PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISOR-

DER: AUTISM
By Maliha Fatema Zakir
The pervasive developmental disorders or early onset condition is characterised by delay and deviance in the
development of social communicative and other skills in contrast to the lack of interest in the social environ -
ment, unusual sensitivity to the inanimate environment is typical and one of the pervasive developmental dis-
order is autism.

The studies of prevalence shows that approximately one in every 1000 children may have autism this large
exhibiting ratio concludes the increasing chances of autism.According to many books there are high chances
of autism in boys than in girls the ratio is reportedly 3.5 or 4 to 1.

Aetiology
1. Psychosocial factors: Many a times autism is due to household or childhood traumas, Emotional burden
on when the child’s emotional needs are not fulfilled.
2. Biological factors: The most modern theory says that autism is a behavioural syndrome caused by one or
more factors acting on the central nervous system.
3. Genetic factors: earlier genetic factors were not regarded as a cause for autism. But later on it was dis -
covered that many a times among a monozygotic same-sex twin pairs one of the twin developed autistic
symptoms. Statistics also show that approximately 2 to7% of autism cases or among siblings. Although
the role of generic factors in autism is not well established specific Modes of inheritance remain unclear.
4. Autism can also be caused by a notably fragile X syndrome which includes characteristic faeces, in large
testicles, associated mental retardation and some autistic features. Autism can also be caused due to
Tuberous sclerosis Which includes symptoms like by nine tumours that effect various organ systems
mental retardation and seizer disorder.
5. Autism is also related to diseases like phenylketonuria and rubella but children with these conditions,
initially thought to have autism where followed over time, the autistic like features tended to diminish.
6. Autism is also related to various immune theories as there has been a suggestion that maternal antibodies
directed against the foetus may be produced in vivo. There also has been reports of autism associated
with viral infections.

Out of all these the main cause is due to lesions and dysfunctions of the cortical areas of brain like amygdala,
hypothalamus, temporal sulcus, prefrontal cortex etc. The social language and behaviour problems that occur
with autism suggest that the syndrome affects a functionally diverse and widely distributed set of neural sys-
tems. For example those who emphasise difficulty with complex information have widespread cortical ab-
normalities and those who focus on the emotional deficits often highlight the limbic system in the pathogene-
sis of autism.

Signs and symptoms

Autistic child has the very prominent sign of defective language skills. Usual patterns of language acquisi -
tion may be absent or infrequent. The children might ask the parents hand to obtain a desired object without
making eye contact. The speech tends to be less flexible non-reciprocal in nature and the syntax and mor -
phology of language a relatedly spared along with slow vocabulary learning.
Autistic children cannot tolerate any change or variation in the routine. Autistic children develop a very keen
interest in a repetitive activity example collecting strings, memorising numbers or repeating certain words or
phrases. They may get attached to specific objects. Stereotype moments are also included example to walk -
ing, finger flicking, body walking, hand flapping body rocking finger twiddling or waving in front of the
eyes et cetera

One of the most fascinating cognitive phenomena is the presence of so called special abilities which some-
how get highly developed from other deficits in cognitive function. This is limited to a narrow range of ca-
pacities like music, drawing.

Some autistic children also imitate movements of other people.Normative motor skills are usually preserved
related to child intellectual level although this may not be the case with highly functioning children ’s which
might be clumsy or ill-coordinated.

In autism sleeping and eating patterns are disturbed as in sleeping the child experiences recurrent waking up
throughout the night. The child may develop aversion against specific foods due to their textures colours
odour etc.

Autistic children may have sudden mood swings from laughing, crying to themselves for no specific reasons.
They may develop anxiety in social situations and suffer from depression due to negative social experiences
over the years.

Some children with autism may engage in self injurious behaviours like headbanging and physical injuries to
themselves etc.

People with autism are more attractive but this attractiveness diminishes along the years due to various dis -
abilities and unusual behaviours.

Autism should be differentiated from other similar kind of diseases like mental retardation language disor -
ders, Rett’s syndrome or Asperger’s syndrome. These diseases might be mistaken as autism.

Treatment:

1. Autistic children require intensive and highly structured special education from as early as the symptoms
arise. The focus of speech-language therapy is one of the use of words for the purpose of meaningful
communication children with autism may require a considerable vocabulary that is disassociated from
the act of communication. Children who do not work life should be engaged in programs focused on al -
ternative forms of communication including science communication boards or other forms of augmented
communication. Positive actions in frequently double troublesome situations may have to be rehearsed
and scripted concrete social and communication skills including IAS voice modulation guestroom com-
munication posture proximity greeting behaviours rules of conversation and social expectations may
have to be taught.
2. Behavioural therapy is a kind of treatment that is provided to autistic children where the patient is given
specific kind of behaviour modification techniques that helps in achieving desired behaviours in the re-
spective individuals.This theory is mostly helpful in managing disruptive behaviours which are self inju -
rious.
3. Psychotherapy is another and one of the common treatment given to autism autistic children individual
cells psycho therapy may be appropriate for higher functioning individuals who were present with anxi -
ety and depressive symptoms but with autistic people psychotherapy should focus on rather explicit
problem-solving skills rather than being inside oriented.
4. Lastly psychopharmacology treatments are also given. Medications may be of benefit with regard to spe-
cific symptoms as the target symptoms include self injury, aggression or stereotype moments. The poten-
tial benefits and side-effects should be considered example with major tranquillisers there is potential for
over sedation. Before beginning any drug to send baseline laboratory studies are must.

Autism is not a completely curable disease but can be Improved at a much greater extent by proper care. So-
cial interest may increase over time there is often a developmental progression with younger and more im -
paired individuals being avoided or aloof from interaction whereas somewhat older or more advanced indi-
viduals are willing to passively accept interaction. Among the most able individuals with autism there’s often
social interest but a person has difficulty in managing the complex cities of social interaction.