Autism: The child living in a bell jar Our topic this week is 'autism', a disorder reported by researchers that we have heard about frequently lately and whose diagnosis rates are increasing every year compared to previous years. Significant impairments in social communication skills starting from early infancy, cyclical behavioral patterns, and negative effects on functionality in other areas are among the important symptoms of pervasive developmental disorder, also known as autism. Because pervasive developmental disorder varies along a spectrum, the profile of each autistic child is different. When most children are diagnosed with autism, they begin receiving supportive education at a special education center. The best thing that can be done for a child with autism is to support him and his family psychologically and with training, to help him adapt to the current situation and to strive to reach a level where he can sustain his own life as much as possible. In fact, parents who are in the process know most of these very well and are informed by experts on missing points. What I want to talk about here is what autism is not, rather than what it is! Based on the research results and my clinical observation, I can say that autism is a disorder that is sometimes misdiagnosed. We know that autism is often a lifelong disorder, but many children clearly show signs of autism and this diagnosis is abandoned after supportive education. So how does this happen? Children with reactive attachment disorder are largely diagnosed with autism because it is difficult to distinguish the symptoms from the symptoms of autism when making a psychiatric diagnosis by a specialist. During the special education process, these children show signs of rapid recovery when they are welcomed with unconditional love and acceptance by their teachers in lessons and psychologists in sessions, and when a therapeutic bond is established between them. What is important here is the healing power of the relationship. The first six months are very important for the baby to bond with his/her caregiver and strengthen his/her self, and when the secure attachment relationship established here cannot be established or damaged for some reasons, the child's effort to establish social communication ends in disappointment. He returns to his inner world. Even though the cause is different from autism, these children experience introversion similar to autism, acting as if they are living on their own in a bubble, not responding to their name, not making eye contact, and circular movements. Children with both disorders make progress when supported by their families, teachers and psychologists. However, the recovery picture for reactive attachment disorder is much more promising. So what can be done to prevent this disorder? First of all, parents need to be sensitive to the physical and psychological needs of the baby, who has literally 'fallen' from the mother's womb, which is safe in the first six months (as we mentioned in previous articles), into this cold, noisy and worrying world. We said that the baby cries for many reasons, and every time the baby cries, patiently calming the baby and embracing him is the best thing you can do to ensure that your baby can establish a secure bond with you. Finally, if you suspect autism, it is very important to receive support, special education and therapy from a psychologist to manage this process in the healthiest way. I wish everyone a good week. :
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