This Tuesday, April 2, World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated, a disorder that, according to the World Health Organization, affects between 1 and 6 children in every thousand.
This pathology encompasses the so-called autism spectrum disorders, a group of cognitive and developmental disorders that influence communication, sociability, and the emotional and intellectual behavior of patients.
The autism spectrum
- In reality, autism acquires different degrees and affects people who suffer from it in very different ways. For this reason, it is not considered a single disorder, but a group of ailments that lead to the social isolation of children and a developmental deficit.
- According to the English psychiatrist Lorna Wing, autistic children are characterized by disorders in social recognition skills, communication problems, and repetitive movements and behaviors.
The origin and treatment of autism
- The causes of autism remain a mystery to researchers. For some of them, the origin of these disorders comes from a genetic component influenced by environmental factors such as poisoning, although most of the studies point to genes.
- Currently, there is no treatment to cure autism. In general, a therapy based on the so-called ‘ Applied Behavior Analysis’ is applied. An early diagnosis of the disorder, combined with this treatment, favors the development of autistic children, who can speak, write or read.
The future of autism in the world
- On the occasion of the celebration of World Autism Awareness Day, the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Ban Ki-Moon, has announced the approval of a resolution to make Member States aware of the importance of research and improvement of health care and education.
- In this text, the UN General Assembly recalls that early detection of this disease is essential to improve the quality of life and integration of autism patients.