In recent decades, societies have witnessed great interest in autism patients and people with special needs because they need care that exceeds the need for services provided to their peers of the same age group. This is an indicator of the advancement of nations, especially since focusing on the importance of raising awareness about autism in these societies helps provide opportunities for comprehensive growth for autism patients and integration into society. The more awareness-raising ideas about the importance of raising awareness about autism spread, the more we will be able to diagnose early, improve the individual’s behavior and skills, and develop his language.
What is autism?
Autism is a developmental disorder called Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). It is a condition related to brain development and greatly affects the patient's ability to distinguish between other people and how to deal with them, leading to many problems in communicating, interacting, and developing relationships with them. As part of the disorder, the patient has some specific and repetitive patterns in his behavior.
Autism usually appears in infancy, before a child reaches the age of three.
It is estimated that 6 out of every 1,000 children in the United States suffer from autism and cases are constantly increasing. Therefore, it is important to know the importance of raising awareness about autism to reduce the problems facing these people and help them integrate into society, especially since early treatment plays a major role in changing the lives of these children for the better.
What are the symptoms of autism?
One of the most important reasons that help develop the lives of autism patients is spreading the culture of the importance of raising awareness about autism and its role in alleviating some of their symptoms. These symptoms are:
Social skills disorder:
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Not responding to the child's name when called.
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There is no direct eye contact with others.
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Lack of facial expressions.
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Refusing hugs and trying to close himself off.
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He doesn't seem to hear who's talking to him.
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The child rejects the feelings of others.
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An autistic child lives in his own world.
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He seems to like playing alone.
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Not speaking, or being late in speaking or pronouncing some words.
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Inappropriate social interaction that is either insensitive, hostile, or destructive.
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Difficulty recognizing other people's expressions of pain and body movements.
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Does not understand simple questions or expressions.
Problems with language skills:
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He starts talking later than children of the same age.
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He cannot say a sentence or phrase that he knew before.
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He initiates eye contact when he needs something.
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He speaks in strange voices and tones like a robot.
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Unable to start or maintain a conversation.
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Repeating certain words or terms without understanding their meaning.
Behavioral problems:
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Repetitive movements such as rocking, spinning, or flapping hands.
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Doing some activities that cause him harm, such as biting and hitting the head.
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Repeating some habits.
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Feeling amazed when seeing certain things, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car.
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The child is very sensitive to light, sound and touch but cannot express his feelings of pain.
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The child feels a loss of peace when any habit he is accustomed to changes, even if it is a simple or small change.
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Sometimes a great fascination with an object or activity is accompanied by an unnatural enthusiasm and focus.
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Does not engage in imitation or pretend play.
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He has certain preferences for certain types of food or the texture of some of them.
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He has some strange and uneven patterns, behaviors, and body language such as walking on his toes.
Causes of autism
One of the most important things about raising awareness about autism is knowing the causes of the disease, which are as follows:
- Genetic disorders: Researchers have discovered that there are some genes that are mostly the cause of autism, some of which make the child vulnerable to the disorder, and some of which affect the growth and development of the brain and the way the brain communicates with each other.
Any genetic defect in and of itself may be responsible for a number of cases of autism, but it is genes that have a fundamental and decisive influence on autism.
- Environmental factors: A large part of health problems are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors in autism cases.
Some researchers believe that the cause of autism may be a viral infection or environmental pollution that stimulates the emergence and appearance of this disease, or complications during pregnancy, so researchers are still examining this possibility.
Risk factors for autism
Any child from anywhere can be affected by autism, but there are some factors that increase the risk of developing this disease. As we are aware of the importance of raising awareness about autism, we will show you in detailed points what these factors are:
- Child's gender: Studies and research have shown that males are three times more likely to develop autism than females.
- Family history: It is known that a family that has a child with autism is likely to have a second child with autism as well, and the parents may also suffer from some developmental or evolutionary disorders.
- Other disorders: Some children with certain medical problems are more likely to develop autism spectrum disorders, such as:
o People with Fragile X syndrome, an inherited syndrome that causes intellectual and mental disorders.
o Tuberous sclerosis, which causes benign tumors to form and develop in the brain.
o Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that causes slow head growth and usually affects girls.
o Epilepsy, which causes seizures.
- Parental age: Research has shown that late parenthood is a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder. Research has shown that children born to fathers over the age of 40 are about 6 times more likely to develop the condition than children born to fathers in their 30s. Research shows that maternal age is marginal.
Complications of autism
As we mentioned earlier, the importance of raising awareness about autism increases control over the disease and early diagnosis has many benefits for autism patients, especially since ignoring the symptoms can lead to many complications, including:
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Problems with studying and learning.
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Functional problems.
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Inability to live independently.
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bullying.
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High stress.
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Social isolation.
Autism treatment
Unfortunately, there is no single treatment for all those with autism to this day, but there are some treatments that can be relied upon at home and school, which help improve the patient's behavior and language skills. It is important to raise awareness about autism and know these treatments, as the earlier treatment begins, the more beneficial it is. These treatments include:
o Behavioral therapy.
o Speech language pathology treatments.
o Educational and educational therapy.
o Drug therapy.
Challenges Facing Autism
Parents of children with autism face many challenges and difficulties when they learn that their child has autism and feel shocked and sad, especially since this disease makes the child constantly need his parents in all his life dealings, from eating, drinking and relieving himself. The autistic patient causes many problems outside and inside the home, which makes them feel constant embarrassment, guilt and long thinking about the reason for contracting this disease. Some of them think about having another child naturally, but unfortunately it is a weak possibility, as the percentage of giving birth to a second child with autism is high, especially when the first one has autism.
Here, relatives, neighbors and friends must realize the importance of raising awareness about autism and supporting people with autism because their lives are full of hardship and difficulties.
Although some parents become depressed when they learn that their children have autism, there are some parents who face these challenges and possibilities by following some steps that contribute to reducing stress and pressure and adapting to this disease inside and outside the home, such as:
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Prepare a special environment for the child in his home to play, relax, and also to have tantrums. It should be a safe space so that the child does not hurt himself. A colored ribbon can be placed around this area.
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Get used to controlling your reaction when an autistic child causes a disaster.
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Reinforcing good behaviors contributes greatly to increasing their self-confidence.
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Seek professional help when you need it.
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Monitoring the autistic child and benefiting from his strengths.
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Encourage the child to engage in interactive and educational activities.
WHO's efforts to support autism
WHO recognizes the importance of raising awareness about autism and strengthening the capacity of all countries to improve the health of children with autism by:
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Governments are required to take a number of measures to improve the quality of life of children with autism.
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Providing guidance, policies and plans that address the issue of disease.
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Strengthening the health workforce to provide superior and effective care to patients and improve their health and well-being.
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Providing comprehensive support to all caregivers of people with autism.
After we have learned together about autism spectrum disorder and the importance of raising awareness about autism, we must not neglect this disease or ignore any of its symptoms, because the earlier autism is detected, the better and better the results will be.
Here, the Madrasa.com platform offers us many courses that help develop the skills of children with autism, enhance their self-confidence, and adapt to society with care, love, attention, and complete confidentiality regarding the obstacles and problems that the patient is going through.
The school.com offers these interactive training courses between the child and the specialist, and also offers online training courses for everyone that help improve the child’s ability and skill to interact and deal with others, in addition to the advantage of flexible appointments that the patient chooses in the morning or evening as he likes, and these courses are provided by specialized trainers that help him develop his skill because we realize the importance of raising awareness about autism.
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