children with social or emotional problems. The word is a derivative of the Greek word “autos”, implying “self”, since Bleuler determined a person is displaced from social interaction and becomes an isolated self. Then Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins University used the word to describe the withdrawn behavior of several children he studied. While autism and schizophrenia appeared linked in the minds of numerous researchers, it wasn’t until the 1960s that professionals in the medical field found a separate understanding of autism as it pertained to children. Thus, some disorders such as this one took years to be recognized as a household word and more importantly, understood. The prevalence of autism has risen to one in every 68 births in our country and almost one in 54 boys. And that’s a lot! The Autism Society has estimated that the lifetime cost for caring for a child with autism is between $3.5 million to $5 million. Research to date indicates there appears to be a genetic component. There have been claims in the media that have caused unnecessary concerns for parents with a suspected link between autism and the MMR vaccine. Studies have not found such a link and it is important for parents to allow their children to be immunized to keep them from acquiring serious diseases that can cause serious complications.
Autism is now referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In May 2013 the criteria used to diagnose ASD and the names of some types of ASD changed. Most experts agree that increased awareness of the disorder and changes in its definition account for much of the apparent increase in its prevalence. And to answer your question, it is not clear how or why ASD develops. The general consensus is that ASD is a genetic disorder that affects brain development and impairs social and communication skills.
Symptoms of autism typically appear during the first three years of life and include an actual inability to communicate or interact with others including putting things in order again and again, or engaging in the act of repetition. There may be a delay in a child speaking, minimal to zero eye contact, a lack of interest in peer relationships, and a persistent fixation on specific objects. Teens may become depressed and suffer from anxiety. Some children may also have a seizure disorder develop by the time they are in their teens.
The condition lasts throughout a person’s lifetime with the cause for the occurrence remaining unknown. While there is no cure, treatment such as behavioral and communication therapy, coupled with medication, will help to control symptoms. Behavioral training utilizes self-help, social skills training and positive reinforcement. Specialized therapy may include speech/occupational/physical therapy. Speech therapy may help a child improve his language and social skills. Because not all individuals respond in precisely the same way, individuals so diagnosed should be under the care of their health care professionals so treatment can be offered and medication, if appropriate, may be given.
