What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (Autism)?
It is a developmental disability related to brain development and the nervous system. It covers a wide range of symptoms which vary in their type and severity.
Generally, it affects the communication and social skills of an individual and involves repetitive behavior of one kind or another.
It presents in early childhood, and symptoms of autism are usually clear by the age of 2 years old. Early warning symptoms may include a lack of or limited eye contact and a lack of affection towards primary caregivers or family members.
Understanding development-related symptoms and features
Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects, can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.
Developmental symptoms may affect different parts of an individual’s development. These include their emotional and social development, their physical development, as well as their cognitive and communication skills.
Developmental milestones help to track a child’s developmental progress and flag under delay. A delay may be isolated or accompanied by other developmental delays either in the same area and/or in other areas too.
Symptoms relating to development may be many and wide-ranging. They can include a walking delay, issues with speech and language including late talking, trouble socializing with others, or with showing emotion.
What should I do next?
In some instances, autism may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist. Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis. FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.