You have just received the news that your child has been diagnosed with autism. You may not even know what that means and you will have to ask your doctor to explain it to you. He will tell you that it is a neurological disorder that strikes children between the ages of 1 and 3. While some children seem to develop normally up to a certain age, they often regress to the earlier years of development.

Children with autistic tendencies are often withdraw from any types of social interactions involving children their own age, siblings, and parents. They seem to prefer their own company, and see no need for communication. They will be content to stare at an object for hours on end, and often become quite fixated on that object. They have no desire to talk, even if the language was developed normally at an earlier age.

They probably will not respond when you call them by name or try to interact with them. It’s as if you are invisible to them. They have no empathy for others, and in fact may see other people as objects. You will find that the autistic child refuses to make eye contact with you or others. They may be given to making repetitive movements over and over, such as rocking back and forth. Certain phrases will seem to get stuck in their memory and you may find yourself listening to the same set of words all day long, if the child does speak.

Autistic children also have no concept of what may put them at risk or in danger. Something like fire will do nothing to frighten them or make then aware that it can harm them. In fact, they are often given to self injury, and seem to draw pleasure from hurting themselves. Hitting one’s head repeatedly against the wall or the rails of the crib will have no effect on them. It is just another manifestation of the disease. Parents are devastated at seeing their child behave this way and are at a loss as to what to do.

Your child may be completely passive one minute, and erupt into a shrieking temper tantrum the next. You will not know what caused it, and in reality, it may have been nothing in particular. This is just the way autism affects some children. They cannot control their behavior and are not doing this on purpose. It is frightening to you, as a parent, and can leave you feeling helpless. Medical intervention is often necessary.

If you observe that your child is not behaving or developing at a normal rate, see a specialist. The earlier autism is treated the greater the chance is of your child being able to function normally. Physical therapy, speech and occupational programs have had great success in the ongoing treatment of autistic children. Help is available if you don’t try to push the problem aside.

Author Bio: Brent McNutt enjoys networking with healthcare professionals online. He also likes talking about Urbane Scrubs and Landau Shoes and also likes writing articles about various topics.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: autistic child,autistic children,autism in children