Many children at an early age find it difficult to communicate with strangers, but some babies have difficulty maintaining emotional contact with those closest to them – mom, dad, brothers and sisters. Autism is a possible cause.

The causes of autism

Autism is a complex disorder of the emotional and personal sphere of a child, the development mechanism of which has not yet been fully understood. According to various hypotheses, this disorder can be caused by mental trauma, insufficient development of the central nervous system, congenital or past disease (tuberous sclerosis, neuroinfections , etc.). According to modern medical research, autism can be provoked by all of these reasons, both separately and in combination.

Signs of autism can be seen in children aged 2-3 years

Childhood Autism Symptoms

Difficulty in emotional contact . A child with autism has difficulty expressing their own emotions and does not understand the emotional states of those around them. Such children do not maintain eye contact, have difficulty interacting with the help of intonation, gestures and facial expressions. Autism is most acutely manifested when trying to communicate with strangers, but often its signs can be noticed by loved ones.

Stereotypical behavior . Children with autism are often carried away by monotonous actions – jumping, waving their arms, swinging, etc. The object of manipulation can be one object that the child constantly twists in his hands, shakes, turns over. When drawing, playing and talking, children with autism often have the same theme dominating. The child resists any innovations and changes in the usual rhythm of life.

Violation of speech development . An autistic child may have a rich vocabulary, but at the same time it is difficult for a child to correctly and clearly formulate thoughts. Children can speak in cliches or completely avoid verbal communication. They tend to ignore questions, use the pronouns “he”, “she”, “you” in relation to themselves. At the same time, alone, the child can speak competently, comment on his actions, repeat the learned verses without hesitation.

Features of teaching children with autism

Generalization training . Children with autism have difficulty generalizing facts and understanding causal relationships between phenomena. When performing any action, the child needs to be explained what exactly needs to be done in order to get the desired result. At the same time, parents need to learn to anticipate the desires of their children. For example, if a baby is looking for a favorite toy, you should immediately tell him where it lies and how he can get it if he wants to play.

Concentration training . Children with autism tend to be unable to focus their attention. In this case, to make it easier for the child to concentrate, you can use various clue symbols – verbal or visual. With their help, the kid will not get confused when performing a complex action and will quickly navigate in a new situation for him. For example, when talking about the takeoff and landing of an airplane, you can use cards with the words “up” and “down”, which will help connect new information with the already familiar. The use of visual cues is especially effective because many children with autism do not think logically, but figuratively.