Autism Day has come and gone. Everyone remembers Rain Man and the stellar performance of Dustin Hoffman in that movie, right? But till today autism remains one of the greatest mysteries of medicine. Although it is now being diagnosed in 1 among 150 children, and cuts across race, socioeconomic and cultural barriers, we still do not know enough about this neurological disorder. Other diseases can at least be confirmed through a blood test or a scan, but autism relies on an observation of the behaviour of the individual, which makes it even more difficult to diagnose. There are three distinctive behaviours that characterize autism-

· Lack of social interaction

· Problems with verbal and nonverbal communication.

· Repetitive behaviour and narrow obsessive interests.

The problem lies in the wide spectrum that can be seen in the behaviour with some displaying nothing more than just avoiding eye contact while others totally withdraw into a make believe world of their own. I think what bugs the hell (pardon my expression) out of people who have autism or parents who have autistic kids, is the need for society to label and put them into boxes, which more often harms than helps. Showcasing some of their stories to make people more aware can also backfire, making people feel that all autistics are exactly the same.

Today many scientists believe that genetics plays a very big role in the development of autism, with a trigger setting it off….either some kind of social setting or toxins. So far they still haven’t found that missing part of the puzzle.

Quite often autism is diagnosed a little late in life, since parents rarely want to accept the reason their child is not like others and would rather believe that it is just a developmental lag. In the long run this could create dire consequences since the earlier children are diagnosed the sooner the treatment can begin. Doctors say that since the brain develops fastest during birth to 5 years of age, early intervention is very necessary. Today, pediatricians have been given guidelines on how to recognize early signs of autism, in order to get children the help they need as soon as possible.

Today, the number one fear of parents is their child being diagnosed with autism, especially with Ireland and England reporting that Autism is already affecting 1 in 58 children. The biggest battle that rages today is between those who believe that autism is caused by vaccines (Jim Carrey and his wife being strong proponents of that) and those who just do not give credence to that theory.

In the 1980s children in the US received only 10 vaccines by age 5, whereas today they are given 36 immunizations, most of them by age 2. With billions of pharmaceutical dollars involved in this, could it be possible that the vaccine program is becoming more of a profit engine then a means of prevention? When we go to a doctor, don’t they usually ask us if we are allergic to some drug or the other? Then how is it that we presume that all vaccines should suit all kids. One suit definitely cannot fit all. Is that where the problem lies?

Plenty of research is going on into all of this, but there still aren’t any satisfactory answers.

But answers will have to be found and very soon, since with the rapidly increasing statistics something is going wrong drastically somewhere and with an already overburdened Healthcare System, everyone knows Autism cannot be added to the list. Since the symptoms aren’t the kind that makes you feel it has dealt a blow to your solar plexus when you hear about them, or brings a tear to your eye,like cancer or AIDS, it tends to get overlooked and put on the back burner, with the problem getting increasingly vitiated, with each passing year.

Since signs of autism can be seen as early as six months, pediatricians, teachers and parents will have to play a very important part in identifying it as quickly as possible. An Italian research team has discovered irregular proteins in the saliva of people with ASD, which could provide an important clue to the molecular basis of ASD. Scientists have been searching for biomarkers, such as atypical proteins, in the bodily fluids of individuals with ASD. The discovery of such a biomarker would provide the means to precisely diagnose ASD in a timelier and more effectual manner. However much is still left to be done.

Even though there may be such a wide spectrum the core symptoms would be-

• Significant problems developing nonverbal communication skills, such as eye-to-eye gazing, facial expressions, and body posture.
• Failure to establish friendships with children the same age.
• Lack of empathy. People with autism may have difficulty understanding another person's feelings, such as pain or sorrow.
• Delay in, or lack of, learning to talk.
• Stereotyped and repetitive use of language. People with autism often repeat over and over a phrase they have heard previously; also known as echolalia.
• A strange focus on parts. Younger children with autism often focus on parts of toys, such as the doll’s hair, rather than the whole doll.
• Preoccupation with certain topics. For example, older children and adults may be fascinated by collecting coins or stamps.
• A need for sameness and routines. To open their book in a particular way. To eat their peas one by one.
• Stereotyped behaviors which may include body rocking and hand flapping.

A study of emotions of parents whose children have ASD shows high levels of depression, anger, anxiety, fear and stress. Only natural wouldn’t you say? I once taught a child with ASD and know how difficult it was…imagine the plight of the parent who is told…we don’t know what causes it and we don’t know if there will ever be a cure.

However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel with treatments like Applied Basis Behaviour Therapy, Sensory Integration Therapy, TEACCH, etc which help these children and adults lead a fuller life.We do hope that the light soon becomes a beacon of hope.