2024 12 Developmental conditions in children Autism spectrum

There are many developmental problems in children, including epilepsy, vision and hearing deficits, intellectual disability, and autism. Children with autism have delay in language, socialisation, and communication, and other behavioural problems. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is more common than we often think. Although the true prevalence in most lower income countries is not known, studies in South Asia suggest the prevalence is up to 1%, and may be more common in some urban areas. There are some factors in low-income settings that may make ASD even more common; there is a link with cerebral malaria, prematurity, as well as polygenetic causes, and other environmental factors that are universal. In this session we will discuss autism, its features, potential causes, and the effective ways parents can help their children, if they are properly informed. Many people with autism now prefer to be considered “neurodiverse”, rather than to have a disorder, and certainly there is a lot we can do to reduce stigma.