One of your children has just been diagnosed with autism. The feelings you may be experiencing might be very confusing and possibly even conflicting. You may not even know much about autism, except that it explains why your child has been throwing tantrums without cause and refuses to hug you. You thought maybe those were just their little quirks and that they would grow out of it, but these "quirks" never went away. When a child in your life is diagnosed with autism, the world can suddenly become a very scary place, especially if you know very little about the disorder.
The good news is that more and more information about autism and the autistic spectrum is being released every day, and understanding the disorder that eludes you becomes easier with time and much research. The bad news is that a person can never really be rid of their autistic tendencies. However, the disorder can be managed through therapy and diet.
You should first be aware of the fact that there are many different types of autism. Asperger's syndrome is generally known as a high-functioning autism disorder. Unfortunately, no one knows for sure what causes children to become autistic, but the disorder usually appears during the first three years of their lives. There are some babies who show symptoms when they are born, and others who seem to be developing normally at first but start showing symptoms somewhere between 18 and 36 months. Another unfortunate fact is that autism is more likely to develop in boys than girls - about four times more common.
Signs of an autistic disorder may be subtle at first, but they do eventually become more pronounced and difficult to handle. You should take your child to be evaluated immediately if the following symptoms occur:
Your child does not babble or make baby noises by their first year.
He or she does not point, grasp, or make other gestures by their first year.
Your child does not speak single words by the time they are 16 months old.
They cannot say a two-word phrase on their own (not including if they are repeating what someone says to them) by their second year.
Your child loses any language or social skill at any age.
Of course, these are not the only things you should be looking out for. If you do encounter any of these problems, please take your child to a doctor for autism evaluation immediately, because it is highly likely that your child has developed an autistic disorder of some kind. Do not be fearful, though. There are a few things you can do in order to help your child work through their disorder. First, you should start a gluten-free and casein-free (or dairy-free) diet, as this may be helpful in managing their behavior. You should also choose a good therapist who understands your child's syndrome, and meet as often as possible. If you need medical insurance in order to pay for therapy, make sure you look at health insurance quotes in order to get the best rate.
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