In modern society, people with very unusual thinking are increasingly found. People around them perceive them as creative individuals who are in their world and other elements. And only psychologists will clearly see in them sick people who are carriers of the mysterious diagnosis of autism.
Definition of Autism
He was first heard in 1912 from the famous psychiatrist Blailer. In general terms, by this word he meant a non-standard way of thinking and frustration in the field of expression of emotions, which are practically not noticeable in the first years of life.
Three-year-olds and five-year-olds are a more concrete example of a mature personality. Therefore, most of the early diagnoses are in this period. Sick babies behave a little differently than healthy babies. The range of their interests is very limited, the actions performed are constantly repeated, and social interaction is practically not expressed. It’s hard for potential autists to get in touch with other people.
Scientists associate autism with pathologies in the brain. They note that such a disease cannot be cured, and the child will forever remain different, unlike other children. But if you start rehabilitation in time, then you can help the baby to adapt to social life and get used to the surrounding society.
Types of disease
In psychiatry, 4 characteristic syndromes related to autism are known:
- Kanner’s syndrome - a sick person is rather withdrawn and voluntarily shuns any society. He speaks poorly and has a distorted view of the reality surrounding him.
- Rhett's syndrome - mostly affects girls. Its presence is determined in the first year of a child's life. A sick baby is characterized by passivity. He speaks very poorly or is not at all capable of doing this. It is impossible to influence this type of autism in any way, so the development of the child remains in the hands of the Almighty.
- Asperger's Syndrome - the patient is able to fully reason, but this is not always noticeable in view of the fact that he avoids society. Those who have not lost their social interaction skills prefer to communicate with people around with gestures or facial expressions.
- Atypical autism is characteristic of older patients. The patient can sit in one place for a long time, looking at a specific point in space. But when he finishes his lesson, he cannot clearly answer the question why he did this and how long he sat in this position. Gradually, disturbances in speech, confusion of thoughts and poorly controlled behavior become apparent.
Acquired disease poses a serious danger to an adult. His psyche does not withstand such a load, which leads to the development of various pathologies and constant conflicts with surrounding people. Such patients subsequently lose their jobs and are at risk of family disintegration, since loved ones do not always understand the true nature of their actions.
A patient with acquired autism has all the signs of a mental illness. Later, the development of pathology practically does not affect the inner world of a person, so his intelligence and life positions remain in place. But social interaction requires incredible efforts from them, so they prefer to lead a separate life, limiting as much as possible the access of strangers. However, there are completely opposite situations. A person with autism can hardly imagine his life without the help of loved ones, shifting the control over his self-care onto their shoulders.
Acquired Autism in Children
This type of autism is distinguished into a separate category of diseases. Despite the prevailing opinion that one can only be born with this pathology, in some cases it is acquired throughout life. At risk are improperly raised children. For example, you can recall the sensitive kids. If they experienced a strong emotional shock, or were scared hard, then in the future they close themselves from the world around them in an attempt to protect themselves.
For other causes of acquired autism in children, a similar effect may have:
- nicotine;
- solvent;
- preventive vaccines;
- high chemical products;
- all types of metals;
- pesticides;
- cigarette smoke;
- alcohol and any alcoholic beverages;
- gas exhausts.
A potential autistic child may be a child who has experienced an acute lack of attention almost from birth. Due to the fact that he could not fully recognize this world, the instinct of self-preservation pushes him inside his own consciousness, trying to protect him from possible danger.
The ranks of sick children are regularly replenished by people from dysfunctional families. Physically and mentally, they are completely healthy. But having survived violence, insults and other not very pleasant factors, they avoid unnecessary contacts with other people, fearing a repetition of the situation.
Autism that affects adults
Even in a healthy, fully capable person, too long depression can cause a sudden onset of autism. This is because a modern person likes to protect himself from problems by hiding in his own subconscious, where you can create any world without a boring reality.
Acquired autism of an adult does not affect the level of his intellect and shows himself a little differently than in the case of a child. Patients successfully move up the career ladder, can study something from the field of science, but at the same time experience problems in terms of life and gradually lose social interaction skills.
Such cases are rare, but if an adult did get sick, the pathology is rapidly developing, confusing doctors and posing as other diseases. A potential psychiatrist patient rushes from one extreme to another. At first he is indifferent to the world around him, not showing interest in anything, then, on the contrary, he reacts aggressively to any trifle, expressing all his dissatisfaction. The patient constantly forgets something, is not capable of attentive to important events, eschews the people around him. In a severe case, he may fall into a state of numbness.
Characteristic features of an acquired disease
It is safe to say that an adult has acquired autism if the disease manifests itself in a concrete way:
- the patient repeats the same phrase several times;
- the patient does not interact with other people;
- lifeless voice, without any shades;
- periodic bouts of epilepsy;
- the patient is anxious about a certain subject;
- morbid consciousness cannot adequately perceive social rules;
- the patient loses the ability to empathy, indifferent to other people.
Just as there are no two identical people, there are no two similar types of autism. Each of them is at least somewhat different from the other. The only thing that connects them is the nature of the origin. The disease can originate from genetic memory or visit the human mind throughout life.
At one turning point, the patient begins to avoid other people, isolating himself in his own subconscious. Since that time, the disease is rapidly developing. A potential patient becomes unusually gloomy, practically does not greet and avoids the repetition of meetings in every possible way. Therefore, specialists are not even faced with the question of whether autism can be acquired. The answer is quite obvious.
Signs of Childhood Autism
Even in the first year of life, you can distinguish a sick baby from a healthy one, which differs significantly from their peers. The initial signs, in the presence of which you can sound the alarm:
- the child does not want to make eye contact with his interlocutor;
- fears loud sounds or bright light;
- Indifferent to parental care;
- reacts aggressively to other children;
- there is a delay in speech, that is, by the set time, the child did not speak.
From 2 to 11 years old sick children manifest themselves differently:
- can repeat one word many times;
- has a clear talent for a certain field of science, and this is against the backdrop of a careless attitude to other studies;
- Doesn't like to keep up a conversation with another person
- most autists write and read poorly;
- practically does not speak;
- thinks in stereotypes that are not inherent in their own age.
During this period, the hormonal sphere changes and the brain region is rebuilt. Healthy children will not even notice such moments. But autistic people will behave differently. Under the influence of changes in internal organs, they are unusually aggressive, worried over trifles and, in the presence of the slightest cause, become depressed. In severe cases, epileptic seizures are noted.