Before going into specific vaccines and their possible links to autism, I am going to go over the basics of autism. This will include symptoms, possible causes, diagnosis, and treatments.
Symptoms
Autism is a developmental disorder in the group known as ASD's (autism spectrum disorders). It is estimated that 3-6 children out of every 1,000 have autism, but that number is on the rise.
Symptoms of autism include difficulty with social interaction, problems with both verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behaviors, and specific, obsessive interests. Infants and children can be unresponsive to adults, ignore people who call their names, focus on one object for a long period of time, and avoid eye contact with people. Furthermore, they start speaking later than most children and have trouble interacting with most children. Finally, it is other for autistic children to feel pain, but they are very sensitive to sound, touch, and smells.
By the time they reach adulthood, between 20 and 30 percent of those with autism start to have epileptic seizures, along with a higher risk of brain tumors and learning disorders.
Treatments
There is no direct treatment for autism, but there are a few options to treat the symptoms. Therapy and early intervention is suggested in regards to behavior and in school. Researchers believe that counseling helps autistic children. Also, medications are prescribed. Anticonvulsant drugs are given for epilepsy, stimulant drugs are given for hyperactivity and impulsivity, and antidepressants are also prescribed for anxiety and depression.
Diagnosis
Patients are usually diagnosed at a young age by their pediatrician. A questionnaire is given to the parents, and if enough symptoms are shown, further testing is done by professionals in other areas of study including psychiatrists, speech therapists, and neurologists. By combining the parent and pediatrician's observations, the doctor is able to determine if there is a chance that the child has autism.
Causes
There is no certainty on what causes autism, but researchers have a variety of theories. Most support the idea that genetics and the environment coincide. Many findings require more research including 1) disruption of brain development in the fetus and 2) irregular levels of neurotransmitters.Other studies have found specific genes linked with autism and abnormalities in several different areas of the brain.
Symptoms
Autism is a developmental disorder in the group known as ASD's (autism spectrum disorders). It is estimated that 3-6 children out of every 1,000 have autism, but that number is on the rise.
Symptoms of autism include difficulty with social interaction, problems with both verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behaviors, and specific, obsessive interests. Infants and children can be unresponsive to adults, ignore people who call their names, focus on one object for a long period of time, and avoid eye contact with people. Furthermore, they start speaking later than most children and have trouble interacting with most children. Finally, it is other for autistic children to feel pain, but they are very sensitive to sound, touch, and smells.
By the time they reach adulthood, between 20 and 30 percent of those with autism start to have epileptic seizures, along with a higher risk of brain tumors and learning disorders.
Treatments
There is no direct treatment for autism, but there are a few options to treat the symptoms. Therapy and early intervention is suggested in regards to behavior and in school. Researchers believe that counseling helps autistic children. Also, medications are prescribed. Anticonvulsant drugs are given for epilepsy, stimulant drugs are given for hyperactivity and impulsivity, and antidepressants are also prescribed for anxiety and depression.
Diagnosis
Patients are usually diagnosed at a young age by their pediatrician. A questionnaire is given to the parents, and if enough symptoms are shown, further testing is done by professionals in other areas of study including psychiatrists, speech therapists, and neurologists. By combining the parent and pediatrician's observations, the doctor is able to determine if there is a chance that the child has autism.
Causes
There is no certainty on what causes autism, but researchers have a variety of theories. Most support the idea that genetics and the environment coincide. Many findings require more research including 1) disruption of brain development in the fetus and 2) irregular levels of neurotransmitters.Other studies have found specific genes linked with autism and abnormalities in several different areas of the brain.
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