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Common myths about autism in children

Parents who do not know how to raise autistic children and all have mental retardation, do not know how to love… are myths about this disease.

Autism is mental retardation

Ms. Tang Ngoc Nu (Master of Biotechnology at Cornell University in the US, Head of the Genetic Counseling Department at Genetica) said that autism and developmental delay are both disorders related to brain development but are different. . A summary report published in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2016, out of 1,000 autistic children under the age of 8 in the US, 24% had an IQ within the range (IQ 71). -85) and 42 % have an IQ of average or higher (IQ over 85).

In a study by World Journal of Psychiatry, about 70% of children with autism have special skills in memory, spatial imagination, math, music and painting. Autism has a disorder called Asperger’s syndrome with high intelligence, the ability to focus on details. Two scientists, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, are suspected by scientists to have this syndrome.

Children with autism do not know how to love

After many years of working in genetic analysis and counseling, Master Ngoc Nu has met many autistic children. She said that children with autism have difficulty communicating and expressing emotions, but that does not mean that these special children do not know how to love. Children with autism are very sensitive to unpleasant sounds and smells and may be sensitive enough to feel the love others have for them.

Parents do not care, do not know how to raise autistic children

Master Ngoc Nu shared, up to now, scientists have not been able to confirm the exact cause of autism. However, experts agree that about 80% of the risk of autism is related to genetic factors. This is why children with a sibling with autism are more likely to have the disorder than other children. Children with autism are not parents’ fault and it has nothing to do with diet or vaccines.

Master Ngoc Nu encourages parents to be patient and look for ways to connect to enter the different world of autistic children. Encouragement and reward for the child’s efforts and progress, and at the same time alleviating fear and discomfort in the child is also very necessary. Build a fixed schedule of activities, give children a safe and peaceful space for parents to step out into the world with their children.

Autism cannot be diagnosed early

Diagnosing autism in children is not easy, especially for those under 3 years old. The manifestations of autism are diverse, vary by age and vary from child to child. The signs of this disorder are easily confused with other diseases such as speech delay, difficulty reading, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, etc.





Children with autism often show signs of delay in speech, difficulty reading, reduced attention... Photo: iStock

Children with autism often show signs of delay in speech, difficulty reading, reduced attention… Photo: iStock

“There is currently no test that can diagnose autism. Health professionals often evaluate based on questionnaires and observation of children’s external behavior. Therefore, the diagnosis of autism in some children may be possible. delay, resulting in missing the ‘golden’ period of the first 3 years of life and the next 3 years of a child’s life, which can lead to a narrowing of the beneficial effects of interventions and an increased economic burden , psychology for the family”, Master Ngoc Nu shared.

However, recent studies suggest that genetic factors may be responsible for 40-80% of autism spectrum disorders. Hundreds of genes related to autism have been discovered. For example, mutations in the CHD8 gene often top in the risk of causing autism, or the WNT2 gene mutation interferes with auditory processing, affecting language acquisition.

The development of genetic technology contributes to early identification of autism risk through genetic testing. Children whose parents or siblings have been diagnosed with autism can get tested early to learn about genetic risk.

Genetica in collaboration with Harvard Medical School and Hue Central Hospital conducted gene sequencing for 250 children with autism to identify adverse variants, increasing the risk of autism in Vietnamese. The study also hopes to detect the genetic early risk of autism in Vietnamese children. Master Ngoc Nu said that at present, the project is in the stage of analyzing the results and will be published in scientific journals in the near future.





Gene tests help look for factors that increase a child's risk of autism spectrum disorder.  Photo: Shutterstock

Gene tests help look for factors that increase a child’s risk of autism spectrum disorder. Photo: Shutterstock

Children with autism share the same treatment and intervention regimen

According to doctors, there is no specific treatment to cure autism. Not all children with autism receive the same treatment. Autism is a collection of different levels and disorders. Some children with autism have severe language deficiencies, while others have many emotional and behavioral problems.

Autism can be accompanied by other congenital disorders such as mental retardation, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, X-linked syndrome, Down syndrome… Each autistic child is an individual. needs to be nurtured and supported differently, depending on the child’s condition. A good measure for autistic children is care and intervention.

Master Ngoc Nu said that with the development of gene technology, individualization in care and intervention in children with autism is increasingly concerned and widely applied in the world. Based on the results of gene sequencing in children with autism, medical professionals can look for accompanying disorders, thereby assisting doctors in making appropriate treatment, intervention and prevention regimens for children with autism. young.

Ngoc An

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