2024-04-26 14:11:15
Six-year-old Arian has been missing in Bremervörde since Monday. The boy has autism. What is behind the developmental disorder?
Video | Missing Arian: rescuer with a new strategy
What makes the search even more difficult is that the boy is autistic and does not respond to being spoken to.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Scientists have summarized the different forms of autism under one umbrella term: autism spectrum disorder, or ASD for short. What is characteristic of them is that the people
- have little or no interest in social contacts and often do not correctly assess social situations, as well as their linguistic development and communication may be impaired,
- have very specific interests and can always show the same behavioral patterns (experts speak of stereotypies).
- There are only estimates of the frequency of autism spectrum disorders. Scientists assume that around 1 person in 100 is on the autism spectrum – including significantly more boys than girls. The most common is what is known as atypical autism. The second most common form is early childhood autism, followed by Asperger syndrome.
These symptoms indicate autism
Social restrictions: contact with others is sometimes hardly possible
What is typical of an autism spectrum disorder is that the person in question appears to seek little or no contact with other people. This usually becomes clear in childhood. Autistic children often do not play with their peers, but rather stay to themselves.
Depending on the severity of the disorder, some people are unable to develop interpersonal relationships at all or only to a limited extent. They do not seek eye contact or avoid the gaze of others. They also largely avoid physical contact.
People with autism spectrum disorder often have difficulty assessing the feelings of others and can hardly express their own feelings to others.
Problems with language and communication
Depending on the severity of the autism spectrum disorder, the children’s language development is severely impaired. This can be particularly the case with early childhood autism. Some people don’t learn to speak or don’t learn to speak fluently. Others can speak, but may not be able to have a proper dialogue or express emotions verbally.
Rigid behavior patterns and very specific interests
People with an autism spectrum disorder often need fixed structures and rituals from which they do not deviate if possible. Autistic people usually always carry out an activity in the same way. Experts speak of stereotypes. For example, people with autism spectrum disorder always want to eat from the same plate. Or they always eat their meals at exactly a certain time. If their usual daily routine is changed, they often find it difficult to deal with it and quickly feel overwhelmed.
In early childhood autism, it is often observed that children repeatedly move their body or individual body parts back and forth in the same way.
Other possible symptoms of autism
In addition to the characteristic symptoms, many people with autism spectrum disorder have other symptoms. These include, among others
- The anxiety disorder
- disturbed sleep
- eating disorder
- Attention problems
- Restlessness
- Tics
Therapy: This is how autism can be treated
Autism spectrum disorder cannot be cured – but it can be treated. Therapy is always individual. It is based, among other things, on
- how old the person is,
- how good their cognitive and linguistic skills are,
- what form of autism it is and how severe it is,
- in which areas the person is particularly restricted,
- to what extent the person receives support from family members and close people and/or
- whether the person also has mental illnesses or limitations that need to be treated.
Very different approaches can be useful for treating autism, for example
- curative educational elements
- Occupational therapy: Support with activities that are important in everyday life
- Speech training (speech therapy)
- Behavioral therapy
- Social skills training
Read more about the causes and therapeutic options here.