Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been around for a very long time.

It’s a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain compared with the brains of ‘neurotypical’ people.

Statistical research is proving that the number of children with autism is rapidly increasing. One child in every 150 children is diagnosed with autism worldwide; 1 in 58 children in the UK and 1 in 6 in the United States develop an impairing neurodevelopmental disorder. Let’s look at what autism spectrum disorders are, their causes and possible treatments.

Are you autistic?

I found out I was autistic a few years ago, when I was in my early forties. I was looking for an autism diagnosis for a family member and the more I delved into it, the clearer it became. My life-long struggles finally had a name and discovering it made me feel much better. After telling my daughter that we had found what her condition was, it was very comforting to tell her we were going to walk that path hand in hand. It’s been a couple of years since those turbulent times. If you suspect a loved one might be on the autism spectrum, knowing about it can only be beneficial in finding the best tools to help.

The symbiosis my daughter and I have in the autistic world has been extremely uplifting. I take on the rational adult role and she grabs my hand and takes me flying into a world of discovery so new to me.

Let me grab your hand and share the autistic world with you.

Autism spectrum disorder: risk factors and causes

Although there’s been a lot of research about autism it hasn’t been until recently that more light has been shed on autism symptoms, causes and risk factors.

For a long time, it was believed there were genetic and environmental factors that could trigger autism. These days, although there is a tendency for autism to run in families, it’s believed to be more about environmental factors; genetic factors or genetic mutations might not be present.

It’s now believed, too, that the cause of autism lies in the health of the gut. Our microbiome starts to develop at birth. Coming from a sterile environment, a baby’s whole body is colonized by bacteria the moment she is born. These bacteria will be the basis of the natural gut flora. The more natural it is the healthier start the baby will have.

When birth began to be medicalized, this natural flora was tampered with. Excessive cleaning, sterility and having someone other than the mother touch the baby all influence the first gut flora. If the mother carries internal trauma or stress – during the pregnancy or after the baby arrives – it will influence the baby’s gut flora. Heavy metals and microplastics are also believed to influence the surge of autism spectrum disorder.

Birth has been so tampered with that the way the body functions has messed up; normally it works perfectly on its own.

Autism is believed to have different causes that build up together.

Dr Kalcker has been working with autistic children for many decades and claims autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a systemic parasitosis that reaches up to the person’s brain; therefore, it has difficulty in functioning.

Currently, experts don’t agree on one main cause; research in developmental and behavioural paediatrics shows relevant findings regarding the gut biome, genetic and environmental factors.

What are the 3 main symptoms of autism spectrum disorder?

According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), there are standardized criteria to help with ASD diagnosis.

A child must have persistent deficits in these three areas of interaction and social communication to meet the ASD diagnostic criteria:

Deficits in social and emotional reciprocity. This usually manifests as an inability to initiate or respond appropriately to social interactions, difficulty in carrying a normal back-forward conversation, and difficulty sharing emotions or interests.
Deficits in nonverbal communication. These social communication deficits are also evident at a nonverbal level. Lack of eye contact, static body language and absence of common gestures and facial expressions are typical of the autistic disorder.
Deficits in developing, establishing and/or maintaining relationships. Autistic children struggle to adjust their behaviors to different social situations. It might range from difficulty in grasping imaginative play to a complete lack of interest in other children.

These deficits in social skills need to compensate, somehow, to try to adapt to the vastly neurotypical world. Deficits translate into restricted or repetitive behaviors, such as: physical movements – rocking, jumping, bouncing; vocal repetitions, known as echolalia; or repetitive behaviors with objects, where the child flips them or lines them up.

Autistic children feel safer with a structured routine and by following fixed patterns of behavior. This can lead to distressing reactions to change and a rigid thinking process, which will then lead to restricted range of interests and a hyper fixation on these special interests. ‘Information dumping’ on one specific subject is a very common trait of the autistic child’s behavior.

People with ASD have unusual sensory difficulties, where they’re either extremely sensitive to certain sensory aspects (temperature, skin sensitivity, noises or lights, excessive touching) or show very little reaction to sensory discomforts.

Autism spectrum disorder classification

According to the severity of the way these autistic traits affect each individual, the DSM-5 has classified these neurological disorders, considering the level of support each person with ASD might need.

In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association came up with this classification and merged four different autism diagnoses – childhood disintegrative disorder; autistic disorder; pervasive developmental disorder; and Asperger syndrome – into one, named Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, with 3 levels, depending on the amount of support required.

#1. Autism spectrum disorder level 3

In this group are the people with ASD who need the most support. They might be nonverbal, or significantly verbally impaired, which leads to different levels of intellectual functioning and various developmental disabilities. Children diagnosed with ASD level 3 might develop co-occurring conditions and other disorders specific to each child but level 3 autistic people will definitely require significant support.

#2. Autism spectrum disorder level 2

Autism is a complex disorder. Child neurologists and developmental paediatricians struggle to define the lines between these different levels. Autistic people in level two might be verbal or even have quite good verbal qualities but struggle greatly with other aspects of social interaction or life skills.

