Psychiatrist Dr. Ilan Rabinovitch on the difficult treatment of his autistic children/Editor: Nir Chen, graphic designer: Avichai Baruch
In recent years, awareness of the autism syndrome has been increasing. With awareness, the scope of diagnoses also increases. In Israel alone, one out of every 58 children is born autistic. It can be said with almost certainty that there is no one who has not met in his immediate environment or in a wider circle someone who is defined on the autistic spectrum.
Autism is a general name for a range of conditions characterized by a neurological developmental disorder that makes it difficult for a person to have social and communicative interaction. Autism syndrome is actually a broad spectrum, since it is autistic conditions of various degrees that manifest themselves differently in each autistic person - starting from the inability to communicate at all, including a lip disorder in those with low functioning, to those who supposedly behave "normally", integrate into society but suffer mainly Inability to manage interpersonal and social interactions or have difficulty understanding them.
There is no doubt that the earlier autism is diagnosed, the more we can give the child the tools to help him, from an early age and there are many tools at our disposal. In some cases, especially when it comes to high-functioning autistics, the diagnosis of the syndrome is received at a later age, usually because the autistic person knows how to "mask" his differences and manages to integrate into society in a relatively normal way, whether at school, in classes, etc. At the same time, as the age increases, the gaps grow and at this point red lights start flashing until an official diagnosis is reached. The parents are not to blame here of course, but sometimes lack of awareness of the difficulties the child experiences on a daily level, acceptance with the fact that the child is a little different or denial due to difficulty dealing with the fact that their child may be different.
As a developmental psychologist, I meet in child development institutes parents and children who are diagnosed with autism for the first time in their teens and in many cases at an older age.
Of course, not every child with social difficulties is a child on the autism spectrum, but it is important to know the signs and, if suspicion arises, to get diagnosed.
It is important to know the signs and if suspicion arises, to get diagnosed. Autism/ShutterStock
These are the warning lights every parent should pay attention to:
Poor conversation skills:
inability to have a real conversation with the child or adult because he often repeats the same topic over and over again. This behavior is sometimes seen as an obsession with a certain subject, which creates a feeling of "digging" and snoozing in the other party.
Impaired understanding of relationships and social codes:
lack of understanding of subtle nuances, non-verbal gestures (eg nose twisting or winking) or jokes, difficulty understanding the other's feelings and difficulty expressing empathy.
Patterns, mental fixation:
for example, the need to wear the same color of clothing all the time, the need for a schedule that is known in advance without changes or to go to school the same way every time.
Picky and poor eating:
in terms of the ability to try new flavors or vary the food.
Powerful sensory experiences:
level of sensitivity and different sensory experience, sensory flooding as a result of noise, crowds, crowding. These sensitivities will lead, for example, to the avoidance of major events.
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When autism is suspected, it is worthwhile and desirable to seek diagnosis as early as possible.
Although autism is a syndrome that cannot be changed, studies indicate the ability to improve the difficulties of children, teenagers and adults with autism with the help of treatments and professionals who accompany them. If left untreated, they can develop significant emotional and behavioral difficulties such as anxiety and depression. Sometimes the deep frustration with the situation they are in and the difficulties they are experiencing leads them to violence, vandalism and assault of people around them due to their incorrect interpretation of the situation, and in other cases to deep loneliness due to the inability to integrate socially.
As part of my role, I met with boys and girls who did not understand the reason for their difference and repeatedly repeated their frustration and feelings of insult from the environment. They traveled the world for years feeling like no one understood them.
Sometimes the deep frustration with the situation they are in and the difficulties they are experiencing leads them to violence, vandalism and assaulting people around them
On the face of it, it sounds surprising that they experienced difficulty of such intensity, but remained undiagnosed. At the same time, it is important to understand that these are apparently people with high mental functioning, which obscures their communication difficulties and confuses the professionals who have met them over the years, whether they are teachers or the school counselor. A huge sense of relief characterizes a significant number of them when they finally receive a linguistic diagnosis that they have been dealing with for so many years. Suddenly all the cards fall into place and everything becomes more understandable.
The professional recommendation is that any parent who has the slightest fear that their child is on the autism spectrum should seek a diagnosis, with all the emotional difficulty involved. The later the diagnosis is made, the greater the difficulty and frustration of the child and his environment, and the earlier a diagnosis is received - the more you can try and help the child using the right professional tools, and no less important: understand him a little better.
The author is the director of the field of child development psychology at Mohedat, Jerusalem district
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