Effective Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Just as machines and engines break down, so also is the human body susceptible to one or more malfunctioning or breakdown. When this occurs, it is referred to as a health condition or disease in the medical field. Now, there are certain health conditions that can easily be prevented while there are others that are simply out of our control. One of such health conditions is autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
In this article, you will learn about the various effective and science-backed treatment options for autism.
What Are Autism Spectrum Disorders?
As indicated in the name, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a collection of different neurodevelopmental disorders, each of which has certain symptoms in common. It is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of health disorders, including autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder.
ASD is considered to be an in-born health condition that results in abnormal brain development, leading to behavioral and cognitive impairments that begin to manifest in the early years of life.
Furthermore, connections between different neurons (the messengers in the brain) are also affected, which causes the brain to react slowly. To make matters worse, the immune system becomes weak, which makes the autistic person more prone to certain conditions like gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, insomnia, eating disorders, epilepsy, etc.
What Are the Risk Factors and Causes?
The exact singular cause of ASD is unknown. However, scientists had discovered that many forms of ASD are likely caused by a variety of factors including environmental, biologic, and genetic factors.
Here are some facts about the causes of the disorders:
Most experts believe that one of the risk factors that might increase a person's likelihood of developing ASD is genetics.
Children with an ASD sibling are more likely to develop the disorder themselves. ASD is more likely in those who have particular genetic or chromosomal disorders, such as fragile X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis. What is Fragile X? Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a rare genetic condition that causes intellectual disability, anxiety disorders, behavioral and learning challenges, and various physical characteristics.
The pharmaceutical medicines valproic acid and thalidomide have been linked to an increased risk of ASD when used during pregnancy.
ASD is more likely to affect children born to older parents.
The CDC reports that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is more commonly seen in boys than girls. Boys outnumber girls 4.3 to 1, according to a survey of 8-year-olds conducted in 2016 across 11 different locations in the United States.
First Symptoms for Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Doctors can diagnose autism in children as early as 1 or 2 years of age. The type of autistic disorder a patient has will determine how bad these and others will be. This basically means symptoms of autism will be mild in some while it will be severe in others.
However, every autistic patient shows four symptoms at the early stage, which are valuable for early diagnosis.
They all have different degrees of difficulties with the following:
They can’t express their feelings and emotions properly;
Effectively communicating with others either verbally or nonverbally becomes quite difficult;
Interacting with others in public places or social settings is almost non-existent;
They tend to have restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.
Maintaining eye contact is a problem for autistic patients. They hardly display emotion on their faces and usually have no interest in playing with their peers. Also, repeated actions such as flailing their arms, sprinting back and forth, arranging items in a specific order and becoming enraged when the order is disrupted, reciting words or phrases they heard from someone, becoming enraged at trivial changes, and remarkable qualities like a knack for remembering information are some of the attributes ASD patients are known for.
How to Treat Autism
While there is no cure for autism spectrum disorder at the moment, the health condition can be managed. This will promote the patient’s ability to function optimally and thus, reduce the ASD symptoms leading to improved learning, development and social adjustment.
Autism affects each individual differently, be it a child or adult. Therefore, to address each patient's specific needs, the treatment plan must be customized. Also, treatment should start as early as possible to maximize the therapeutic benefits.
Understanding the challenges and seeking effective treatments for autism spectrum disorders is essential. You may want to explore how aba can help, as it has been shown to provide valuable benefits in assisting individuals on the spectrum. Learn more about its advantages in this informative resource.
There are two types of autism treatment methods. These are:
1. Classical methods
Classical autism treatment methods include a variety of treatment options such as behavioral, developmental, educational, socio-relational, and complementary therapies. Another classical method is the use of certain medications, which are either used alone or combined with some of the previously-mentioned classical methods.
Behavioral therapy stimulates changes in behavioral patterns and induces more flexibility into the patient’s interest. The early start denver model (ESDM) therapy is a type of behavioral treatment often used in children with autism between the ages of 1 and 4 years.
Developmental therapy has to do with targeting specific core developmental skills to improve them. An example is language skills which are worked on during speech and language therapy – a subset of developmental therapy.
Educational therapy entails taking steps that will positively impact the student’s learning and performance in other areas. This may involve getting free, appropriate public education as well as writing or sketching daily tasks and putting them in plain view. Also, spoken messages or instructions can be communicated using visual aids and physical demonstrations.
Social-relational therapy is aimed at improving the patient’s social interaction skills. This therapy helps the patient learn and master how to handle him or herself in social settings thus enabling them to interact well with others.
Medications that affect the brain are also used to reduce the intensity and frequency of ASD symptoms. They are therefore combined with other classical methods to optimize their outcomes. Examples of drug classes used include antipsychotics, antidepressants, and stimulants.
Complementary therapy is concerned with the use of herbs, special diets, or mindfulness to lessen ASD symptoms and enhance better management.
2. New approach
The newest approach in the management of ASD is the use of stem cell treatment for autism. Stem cell treatments for adults and children who have ASD have turned out to be a massive breakthrough in the medical world.
Stem cell is one of the several cell types in the body. They can transform into other types of cells, either replacing dead cells or boosting their population. Hence, why they are highly sought after for autism treatment for adults and children alike.
Stem cell therapy, particularly mesenchymal stem cells, are used in treating autism because of the following:
They can form new neuronal connections to replace the lost or defective ones, which boosts the transmission of messages to and from the brain for correct response and optimal cognitive functioning.
They aid in transporting essential amino acids, blood, oxygen, and other essential nutrients to the brain.
They also transform into brain cells and replace damaged or dead cells for improved brain functioning.
Finally, stem cells have been confirmed to stimulate the production of anti-inflammatory chemicals like cytokines, which boost the immune system and make the patient less prone to opportunistic diseases.
Conclusion
The discovery of stem cell treatment for children and adults with ASD is a welcomed development, and it’s making life and relationships easier for them and their loved ones. In addition, this new therapy has been proven to be safe and effective. So, visit any government-recognized stem cell treatment center to start your treatment that would meet your personal medical needs.
Have you ever tried stem cell therapy to manage autism symptoms? If yes, what was the outcome? Kindly share your experience.