Do you feel like your child often ignores you? Doesn't respond to his name, doesn't speak much, and often yells? Have you noticed that avoids eye contact, doesn't care about their surroundings, lacks a social smile? Have trouble controlling their behavior, suffer from tantrums, and the slightest change in stereotype is a problem for them? Although the development of each child is individual, there are certain symptoms and warning signs that should not be underestimated. It can be a disorder of the child's mental development, for example autism.

Autism is a severe developmental intellectual disability that manifests itself in abnormal social interaction, stereotyped patterns of behavior and impaired communication skills. According to statistics, approximately 200 children are born with an autism spectrum disorder each year, and boys are the most at-risk group. Experts have not yet agreed whether better and more modern diagnostic procedures or something else is behind the ever-increasing numbers. The exact causes of autism are not known, but experts assume that the development of autism is influenced by a child's genetic predisposition, brain damage, insufficient connection of centers in the brain or infectious diseases.

Autistic children have significantly different behavior compared to their peers. We can notice the first warning signs already in toddlerhood, when a healthy developing child, for example, babbles and gestures by 1 year, imitates others and uses words by about 16 months, and begins to form the first word combinations by the age of two. Autism has a negative impact especially on the social interaction of the child, he is not able to understand the world around him as a healthy individual, therefore often reacts to ordinary situations in an unusual way, thereby earning the misunderstanding of others. Autistic spectrum disorders are often accompanied by a number of other diseases, such as mental retardation, epilepsy, hyperactivity and others. In cases where an autistic person suffers from violent fits of rage or, conversely, excessive passivity, self-harm can also occur.

Currently, autism is one of the disorders that cannot be cured, but many autistic people manage to integrate into normal functioning as adults. If you notice that your child is acting in a strange way, we recommend that you seek the help of a doctor and, preferably, a child psychologist, as soon as possible.