Level 2 autists usually show an early developmental disability as very young children, which leads the parents to search for, and get an early diagnosis. Working as early as possible with the right specialists (child neurologists, developmental paediatricians, trauma healing therapists, child psychologists) will most likely bring down the level of required support the person needs.

A person developing autism level 2 might be able to lead an independent life as an adult but will require significant support.

#3. Autism spectrum disorder level 1

In the past, level 1 ASD has been given different names, such as high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome.

Because many people who are in this category have managed to keep up with the neurotypical world, the struggles these autists face have often been overlooked. Level 1 autism also presents an intellectual disability related to the child’s development. Level 1 autists tend to understand there’s something different in them compared with others and usually try to compensate for or hide their autistic traits from early childhood, which makes early diagnosis much more difficult. Level 1 autism affects many people; many of them, like myself, go undiagnosed for a very long time and will live with the struggles of being on the autistic spectrum but without the knowledge, tools and support available. This carries a greater risk of poor mental health and the possibility of developing mental disorders later in life.

What is the difference between autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

People often get confused by this. Let’s look at the meaning of these terms.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is the condition. A person who is different from the norm has a disorder and the autistic disorder covers a wide spectrum depending on the level of required support.

So a person can say ‘I am autistic’, ‘I’ve got autism’, ‘I have ASD’ or ‘I’m on the autism spectrum’.

An autistic person is an autist.

Autism Spectrum Disorder test

When parents suspect their child might be autistic, there are certain online tests that can shed a bit of light on putting a name to the child’s condition. Although an online test is not a substitute for a proper diagnosis, it can be helpful in finding the right help.

When autism hasn’t been diagnosed during childhood, a test can help autistic people understand their past struggles and start to look for the support they’ve been lacking most of their lives.

Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults

Life expectancy in autistic people, especially those with level 3 ASD, is shorter than for neurotypicals. Those who need so much support don’t usually outlive their parents. However, most autistic people lead quite a long and comfortable life, especially when they’ve been diagnosed and they (or their carers) have learned about their condition.

Autistic people with a level 1 need for support often go undiagnosed and don’t find out, if ever, until well into adulthood.

As a midwife and a mother, I have always said the best thing that happened to me was giving birth. I can now say that finding out who I really am has been the most fulfilling achievement; now I can help myself, my loved ones and others to understand autism. Although I might not be able to get rid of it, I can anticipate behaviors and understand when autism is blocking me from doing what I really want to do.

Autism Spectrum Disorder in girls

For a long time, it was believed that autism spectrum disorders were much more common in boys than girls. The ratio was considered to be 3-4:1

The most recent research, carried out following the surge in autism diagnosis in the past years, is starting to cast doubt on these statistics and it’s now believed that the ratio is much closer to 1:1.

Unfortunately, patriarchy has shaped girls’ expected behaviors much more than boys’. Therefore, autistic girls have been forced to mask their autism much more than boys, making early diagnosis much harder.

Please, do not think I’m placing any blame or responsibility on the parents of undiagnosed girls; the blame lies with societal expectations of little girls.

A wild girl is shaped into what society expects from her much more than a wild boy is. Certain autistic traits will be allowed free rein in boys but frowned on in girls.

In our case, my husband and I suspected our daughter was autistic at a very early age, because our parenting style was much freer than my parents’.

The book Aspergirls focuses on autism spectrum disorders in girls and women.

Is ADHD a form of autism?

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a different disorder from autism. Both affect people’s neurological development but in different ways.

It’s believed they might have similar origins but the affected parts of the brain might differ.

There are many people with ASD who also have ADHD but you can be autistic and not have ADHD, have ADHD and not autism, or suffer from both disorders. People who suffer at least one neurological disorder are called ‘neurodivergent’.

Neurodivergent just means neurologically different from neurotypicals, without specifying the disorder.

What not to do with an autistic child

Ignorance tends to be bold and people tend to move what they don’t understand towards a place they know more about. When you don’t understand an autistic child’s behavior it’s easy to think that the child is challenging you or is behaving that way to get attention or to get what she wants.

An autistic person becomes easily overwhelmed. All the repetitive behaviors are there for the autistic person to be more or less in control of the constantly changing world. Sometimes those behaviors don’t suffice and the struggle is real. If we add the difficulty of communicating what’s wrong, when under stress, it might appear to be an extremely exaggerated reaction to a tiny trigger.

Acknowledge your ignorance. Next time you don’t understand your child’s behavior during a meltdown, just ask what she needs from you and how you can help. Walk towards the child, open-armed, so she understands she’s going to be hugged and contained.

If you think you or your child might be autistic, there is an Autistic program that might help you understand autism better. There are over 60 videos, in which autistic traits are explained, the way towards diagnosis, alternative treatments and how to improve the lives of those with autism and help them develop into self-sufficient, thriving individuals.

Autism Spectrum Disorder | Inspirational Journey With Autism.