Recognizing and Handling Children with Autism

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is very diverse, which is characterized by three symptoms, which are impaired in social interaction, communication, and behavior are limited and occur repeatedly before the age of three years in children.

Describing the condition of children with autism?
Autism rates are 1 - 2/1000, the number of autistic syndrome disorders (autism syndrome disorder / ASD) 6/1000, 4 x more often for men than women. In America there is an increasing incidence of 556% from year 1991 to 1997.

When the appearance of symptoms in children with autism?

• The first symptoms appear in infancy or childhood.
• Symptoms appear gradually starting at age 6 months, becoming apparent at the age of 2-3 years, and tend to persist in young adulthood.
• Parents usually notice any symptoms in the first 2 years of age. The signs usually develop slowly, some children with autism develop normally at first, then showed deficiencies.

How does the social development of children with autism?

• Symptoms in infants is less attention to social stimuli, smile and rarely see a person, no response / stimulus when called names.
• Symptoms in infants is less eye contact, no mutual communication, communicate with other people's hands (not pointed, but attract other people's hands).
• At the age of 3-5 years there is a disruption, among others, difficulty playing with peers, approaching people spontaneously, imitate and respond emotionally, communicate without language (nonverbal), take turns with other people.
• Older children and adults have difficulty in recognizing faces sad, happy, or angry.

What about communication development of children with autism?

1. Communication disorders can occur since the first year of life of late babbling, can not point, do not want to be hugged and no response when called upon.
2. At the age of 2-3 years old children with autism:

•     Rarely babbling,
•     Can not use the word,
•     Unable to compose words.
•     His body language often does not match the words.
•     Rarely ask and talk about the experience,
•     More often mimic (echolalia).
•     There is no similar attention (joint attention).
•     Unable to play like playing pretend-cooking dishes and play dolls.

How to form repetitive behavior or limited?
Behavior can be:

•     Do not move aimed at repeating (stereotype), for example, gesticulating;
•     Do not want to do different things;
•     Do something on a regular basis / robust to habit;
•     To act is limited;
•     Hurt yourself like pounding or banging his head.

What are other disorders that can accompany autism?

1. Sensory disorders (sensation), for example, do not know the pain and did not know the dangers.
2. Interference with the motion system of the muscle weakness, poor motor skills, walking on tiptoe, and disruption of the harmony of motion.
3. There are excellent skills to understand and pay attention to something, for example, was pleased to see objects that spin and glad to hear the sound of rain.

 What causes autism?
Autism has a strong inherited basis. The various causes involving many genes and environmental factors. Cause of certain genes known to be difficult.

How to recognize the existence of early autistic? 
Some of the parents to recognize the emergence of autistic symptoms in children aged 18 months. In fact, the initial symptoms have been able to recognize at an earlier age.

Check with the child to the health worker if there are symptoms of:

•     There is no eye contact during feeding;
•     Can not babbling at 12 months;
•     There is no signal loss, such as pointing and waving, at the age of 12 months;
•     Can not speak one word at the age of 16 months;
•     Not able to string two words, except to imitate (echolalia) at the age of 2 years;
•     Loss of language skills or interaction at any age.

The steps that have to be a parent or family of an autistic child?

1. If there is interference on the things mentioned above, check with your child for further assessment of the health centers and hospitals (health workers).
2. Use an appropriate way of handling the child's condition because not every child needs a way of handling the same.
3. Enlist the help of health professionals to determine the proper handling of the few ways available in the local area, for example, means / methods of ABA (applied behavior analysis / applied behavior analysis), model development, structured learning, speech and language therapy, social skills therapy , or occupational therapy.
4. Perform handling behavior and intelligence at an early age through a special education program continued to help autistic children improve independence and social interaction, communication skills and work, and reduce the symptoms of bizarre behavior.
5. Give medications as directed by your doctor.
6. Do not delay treatment / medicine because it will affect subsequent child development. 

Health message

• Know your child's developmental abnormalities as early as possible.
• Use the book to get to know KIA early signs of autism disorders.
• Take your child to posyandu, post early childhood centers, child development clinic, or hospital for early detection of child development.
• Early treatment is ongoing and will accordingly improve the quality of life of the child.
• Handling / treatment on a regular basis as recommended by your doctor will help further the development of children.
• Choose a way of handling / treatment is appropriate because every child has different handling requirements.