Early childhood autism: causes, signs, types, treatment
In early childhood autism, motor or speech stereotypes may be present in the child's behavior, aggression and auto-aggression, lethargy or, conversely, hyperactivity, a desire for ritualism and many other signs may appear. What are the reasons for this “cascading” developmental distortion in early childhood autism?
The number of unusual, special children being diagnosed with early childhood autism or autism spectrum disorder is growing every year. In 2000, it was estimated that 5 to 26 people in every 10,000 children suffer from early childhood autism. Already in 2008, the World Autism Organization published much more significant figures: 1 child with early childhood autism for every 150 children. In 2014, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided data that 1 in 68 children in America has early childhood autism (ADA) or autism spectrum disorders.
There are no official Russian statistics on the number of children with early childhood autism. But parents and educators faced with the problem know that, on average, for every class of children today there is at least 1 child with some form of early childhood autism. Such a "pandemic" requires us to know exactly how to diagnose the problem in a timely manner, identify the causes of the child's distorted development, and choose the optimal forms of corrective work with him. You will find information about this in our article.
Early childhood autism as a pervasive disorder
In Russian conditions, where the system of assistance to such children is poorly developed, a child with early childhood autism is usually registered with a psychiatrist. However, most Western researchers (Theo Peters and many others) are gradually removing early childhood autism from the category of mental illness, defining it as a pervasive developmental disorder of the child. What does it mean?
The term "pervasive" means all-pervading, affecting the most diverse areas of human life. Indeed, the characteristics of children with early childhood autism include distorted child development in a wide variety of areas. These are communication and speech development, general and fine motor skills, study skills. Children with early childhood autism have significant problems in mastering self-care skills and require constant help in simple everyday situations.
Symptoms and signs of early childhood autism are also extremely varied. With RDA, motor or speech stereotypes may be present in the child's behavior, aggression and auto-aggression, lethargy or, conversely, hyperactivity, a desire for ritualism and many other signs may appear. What are the reasons for this "cascading" developmental distortion in early childhood autism?
Causes of early childhood autism
A scientific explanation for this phenomenon of all-pervading disorders in child development was found in the System-Vector Psychology of Yuri Burlan. She explains that the risk of developing early childhood autism exists only for children who have received mental trauma in the development of the dominant vector of the human psyche - sound.
By nature, any child is given his own unique set of vectors, each of which assigns certain characteristics, qualities and properties of the psyche to children. Owners of the sound vector are natural introverts, focused on their thoughts and internal states. The ear is a particularly sensitive area for a small sound person. Such a child can be mentally traumatized by severe stress effects on his main sensor. For instance:
- loud music
- scandals, screams, raised voices
- offensive meanings in the speech of adults.
The risk of developing early childhood autism occurs even when the negative impact is not directed at the child directly, but simply occurs in his presence. As a result, the sensitive ear of the sound engineer begins to painfully perceive even household noises (vacuum cleaner, hairdryer, drain, clink of dishes). The child tends to close his ears and close himself from the source of stress. Early childhood autism is gradually formed as a loss of the ability to productively interact with the outside world.
The sound vector is dominant in the human psyche. Therefore, due to sound trauma, as the main cause of early childhood autism, there is a pervasive disturbance in the development of all other vectors assigned to the child. In the skin vector in early childhood autism, these can be manifestations of motor stereotypes, hyperactivity, tics. In the anal vector - stupor, fear of the new, ritual. Such changes in behavior during RAD, such as looking at color spots or objects "in the light", are due to a distortion in the development of the visual vector.
Types (forms) of early childhood autism
The International Classifier of Diseases includes many different forms (s) of early childhood autism. The most famous of them:
- Kanner's syndrome (the development of early childhood autism is observed from birth or the first years of life, in 2/3 of cases it is accompanied by mental retardation and a significant delay in the development of speech)
- Asperger's syndrome (with this form of early childhood autism, speech development and intelligence are often preserved, but there is a lack of interest in the interlocutor, poor facial expressions and gestures)
- Atypical autism (in this case, the characteristics of the disorder are manifested in a person at a later age, therefore it is not entirely correct to talk about early childhood autism).
Diagnosis and Treatment of Early Childhood Autism
Most tests for the diagnosis of early childhood autism are designed to characterize primarily the child's ability to establish productive contact with the outside world. Experts understand that the main problem lies precisely in the impaired perception of the world outside by a child with RDA and limited interaction with it. System-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan for the first time allows, through the prism of understanding trauma in the sound vector, to give a scientific explanation of the reason for such a “withdrawal of the child into himself” in early childhood autism.
However, understanding alone is not enough. Is there an effective treatment for autism in children? What will be more effective for a child with early childhood autism syndrome: drug treatment or special education, remedial work?
This largely depends on the form of early childhood autism that is diagnosed in the child. There is no doubt that with Rett syndrome, serious medical attention may be required. In addition, some children with autism are prone to epileptic seizures. In such cases, you cannot do without anticonvulsants.
However, in most cases of early childhood autism, psychiatrists en masse prescribe so-called behavior correctors. Modern science, which describes autism as a pervasive developmental disorder, in such cases prefers special education and remedial work, rather than trying to "extinguish" adverse behavioral abnormalities with drugs. In the system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan, a detailed mechanism has been developed on how to create favorable conditions for the upbringing and training of a special child. Effective correction of autism requires a system-vector approach.
Sound ecology in raising a child with early childhood autism
Since autism at an early age is formed in a child as a result of sound trauma, the most important condition for his upbringing is sound ecology. You should speak with the child and in his presence in a calm, quiet voice. From music, preference should be given to classical music, it is better to include it so that it sounds like a barely audible background.
Try to protect your child as much as possible from the noise of household appliances. If your child's perception of your speech is difficult, use simplified phrases, speaking them quietly, clearly and distinctly.
Differentiated approach in teaching and upbringing of a child with early childhood autism
Autism at an early age can be accompanied by a variety of behavioral disorders. The specific methods of corrective work and the forms of upbringing of an autistic child depend on his innate set of vectors. For instance:
- If an autistic child has a skin vector, he needs a clear daily routine, a sufficient amount of physical activity and stimulation of his sensitive skin (massages, stroking, working with sand, water or plasticine). Read more about this here.
- If an autistic child has an anal vector, he needs predictability of events, more time to complete the task. Everything new should be introduced gradually. More on this here.
- A super-emotional owner of a visual vector may be interested in playing with a kaleidoscope or a theater of shadows, problems on color and shapes. Read more in the article.
You can determine the vector of the child and get a detailed idea of the peculiarities of the approach to each one at the training on system-vector psychology by Yuri Burlan.
Feeling safe and secure is an essential foundation for a child with early childhood autism
Psychological literacy and an accurate understanding of the child's vectors is an absolute must for every teacher or psychologist working with the problem of early childhood autism. But this knowledge is no less, but even more necessary for the parents of a special baby. After all, the basic psychological comfort or discomfort is laid down in the family.
The psychological state of the mother is of particular importance: a child of an early age perceives it unconsciously. If the mother carries unconscious trauma, is tense and worried, the child's development is seriously damaged. Mothers of autistic children can get rid of their own psychotraumas and "anchors" at the training. The portal has results on the removal of the diagnosis of "autism" from the child after the training by the mother:
Early childhood autism is not a sentence. Give your child a chance for rehabilitation, start with free online classes on systemic vector psychology by Yuri Burlan. Register using the link.
