I have two friends who have autistic children. With the same diagnosis, these are absolutely different children: one of them is calm, sometimes responding to the requests of parents and fulfilling them, and the second child is completely "in himself." These children are almost 8 years old, and they go to a special school, but why is there such a difference? Of course, the degree of the disease, genetics and other factors are important, but I also consider that one of the main factors is to determine the disorder in time and start to work with it. In the first case, parents were attentive to their child, and in the second - they denied that something was wrong. They said that it was such an "explosive" character, lack of concentration and that he was just a child. They were mistaken. And this mistake now costs them considerable effort.

I would like this post to become an informational assistance to all parents who already have children, and those who are going to have them.

The data is based on the course of «Autistic Spectrum Disorder» from the University of California.

WHAT THE DISORDER OF AUTISTIC SPECTRUM IS

Autistic spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that is neurological in nature, with failures in the main two areas: social communication and a limited repetitive nature of behavior.

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Patricia Schettter, coordinator, counselor and instructor for children with autism disorders, reports that autism is divided into levels depending on the required care. In general, 3 levels are distinguished.

1 level - requires care, difficulty at the beginning and in maintaining interaction with others
2 level - requires significant care, problems in social interaction, repetitive behavior
3 level - almost complete care, serious difficulties in communication, repetitive behavior

According to the statistics in the US, the incidence of this disease has increased in recent years and it is found in 1 child out of 68, which is twice more than in 2004. Boys are more prone to autism than girls. In June 2014, researchers estimated the cost of keeping a child with autism throughout life and it equaled to about 2.4 million dollars. This figure includes surveys, insurance and uncovered expenses, education costs, household issues, employment, the necessary therapeutic services and the cost of guardians.

The signs listed below (especially regarding toddlers) are not 100% confirmation of autism. To confirm or deny any diagnosis of the baby one has to show him to specialists to pass certain tests and undergo medical examinations.

BABIES AND TODDLERS

1. The first «alarming bell» is absence of a broad smile or other joyful facial expression in a six-month-old child or older.
2. The child does not repeat sounds or facial expressions performed by adults by nine months of life or older.
3. The child does not babble and almost does not pronounce sounds by 12 months.
4. Slightly expressed, if not absent at all, indicative movements, the child does not reach out to objects, does not wave with his hand in response.
5. If by 18 months the child is silent and does not say almost no words, and by 24 months if he does not use phrases.
6. Absence of other social interactions with other children, there is no response to the requests of adults.
7. Strong causeless emotional outbursts when a child becomes uncontrollable.

PRESCHOOLERS

1. The child can not control his attention, at the request does not concentrate on an object like other children. He does not repeat a movement, does not communicate with equals in age.
2. Difficulties in speech formation — the child practically does not speak.
3. Playing with toys not as it is intended. At the same time, if someone tries to explain how to play, the child immediately «winds up».
4. The child is difficult to start a spontaneous game, he has no ability to play "imagine that..."
5. He shows little tenderness and emotion.
6. Concentration on a narrow field of interest, troubles of getting used to new things and situations.
7. Autism society also mentions child's inadequate eye contact with parents and others.

Very often it is during the preschool period that parents notice that their child is different from others because the main catalyst for developmental deviations for them is speech, as well as uncontrolled spates of anger and irritation of the child.

Here are detailed descriptions of normal development milestones of a child under 5 years.

PUPILS

• In many cases of children with disorders, parents, for their own reasons, do not bring their child for medical examination, so children start school being treated like normal ones without taking into account their peculiarities. In this case, children are more remoter from social life of the community and they keep aside during different activities in the classroom. Isolation of behavior becomes the biggest problem. Especially in the senior classes, the issues faced by such children become insurmountable for them and very complex.
• As in the preschool age, children with an autism disorder find it difficult to switch from task to task or perform what is required from them. Their behavior is characterized by repetitive actions.
• They use very limited vocabulary.
• With age, clear signs of anxiety and depression may appear.

It is better to show a child to specialists even for nothing and get him tested, to make sure that everything is in order, than not to do it and be late.

The photos are under license CC0.