Lima Ali Abed
Many autistic children suffer from other health issues related to the disease, which can contribute to the negative repercussions of the disease on the children’s lives, whether at school, home, etc. Researchers have studied 3,000 autistic children, and found that one in four suffered from a chronic digestive disease, including, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and nausea.
In addition to that, patients with the abovementioned diseases also suffered from anxiety andatypical sensory responses, i.e. they over-reacted to light, sound or shapes.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Child Psychology at Missouri University Micah Mazurek said that such disorders and problems could have negative effects on children’s lives. Children with anxiety, she added, feel upset and are reluctant to participate in activities that are new for them. Those suffering from of atypical sensory responses, on the other hand, find it difficult to pay attention and concentrate, or may avoid being in places that trigger their reactions.
These symptoms are similar to those of autism, making things worse for autistic children.
As for digestive diseases, although autistic children with digestive problems may feel pain or discomfort, they might not be able to convey their sufferingto adults,and therefore might not be taken to the doctor.
According to Mazurek, noticing and addressing these symptoms and diseases in autistic children will help improve the quality of their lives and their response to treatment.
To achieve these desired results, parents must realize that some of thesymptoms or struggles that their autistic children go through might indicate an underlying illness. If their children start experiencing new symptomsor an increase of a symptom’s intensity, parents must consult a doctor to consider the available treatment options.
Furthermore, doctors and specialists dealing with autistic children must be alert to detect any symptoms or signs that may indicate an underlying disease in the autistic child. Treatment of these symptoms helps the children respond better to autism medication.
