What Causes Autism Spectrum Disorder In Children?

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological condition that impacts how a person communicates, understands, and socializes with others. The symptoms of autism also include restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. Autism is referred to as a ‘spectrum’ due to the wide range of symptoms that vary in severity.

Autism spectrum disorder sets in prenatal stages, soon after delivery or in early childhood, causing functionality issues. Some children may appear to grow normally for the first 12 months and may suddenly exhibit symptoms of autism or a period of regression between 12 to 24 months of age. Parents often wonder as to what causes autism spectrum disorder?

What Causes Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Both genetic and environmental factors are the reason behind the onset of autism.

• Genetic Factors: Different types of genes are said to be the cause of autism in children. In some children, autism is associated with a genetic disorder such as Fragile X syndrome or Rett syndrome. Genetic changes or mutations also increase the chances of autism spectrum disorder which are either inherited or occur spontaneously. They affect brain development and disturb the brain's plasticity.
• Environmental Factors: Some of the factors such as viral infections, alcohol, and drug abuse, medication for depression, exposure to air pollutants and toxic along with complications during pregnancy, play an important role in prompting autism spectrum disorder.

Other Risk Factors:

• Extreme prematurity: A baby born before 26 weeks of gestation has a greater chance of acquiring autism spectrum disorder.

• Parent’s age: A child born to older parents also has a risk of having this disorder.  

Symptoms

Each child with autism spectrum disorder has a different set of symptoms that varies in the level of severity and functioning. They may have difficulty learning, lower/normal/high intelligence levels, trouble in communicating and adjusting to social situations.

Symptoms of social, communication and intellectual disabilities

Some of the symptoms of autism that exhibit social, communication and intellectual disabilities in children are:

• Failure to respond to his/her name
• Do not like to be touched or embraced
• Prefer playing alone and avoid other children
• Poor eye contact
• Lacks facial expression
• Delayed speech
• Speaks a singsong voice
• Do not understand orders
• Unaware of other people’s emotions
• Do not point at objects
• Difficulty in understanding nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, signs or the tone of voice

Symptoms of Behavior Disabilities

• Repetitive or restricted movements
• Follow a specific routine and get annoyed at the slightest change
• Has odd movement patterns, such as walking on toes
• Fascinated by certain parts of the toys such as the wheel of a bus or the head of a teddy bear
• Show sensitive towards sound, light, or touch
• Specific food preferences of a particular texture or color

Because of the unique mixture of symptoms in each child, severity can sometimes be difficult to determine. The severity of autism spectrum disorder in children is based on the level of impairments and their ability to function. While there is no cure for autism, early treatment through various rehabilitation therapies can make a big difference in the lives of individuals.

For more details on autism: https://www.autismconnect.com/early-signs-symptoms-of-autism

Factors That Trigger Autism

Known as a disorder related to brain development, autism impacts the way a person perceives, communicates and socializes. Along with interaction
and communication issues, autism includes restricted or repetitive patterns of activities. The word ‘spectrum’ in autism spectrum disorder refers to the
wide range of symptoms and severity found in a person with autism.

What causes autism spectrum disorder?

Autism spectrum disorder arises in the early childhood stage. Children with the autism, at times, develop normally till 12 to 18 months after birth and
then go through a regression period anytime during 18 and 24 months of age. They begin exhibiting symptoms of autism which calls for an intensive
and early treatment. Although there is no complete cure for autism, a consultation with the doctors can help the person to gain essential skills.  

The queries asked by parent and caregiver are “what causes autism, its symptoms and treatment/therapies options?’ Due to the complexity of the
disorder, autism spectrum disorder does not arise because of a single known cause.

So, what causes autism spectrum disorder? Genetics and environmental factors play a role in the onset of the disorder.

Genetics: Several genes are involved in causing autism spectrum disorder. A genetic disorder like fragile X syndrome or Rett syndrome and genetic
changes increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder in children. Genetic mutations are either inherited or occur spontaneously.

Environmental factors:  Infection during pregnancy, premature birth, complications during pregnancy, excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs by
expectant mothers, and exposure to toxic or chemicals are some of the factors that trigger autism in children. Viral infection or air pollutants also play
a role in triggering autism spectrum disorder.

Symptoms

Each child with autism has a unique pattern of behavior, from low functioning to high functioning and varying according to severity. 

Signs of autism are visible in some children during early infancy. Symptoms such as lack of response (when called), reduced eye contact, and inability to
attain the motor milestone. They may develop normally during the first few months after birth, then by the age of 2 years, they become aggressive, withdrawn,
and lose some of the skills (language, recognition) which they acquired.  

As they grow, children with autism spectrum disorder experience difficulty learning, trouble communicating and adjusting to social situations. They also find
difficulty in buttoning their shirt, tying shoelaces, brushing teeth, using the bathroom when the need arises, etc.

In each child, severity can be determined on the level of impairments and their impact on his/her function.

What are the Signs and Causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism is a neurobehavioral condition that relates to deficiency in social interaction and communication skills. As autism involves a range of symptoms, this condition is also called as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents are often puzzled as to what causes autism or its spectrum?

Autism spectrum disorder is a range condition that surface due to improper brain development in the foetal stage. The child appear to develop normally in the first two years, but go through regression between (18 and 24 months) when they develop autism symptoms. Autism or autism spectrum disorder begins in early childhood causing functional complications in school and at home while impacting the child’s ability to perceive and socialize with people, causing drawbacks in their communication and social interaction.

When to See a Doctor

What causes autism spectrum disorder?  The term ‘spectrum’ of autism refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity. Parents with a concern about their child's development often discuss their concerns with the doctor about autism spectrum disorder. As the kids develop at their own pace, it is important to see if they reach their milestones at the given time. The doctor may recommend various developmental tests to identify if your child has autism or whether they are just normal delays. 

Parents who want to get information about the best autism centres near their area can visit: https://www.autismconnect.com/autism-centres

Some of the signs of autism spectrum disorder are:

•      Does not respond with a smile 
•          Fails to gesture or wave
•          Devoid of social skills
•          Does not respond to when called
•         Shows a delay in speech development
•          Avoid physical touch like patting or hugging

Causes

What causes autism spectrum disorder?  Genetic and environmental factors plays contributing part in the risk of Autism in children.

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•   Genetics: Different genes are said to be involved in causing autism spectrum disorders. Some children are linked with genetic disorders due to genetic changes or mutations of the genes which result in under-development of the brain. Some genetic mutations are hereditary, while others occur spontaneously. Thus, the disorder occurs due to defect in the genes and also on how they interact with one another. 

• Environmental: At times, viral infections, harmful drugs, addiction of alcohol or drugs in expectant mothers, early birth or complications during pregnancy/delivery, etc., play a role in triggering autism spectrum disorder in new-borns. Children exposed to electromagnetic radiation can experience brain cell damage.  

There is no way to prevent autism spectrum disorder! It is important to know what causes autism or about the right way to take care of the kids born with the spectrum.  Early diagnosis and intervention can improve the child’s adverse behaviour, language skills and help him/her to outgrow the autism spectrum disorder symptoms.  For more information about the various causes of autism, do visit: https://www.autismconnect.com/what-causes-autism