World Autism Awareness Day is marked worldwide on April 2. Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a serious disorder of normal developmental processes, affecting language, adjustment and interaction skills. Autism cannot be cured, but with intensive early intervention, some children with autism learn to lead a somewhat independent life in adulthood, IPN reports.
The latest research from 2023, conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that one in 36 children is diagnosed with autism. This is an increase compared to two years ago, when one in 44 children was diagnosed with autism.
At the end of 2016, in Moldova there were 366 patients with infantile autism, of whom 349 were children, under the supervision of psychiatrists, including community mental health centers of public primary health care institutions. In 2017, another 62 new cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder were diagnosed. In 2021, according to the National Public Health Agency, 871 people diagnosed with infantile autism were under the supervision of specialists in Moldova.
According to health specialists, autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder that can occur at birth or until around the age of two. Autism is a behavioral syndrome characterized by difficulties in communication and language and is met in all types of families, regardless of status, background, race, ethnicity or intellectual level.
The autistic children up to the age of one do not react to the presence of the mother. They do not smile when being shown various toys, lack the sense of hunger, have sleep disorders, excitability. The lack of reaction to the presence or absence of the mother persists into older ages. Children have low ability to differentiate between beings and objects around them. They are afraid of everything new in their environment.
At the age of 2-3 years, stereotypical movements occur in them, such as running “on the circle” or various jumps. They play with objects that are not intended for play, refuse contact with their peers, preferring “loneliness”. Their games have a monotonous, stereotypical character. Until the age of 5-6 years and later, the autistic child does not answer questions, although some speak. In most autistic children, secondary intellectual insufficiency or mental retardation is emphasized.
There is no drug treatment that can cure autism. Studies and experience of international organizations show that early diagnosis, at the age of 18-36 months, specialized interventions and social integration increase by up to 47% the chances of people with autism to acquire skills for an independent life. Family involvement in therapy is vital in the recovery of the child with autism, requiring continuous information and active participation in the therapy program.
April 2 was designated World Autism Awareness Day by the UN General Assembly on December 18, 2007, at the suggestion of the UN representative from Qatar.
