Ayesha Mian.
Autism - towards comprehensive assessment and management.
Pak J Neurological Sci Jan ;9(3):40-2.

Autism is a pervasive, neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by stereotyped movements and impairment in social skills and communication patterns. Prevalence patterns show an increasing burden of about 1 in 150 children affected by the disorder. Most affected individuals have symptoms that interfere greatly with quality of life. Although a burgeoning concern, research on the prevalence, etiological factors and presentation patterns is limited in LAMI countries, leading to a minimal understanding of the disorder at individual, professional and societal level. There is an urgent need to enhance awareness and education to decrease stigma that maybe associated with autism. Partnering with entities like Autism Speaks is a potential step forward as they partner with local stakeholders to develop a culturally appropriate campaign focusing on the need for early diagnosis and intervention. For a country with very limited local resources, a collaborative approach with international partners is imperative to develop research, training and services for developmental disorders within our current and existing health systems.Autism is a pervasive, neurodevelopmental, clinically complex disorder that interferes with a person’s ability to communicate and relate to others. It require multiple and timely interventions to alleviate common clinical targets, such as impaired social skills and communication, executive functioning, empathy and perspective taking, sensory perception, and motor skills, along with restricted and circumscribed interests and often co-occurring psychiatric disorders (1). While some individuals are able to lead independent lives, most of those affected by the disorder have symptoms that interfere greatly with quality of life. Although new research is working on developing screening and diagnostic measures for children as young as 12-18 months, ASDs can be reliably diagnosed behaviorally by age 2.

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