Signs and Symptoms of Autism

Signs of autism may appear during infancy and the disorder is usually diagnosed by the age of 3.
Sometimes the child's development appears normal until about 2 years old and then regresses
rapidly. Symptoms of autism occur in various combinations, from mild to severe.

Infants with the disorder often display abnormal reactions to sensory stimuli (i.e., senses may be
over- or underactive). Touches may be experienced as painful, smells may be overwhelmingly
unpleasant, and ordinary daily noises may be painful. Loud noises (e.g., motorcycle going by,
vacuum cleaner) and bright lights may cause inconsolable crying.

Other signs of the disorder in infants include the following:

• Appears indifferent to surroundings

• Appears content to be alone, happier to play alone
• Displays lack of interest in toys
• Displays lack of response to others
• Does not point out objects of interest to others (called protodeclarative pointing)
• Marked reduction or increase in activity level
• Resists cuddling

Young children with autism usually have impaired language development. They often have difficulty
expressing needs (i.e., use gestures instead of words) and may laugh, cry, or show distress for
unknown reasons. Some autistic patients develop rudimentary language skills that do not serve
as an effective form of communication. They may develop abnormal patterns of speech that
lack intonation and expression and may repeat words or phrases repetitively (called echolalia).
Some children with autism learn to read.

Autistic children do not express interest in other people and often prefer to be alone. They may resist
changes in their routine, repeat actions (e.g., turn in circles, flap their arms) over and over, and
engage in self-injurious behavior (e.g., bite or scratch themselves, bang their head).

Other symptoms in young children include the following:

• Avoids cuddling or touching

• Frequent behavioral outbursts, tantrums
• Inappropriate attachments to objects
• Maintains little or no eye contact
• Over- or undersensitivity to pain, no fear of danger
• Sustained abnormal play
• Uneven motor skills
• Unresponsiveness to normal teaching methods and verbal clues (may appear to be
deaf despite normal hearing)
Symptoms of autism may increase in severity when the child enters adolescence and often decrease
in severity during adulthood.

Why is early intervention important for autism?

At the age of two or three, autistic kids must be placed into an intense and highly
structured educational program. Both scientific studies and practical experience have
shown that the prognosis is greatly improved if a child underwent such a program.

An autistic child performs stereotype behaviors like rocking or twiddling a penny

because doing repetitive behaviors shuts off sights and sounds which cause confusion
or pain.
But if the child is allowed to shut out the world, his brain will not develop. Both
autistic and PDD children need many hours of structured education to keep their brain
engaged with the world.

Interacting with an adult or another child is healthy for them. However, a teacher
must be careful that the child does not experience sensory overload. A child with
milder sensory problems often will respond well to Lovaas-type programs.

These children need to be kept engaged or else worst things could happen. For
example, if a young two or five year old autistic child is to sit alone watching TV or
playing video games all day, his brain will be shut off from the world.

Children with more severe sensory processing problems may experience sensory
overload. These children may be classified under two major categories:

1. Children who respond well to a therapist who is gently intrusive and pulls them out
of their world.
2. Children who have more neurological problems and they may respond poorly to a
strict Lovaas program.
They will require a gentler approach. Some are “mono channel” because they cannot
see and hear at the same time. They either have to look at something or they have to
listen. This type of children may respond best when the teacher whispers quietly in a
dimly illuminated room. Simultaneous looking and listening may result in sensory
overload and shutdown.
A good teacher should adapt his teaching method on the condition of the autistic
child. And the teacher has to be gently insistent in order to be successful. He should
know how to push hard yet gently.

Epilepsy
Signs & Symptoms
 Epileptic seizures can bring about changes in sensory perception, emotions and
physical behavior. However, signs are not universal from child to child. The
temporary brain alterations can affect children differently. Sometimes there are
pre-warnings before the seizure begins; sometimes there are not. The following is
not a complete list of signs and symptoms. Warning symptoms include: changes in
smell, sight, sound and taste, numbness, headache or nausea. During the seizure,
signs include: loss of consciousness or confusion, convulsions, drooling, upward
eye movement, collapsing, shaking, staring, twitching, difficulty breathing and body
stiffening. Post-seizure, a child might experience confusion and fear, difficulty
talking, injuries and pain.

Cause
 Epilepsy can develop without reason. For cases without cause, idiopathic epilepsy is
diagnosed. For cases with a known cause, the diagnosis is symptomatic epilepsy.
Related causes include: problematic or insufficient prenatal brain development,
lack of oxygen during or following the birth process, brain injury, abnormal brain
structures, tumors, extended seizure with fever or severe brain infections. Also,
epilepsy can be genetic. According to People Against Childhood Epilepsy (PACE),
approximately 75 percent of epilepsy cases have no known cause.

Diagnosis
 There are five steps involved with the diagnosis of epilepsy. First, medical history and
thorough neurological and related blood tests validate that an epileptic seizure occurred.
Second, seizure type is determined. Third, recognition that seizure disorder is affiliated with
established syndrome. Fourth, cause assessed through clinical evaluation. Fifth, treatment plan
established.
Treatment
 The use of seizure-preventing medication is usually attempted first during treatment of
childhood epilepsy. If those do not effectively treat the condition, or if there are unpleasant side
effects, surgery or a ketogenic diet may be attempted. A ketogenic diet consists of high fat,
sufficient protein and low carbohydrate levels. If surgery nor the diet change are effective, a new
form of therapy called vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may be tried.
Prognosis
  In many cases, children can live outwardly functioning lives. Emotionally, children
may experience shame, embarrassment and fear if seizures occur when peers are
present. As a result, some children may develop behavioral problems. Most times,
brain damage does not occur.

How to Recognize Epilepsy in a Child

By an eHow Contributor
Epilepsy, characterized by recurrent seizures, can affect both children and
adults. Recognizing epilepsy in children, however, can come with difficulties.
Some of the symptoms of epilepsy are found in other conditions, which can
make epilepsy hard to recognize and diagnose.
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Instructions
1. 1
Look for obvious seizures. Children with epilepsy can have grand mal
seizures, petit mal seizures or partial seizures. A child having a seizure may
exhibit rapid, repetitive movements, have a dazed look or lose consciousness
for a short while. Not all children who have a seizure have epilepsy. However,
if your child has a seizure for the first time, you should contact your child's
doctor in order to learn about the cause of his seizure.
2. 2
Take note of any of the other, less obvious signs of epilepsy. Some of these
symptoms include the loss of memory, clumsiness, unusual sleepiness,
blackouts, falling down, rapid blinking or nodding of the head, a dazed look
and repetitive movements. Many children with epilepsy will exhibit some of
these symptoms; however, these symptoms can have causes other than
epilepsy. Talk to your child's doctor about any of these symptoms that your
child exhibits.
3. 3
Watch your child for any behavioral problems. Some children with epilepsy
may act out, especially in school. Epilepsy can make it difficult for your child
to follow directions or pay attention. Talk to your child's teacher if you have
any reason to worry about your child's behavior in school. If your child has
behavioral issues and exhibits any of the physical symptoms of epilepsy, talk
to your child's pediatrician.
4. 4
Be on the lookout for any learning difficulties your child may exhibit. Because
children with epilepsy can exhibit memory loss and have blackouts, they
may have trouble doing well in school. They may not remember directions
easily, lose their focus or have difficulty studying. Learning difficulties can
have many causes other than epilepsy. However, learning difficulties in
conjunction with epilepsy's physical symptoms can cause concern.