Autism

This is a disorder which refers to a range of conditions which is mainly characterized by challenges which come along with social skills, repetitive behavior, speech and also non-verbal communication.

The most common cases of autism usually occur from two and three years of age. But in some cases, the disorder can also occur as young as 18 months.

Some of the facts related to autism include:

· Autism prevalence has grown high such that 1 in 68 children in the United States has this condition. This also includes 1 in every 42 boys as well as one in every 189 girls who have this condition.

· One-third of the people with autism are very nonverbal.

· One third of the kids with autism also have an intellectual disability.

· On every year, at least 50,000 teens who have autism become adults and they lose the school-based autism services.

This research was done by the CDC which is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the research, it was also observed that certain medical, as well as mental health issues, accompany the condition.

The condition is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and nonverbal as well as restricted and repetitive behavior.

Keeping your home safe

If you have an autistic child, you have to be ever prepared to calm them and prevent them from hurting themselves as well as those people around them.

While at home you need to ensure that you keep your child in the safest environment.

Some of the safety issues which you need to put in place for your autistic child include:

1-Home doors

Locking your home doors is very important. Installing alarms is also another way you can ensure that your kid does not leave you home without your knowledge. If your kid is known to wander, you can use a child locator.

2-Sensory challenges

Your kid may be struggling with sensory organs, and this may thus lead to your child being burnt – either by fire or by hot water. You can put stickers in hot water knobs which will remind your child about the hot water to help if they get confused.

3-Autistic kids are fond of wandering

If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, make sure it is well fenced, and the gates are self-closing. You should also ensure that all the pool toys and other items that might attract the child are kept away from the pool. Young children can be attracted to anything that moves, such as automatic pool cleaners, so it’s important to make sure they don’t have access to the pool area.

4-Understand their triggers

To prevent wandering, parents and caregivers understand the wandering patterns and eliminating triggers in kids. Some tips to help parents and caregivers on wandering kids are to have strategies which will help your child to deal with his triggers in a way that will help them to cope with the condition. Share your goals, fascinations or need to escape with all people who are involved in your child’s daily routine to aid them in preventing them from wandering.

Do You Have An Autistic Child At Home? Here Is What You Should Know!

Autism is a neural disorder that can affect how a person interacts and communicates socially. You will realize that is characterized by either restricted or repetitive behavior. It affects the way information is processed in the brain because it affects the way the nerve cells and brain communicates and process information. You will realize that symptoms of autism can begin before a child reaches the age of three years old.

There are many causes of autism. One of them is genetics. A family with an autistic child has somewhere between a three and eight percent chance that their other children will also be autistic.
If an identical twin has autism, studies reveal a 30% chance that the other twin will be autistic as well.

Pharmaceuticals can also cause autism. You will realize that unborn babies who have been exposed to various pharmaceuticals while in the womb are likely to be born autistic.

Other causes of autism include:

Exposure to pesticides and herbicides

Most of these neurotoxins that are sprayed on our plants and trees remain in our food supply. This can lead to autism. These chemicals interfere with genetics and the nervous system. Besides, these chemicals can affect anyone predisposed to autism and cause the disorder.

Bacteria and viruses

Bacteria and viruses can lead to autism. You will realize that fetuses normally have a weak immune system. If they are exposed to bacteria and viruses, they are likely to develop this disorder. Also, viral infections can weaken the immune systems of babies and young children thereby leading to the onset of autism.

Modern technology

Electromagnetic waves and ultrasonic waves have shown a definite link to autism. These waves can affect a fetus and cause autism. The number of kids in the United States who have this disorder is growing significantly.

One is 68 children is believed to have autism. If you are parenting an autistic child, check the following safety tips:

1. Ensure that you incorporate your family and community members – It is important that you involve these members of the society since they might come across your autistic child at one time or another. You should keep in mind the teachers, neighbors, extended family and so forth. Contact them to let them know you have an autistic child.

2. Think about the safety of your child – There are several areas that you should take safety measures. This can be your home, friend’s home, community centers and so forth. You should evaluate these places for safety and come up with effective safety measure that can help prevent accidents.

3. Identify the safety risks your child is likely to face at home – These include: wandering, consuming household toxins and even drowning in the swimming pool. Involve family members in taking precautionary measures so that your child remains safe.

4. Ensure that your child has a contact form – Your child should have this identification form all the time. A child locator can also help you a great deal. You can readily clip it to your child’s shoes or belt.

How can you keep your home environment safe?

Your home environment can be dangerous for your autistic child. It is therefore important that you practice the following safety measures:

1. Push heavy furniture to the wall so that your child remains safe.
2. Keep all the cleaning products in a secure place. You can readily lock them in the basement or even in the garage.
3. Always ensure that your freezer is locked all the time.
4. Turn down the temperatures of your water heater. This is because autistic children normally have sensory challenges and can get burnt by hot water.
5. Make sure you autistic child can’t get into the pool area without the supervision of an adult. Children can be attracted by the water or the motion of a pool cleaner and could endanger themselves by falling in the pool.

Those are some tips on how to ensure that your home is safe for your child who is suffering from this disorder. Follow the above mentioned precautionary measures, and you will enjoy the results.

Here are other tips on caring for family members with other diseases.