A FEW WORDS ABOUT AUTISM

Regarding Autism

Autism is a sensory, neurological disorder with varying influence on an individual’s functionality and sociability. Children with wildly different symptoms may find themselves on its spectrum. Seemingly highly intelligent and having developed speech at the expected age range, children on one side of the spectrum behave emotionally or immaturely for their age, with incredibly dramatic reactions. In such cases, the autism is often not visible. On the opposite side we find children with greatly diminished functionality, barely developed speech if at all, and many stereotypical behaviours that render the autism obvious.

Egocentrism

The way the child perceives events, objects, people and the world in general influences its behavior, which is egocentric. Egocentrism is not egotism. The child wishes to involve us and take us into account, yet it simply doesn’t know how. They see themselves at the center of the world and, understandably, function in a self-serving fashion. That egocentrism can lead to a multitude of autistic characteristics, like the inability to understand other people’s intentions, a lack of shame and imagination etc.

Sensory disorder

Autism often goes hand in hand with a disruption of the senses. The nerves can send much stronger or weaker signals to the brain than normal in reaction to stimuli. That different sensory experience can explain certain behaviors like hand flapping, walking on toes, hyperactivity or even being extremely picky when it comes to food. Disruptions can occur in all bodily senses, like the feeling of pain, hot or cold, hunger, full bladder etc.

By understanding autism in all its forms, we can better understand the difficulties that parents and other family members are facing daily, all too often with no guidance on handling these problems.