Autism: A complex disorder that requires early recognition

My son is already 2 yrs but he has not started speaking”, don’t worry my dear he will. Just wait for few more months.but he is not even looking at me when I’m talking to him. No response to any instructions. No playing with other children. May be he is little shy. Just wait. He will overcome this as well. He is hyperactive at home. Always breaking things,my dear all children are naughty. His father was a menace as a child.

This are the excerpts from the conversation of a mother whose child was later diagnosed with autism. Majority of such moms and dads say ‘I had suspicion of something wrong when he was 15-16 months old but people suggested me to wait as many children outgrow these problems.’

Autism is a complex developmental disorder with impairments in Verbal and nonverbal communication Reciprocal social interaction ,associated with stereotypical repetitive behavior. The incidence of autism has been steadily increasing year by year. According to a US study, the incidence was 1 in 150 children in 2000 which increased steadily to 1 in 68 children by 2010. If the incidence increase at this rate than the day is not far when half of our kids will be autistic. So the parents should closely follow the development pattern of their children and look for any red flag signs. Routine neuro developmental assessment by a professional can also be done.

There are certain early signs which parents can notice in pre school children whose presence warrant early consultation with a specialist.

• Delayed or no spoken language
• Repetition of same words or questions(Echolalia)
• Do not respond to other people’s expression and look through them as if they do not exist
• Poor eye contact
• Lack of pretend play
• Do not show interest in peers
• Do not show interest in social or organized play
• Unable to share pleasure with others
• Do not point an object of interest to show it to others
• Extreme reaction to change of routine
• Do not communicate non verbally unusual repetitive hand and finger movements like hand flapping
• Hyperactivity unusual for his age
• Unusually high or low reaction to sensory stimuli like sounds or lights.

5 internationally recognised red flag signs of autism are-

• Doesn’t babble or coo by 12 months.
• Doesn’t gesture(point, wave, grasp) by 12 months.
• Doesn’t say a single word by 16 months
• Doesn’t say 2 word phrase on his or her own(but may have echolalia for        multiple words) by 24 months.
• Has loss of any language or social skills at any age.

1. Other associations of autism-
   • Learning disorders
   • Seizure
   • Sleep disorders
   • Mental ill health and behavioural problems
   • Anxiety or depression
   • ADHD etc 
     Diagnosis- Many behavioral scales may be used for diagnosis like CHAT. M-CHAT, CARS etc. But whenever there is suspicion it is advisable to start treatment immediately and not wait for the confirmation of diagnosis because early intervention always yield good results.
     Treatment
     1- Non pharmacological
     Mainstay of therapy. It includes ABA, NDBI, PECS, SI therapy, Speech therapy, behavioral and psychological interventions. Parents are the best therapists for any child. No body can bring the change what mother can bring. So parents should understand the basics of therapy so that they can apply this in day to day routine of the child and adjust according to the home environment.
     2- Pharmacological
     For hyperactivity, inattention and associated problems.

Autistic Pride Day 2018: How can yoga help deal with autism?

Yoga, meditation and breathing exercises provide a healthy effective adjunct/ alternate treatment that can support both the child and the family.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of the fastest growing developmental disorders in the world. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to an incurable mental disorder with a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. This condition, says Divya Kanchibhotla, meditation trainer and Director, Sri Sri Institute of Advanced Research, is present from early childhood and can be diagnosed as early as 18 months of age.

In India, a recent study suggests the prevalence of ASD is 23 children in 10,000. This is relatively much lower than the recent report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),USA which estimates that in USA, 1 in 59 children suffer from ASD, reporting a 15% increase from their last report.

Children with autism spectrum disorder face developmental and emotional challenges. The social stigma attached to the disease creates a barrier for people to seek help and to talk about it. ASD also comes with its share of comorbid conditions like epilepsy, mood disorders and attention deficiency syndrome. ASD is often characterised by emotional and social connected issues.

ASD has no cure, there are several treatment options available, including medication and therapy. Yoga, meditation and breathing exercises provide a healthy effective adjunct/ alternate treatment that can support both the child and the family.

Benefits of yoga
In addition to benefits typically associated with yoga such as increased strength, balance, coordination and flexibility, benefits such as increased social-emotional skills, language and communication, body awareness, self-regulation, focus and concentration and a reduction in anxiety, impulsive, obsessive, aggressive and self-stimulatory behaviors have also been noted. Yoga can help children with Improved social connectedness, reduced anxiety, improved body awareness and a positive sense of self.

How yoga helps Vagus nerve activation
One of the mechanisms of actions by which Yoga can help children with ASD is through Vagus Nerve Activation. Vagus Nerve is the longest cranial nerve that is the command center for Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). PNS is the part of the autonomic nervous system that regulates the process that we don’t regulate consciously. Vaga in Latin means to wander. This cranial nerve wanders around the body from the brain to our colon and helps regulate heart rate, speech, hearing, digestion, fertility amongst several important functions. Our ability to perceive someone’s tone of voice and emotional connect with the speaker is also dependent on a healthy Vagus Nerve.
Scientists are now exploring a connect between Vagus Nerve and ASD. Since Autism is a neurological disorder, they hypothesize that people with ASD have impaired functioning of Vagus Nerve which creates cognitive and social challenges. Several studies are now exploring the benefits of Vagus Nerve Stimulation in ASD and exploring the stimulation as an adjunct treatment.

Yoga has been shown to activate the Vagus Nerve. Several studies show the deep breathing, stretching and meditative components of Yoga practice stimulate the Vagus Nerve. When Vagus Nerve is healthy, it has a multifold effect on the mind-body complex: the release of oxytocin creates social bonding. The active PNS allows access to areas of higher cognition. It also creates a sense of calm and reduces anxiety.
A natural way of Vagus Nerve stimulation can be found in Yoga which can lead to improved quality of life and alleviated symptoms in individuals with ASD.

SOURCE: Healthsite