World Autism Awareness Day: GtBank releases short film

Today is World Autism Awareness Day. And in the spirit of the day, GtBank has released a short film titled, Autism Awareness: A Mother Knows.

The film tells the story of a young boy growing up with autism and the impact the condition has on his family as they raise him.

But what is autism?

According to Autism Speaks, the autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterised by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication.

It is not known what causes the condition, but it is believed that genetic and environmental factors may play some roles. While some children with autism might seem to show symptoms from birth, others may develop more obvious signs as they become older.

Also, there is no specific test that can diagnose autism. Instead, doctors reach a diagnosis through parental reports of behaviour, observation, and by ruling out other conditions.

Some of the listed characteristics and symptoms of autism according to Medical News Today, include:

• adoption of unusual speech patterns, such as using a robot-like tone
• avoiding eye contact with others
• not babbling or cooing to parents as an infant
• not responding to their name
• late development of speech skills
• having difficulty with maintaining a conversation
• frequently repeating phrases
• apparent difficulty in understanding feelings and expressing their own
• In addition to impaired communication, a person with autism may also display repetitive or unusual behaviours.

Examples of these include:

• becoming so invested in a topic that it seems to consume them, such as cars, train timetables, or planes
• becoming preoccupied with objects, such as a toy or household object
• engaging in repetitive motions, such as rocking side to side
• lining up or arranging toys or objects in very orderly ways

Treatment
There is no uniform treatment for autism, as every person with the condition presents differently. So talk with your doctor who will design an appropriate treatment for your child based on their specific presentation of the condition.