EN 
ES Lic. Nicole Galván, Clinical Psychologist, MA Neurosciences. Psychology Unit of the General Hospital of the Plaza de la Salud.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as the name says, is a spectrum, that is, it has a large number of symptoms, and ways of manifesting.
That is why we can see children who at first sight can be identified within the diagnosis by the marked difficulties they present and others that are very functional, but with certain social limitations, which can go unnoticed by many people.
Autism spectrum disorder is one of the major concerns of modern medicine, since there has been an increase in the number of cases identified. Among the possible explanations for this increase, it is that there is a clearer definition of ASD and a greater spread of the information necessary to recognize cases.
As the causes of this condition are unknown, and there are no medical studies or images that can clarify the diagnosis, ASD is diagnosed by the clinical symptoms that are present, but a medical evaluation of the child is always recommended when there is suspicion, to rule out that the clinical picture has no biological explanation.
Within the classification of the DSM-V diagnostic manual, the ASD has two large domains. The first domain is the socio-communicative deficit, which can be seen in the difficulties of nonverbal communication such as the little use or understanding of gestures when speaking and poor eye contact; variations or peculiarities in tone, rhythm, and volume are also evident, in the difficulties of "theory of mind", which is the ability to intuit what another person is thinking.
The second domain is repetitive and restricted interests and behaviors. In this we can see simple and complex mannerisms such as fluttering, wandering, turning, or running in circles. You can also observe the repetitive game such as alienation, categorization by colors or shapes, attachment to routines or rituals. However, although the symptoms can be very diverse, the main characteristic of ASD is the inability to communicate and interact with others.
The level of severity is defined by the child's involvement and the amount of support he needs in his daily functioning. The level may vary over the years, and the objective of the interventions is that as you gain skills, the amount of support may decrease and, consequently, the level of severity of the disorder.
So far there are no treatments or programs that can cure autism. A general evaluation of the child's development is always recommended, in order to create a personalized work plan, that is, adapted to current needs. An intervention program can have the integration of speech therapy for language acquisition or improve the peculiarities of the typical language of ASD, occupational therapy to achieve a degree of independence in your personal care, behavioral therapies for disruptive behaviors, pharmacological treatment in cases of aggressiveness, sleep disorder and hyperactivity, among others.
Posted in: Hoy Digital newspaper.
