He autism spectrum disorder It is a condition related to brain development that affects the way a person perceives and socializes with other people, causing problems in social interaction and communication.
People with autism have two main characteristics: on the one hand, challenges in social interaction and communication and, on the other, a pattern of repetitive and restricted interests, behaviors or activities. Thus, within the autistic spectrum, three dimensions will be taken into account according to what the person needs in terms of these three levels: language level, cognitive level and support level.
“Autism is something that people are born with and it accompanies them through the different stages of life. Signs and symptoms appear from the beginning of development, although it is also possible that they do not manifest completely until social demands exceed limited capacities or those acquired in order to try to be socially competent,” he explains. Antonella Chullmira medical specialist in psychiatry.
Chullmir further commented: “Autism is usually diagnosed during childhood, usually before the age of 3, but some people are not diagnosed until their teens or adults. It is present in approximately 1% of the population and boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls.”
“The diagnosis is clinical, that is, it is obtained through a psychiatric or psychological interview based on the identification and reports defined as clinical symptoms. One in 100 people with autism receives the diagnosis during adulthood. When acute mental health diagnoses are being made, it is not recommended to make the diagnosis of autism,” adds Chullmir, author of the book. “Autism: I’ve been diagnosed, now what?”
People who are diagnosed with autism at older ages tend to have mental health comorbidities (e.g. anxiety and depression) that may be related to the long-term stress experienced in attempts to adapt to society.
People with autism process information differently than others. They do not do things better or worse, just differently. This is why they perceive certain situations and react to them differently.
There may be several reasons why an adult may request a diagnostic evaluation, such as:
- After receiving a diagnosis for their son, they find common ground.
- At the suggestion of your son’s treating team.
- Through testimony on a social network or media outlet.
- During the interview with psychiatry.
- At the suggestion of a coworker who has a relative with similar characteristics, among others
Chullmir says: “Many times, after the psychiatric consultation and having received the diagnosis of autism, patients ask: And now what do I continue? How do I tell my parents about the diagnosis? What do I say at work? I’m going to tell my partner not to insist on this or that thing, etc. Given this, you can start talking about the autism diagnosis or the characteristics of autism, whatever is friendlier so that the person can begin to share with others or as a starting point to be able to talk with people they trust.”
“How do you begin to understand the characteristics of that person you’ve shared so much time with and who receives the diagnosis in adulthood? Perhaps autism has already been talked about, but never what it is about,” he added.
A diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder level 1 (Asperger’s) in adulthood often comes with labels that have been heard for many years, such as “rude” for not making eye contact or talking about her topic of interest for too long, “insensitive” for not crying after the death of someone close, “capricious” for not wanting to eat what was cooked for dinner, “arrogant” for correcting the person’s mistake or for talking about the topic of interest, “mean” because she doesn’t like to go dancing or be hugged in crying situations.
“People with autism can listen without looking, love without hugging, have order in their disorder, have a sense of humor and not understand double meanings, and enjoy music and be paralyzed by the noise when passing by a school during dismissal time. People with autism have emotions and can express them in different ways that may not include smiling, hugging or a happy expression on their face,” concludes Chullmir.
Source: Ambito
