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I Am My Brother's Keeper
A 7-Year-Old Author and the Battle Against Autism By Mark Stackpole
Children with autism often display a variety of symptoms involving social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviors. These behaviors can usually be detected during a child's second year, when he may begin demonstrating poor social relatedness and delays in play and communication. However, this is not always the case.
"Other children are reported to be 'different' from birth, showing signs such as a reluctance to be held, lack of interest in people and difficulty being comforted," says Dr. Loveland. On the other end of the spectrum are the children who do not display the typical delays in language and intellectual development; they may be identified has having behavioral problems or ADHD because of their uncooperativeness and hyperactivity. While these issues are often present in children with autism, Dr. Loveland believes that they can overshadow the diagnosis of autism and delay proper treatment.
While there is no standard treatment plan for autism due to the widely varying needs of the children who have the condition that doesn't mean that nothing can be done. Many children benefit from a treatment called Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which breaks behaviors down into small, manageable chunks and teaches them bit-by-bit. This approach has proven helpful in reducing tantrums and repetitive behaviors. Other approaches may include speech and language therapy, social skills training and physical therapy. Medication may also prove helpful, especially for children who have problems with anxiety, depression or acting-out behavior.
