Overview
Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term “spectrum” in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity.
Autism spectrum disorder includes conditions that were previously considered separate — autism, Asperger’s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and an unspecified form of pervasive developmental disorder. Some people still use the term “Asperger’s syndrome,” which is generally thought to be at the mild end of autism spectrum disorder.
Autism spectrum disorder begins in early childhood and eventually causes problems functioning in society — socially, in school and at work, for example. Often children show symptoms of autism within the first year. A small number of children appear to develop normally in the first year, and then go through a period of regression between 18 and 24 months of age when they develop autism symptoms.
While there is no cure for autism spectrum disorder, intensive, early treatment can make a big difference in the lives of many children.
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Symptoms
Some children show signs of autism spectrum disorder in early infancy, such as reduced eye contact, lack of response to their name or indifference to caregivers. Other children may develop normally for the first few months or years of life, but then suddenly become withdrawn or aggressive or lose language skills they’ve already acquired. Signs usually are seen by age 2 years.
Each child with autism spectrum disorder is likely to have a unique pattern of behavior and level of severity — from low functioning to high functioning.
Some children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty learning, and some have signs of lower than normal intelligence. Other children with the disorder have normal to high intelligence — they learn quickly, yet have trouble communicating and applying what they know in everyday life and adjusting to social situations.
Because of the unique mixture of symptoms in each child, severity can sometimes be difficult to determine. It’s generally based on the level of impairments and how they impact the ability to function.
Below are some common signs shown by people who have autism spectrum disorder.
Social communication and interaction
A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have problems with social interaction and communication skills, including any of these signs:
- Fails to respond to his or her name or appears not to hear you at times
- Resists cuddling and holding, and seems to prefer playing alone, retreating into his or her own world
- Has poor eye contact and lacks facial expression
- Doesn’t speak or has delayed speech, or loses previous ability to say words or sentences
- Can’t start a conversation or keep one going, or only starts one to make requests or label items
- Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm and may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech
- Repeats words or phrases verbatim, but doesn’t understand how to use them
- Doesn’t appear to understand simple questions or directions
- Doesn’t express emotions or feelings and appears unaware of others’ feelings
- Doesn’t point at or bring objects to share interest
- Inappropriately approaches a social interaction by being passive, aggressive or disruptive
- Has difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, such as interpreting other people’s facial expressions, body postures or tone of voice
Patterns of behavior
A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have limited, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities, including any of these signs:
- Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand flapping
- Performs activities that could cause self-harm, such as biting or head-banging
- Develops specific routines or rituals and becomes disturbed at the slightest change
- Has problems with coordination or has odd movement patterns, such as clumsiness or walking on toes, and has odd, stiff or exaggerated body language
- Is fascinated by details of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car, but doesn’t understand the overall purpose or function of the object
- Is unusually sensitive to light, sound or touch, yet may be indifferent to pain or temperature
- Doesn’t engage in imitative or make-believe play
- Fixates on an object or activity with abnormal intensity or focus
- Has specific food preferences, such as eating only a few foods, or refusing foods with a certain texture
As they mature, some children with autism spectrum disorder become more engaged with others and show fewer disturbances in behavior. Some, usually those with the least severe problems, eventually may lead normal or near-normal lives. Others, however, continue to have difficulty with language or social skills, and the teen years can bring worse behavioral and emotional problems.
When to see a doctor
Babies develop at their own pace, and many don’t follow exact timelines found in some parenting books. But children with autism spectrum disorder usually show some signs of delayed development before age 2 years.
If you’re concerned about your child’s development or you suspect that your child may have autism spectrum disorder, discuss your concerns with your doctor. The symptoms associated with the disorder can also be linked with other developmental disorders.
Signs of autism spectrum disorder often appear early in development when there are obvious delays in language skills and social interactions. Your doctor may recommend developmental tests to identify if your child has delays in cognitive, language and social skills, if your child:
- Doesn’t respond with a smile or happy expression by 6 months
- Doesn’t mimic sounds or facial expressions by 9 months
- Doesn’t babble or coo by 12 months
- Doesn’t gesture — such as point or wave — by 14 months
- Doesn’t say single words by 16 months
- Doesn’t play “make-believe” or pretend by 18 months
- Doesn’t say two-word phrases by 24 months
- Loses language skills or social skills at any age
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Causes
Autism spectrum disorder has no single known cause. Given the complexity of the disorder, and the fact that symptoms and severity vary, there are probably many causes. Both genetics and environment may play a role.
- Genetics. Several different genes appear to be involved in autism spectrum disorder. For some children, autism spectrum disorder can be associated with a genetic disorder, such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome. For other children, genetic changes (mutations) may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder. Still other genes may affect brain development or the way that brain cells communicate, or they may determine the severity of symptoms. Some genetic mutations seem to be inherited, while others occur spontaneously.
- Environmental factors. Researchers are currently exploring whether factors such as viral infections, medications or complications during pregnancy, or air pollutants play a role in triggering autism spectrum disorder.
No link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder
One of the greatest controversies in autism spectrum disorder centers on whether a link exists between the disorder and childhood vaccines. Despite extensive research, no reliable study has shown a link between autism spectrum disorder and any vaccines. In fact, the original study that ignited the debate years ago has been retracted due to poor design and questionable research methods.
Avoiding childhood vaccinations can place your child and others in danger of catching and spreading serious diseases, including whooping cough (pertussis), measles or mumps.
Risk factors
The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is rising. It’s not clear whether this is due to better detection and reporting or a real increase in the number of cases, or both.
Autism spectrum disorder affects children of all races and nationalities, but certain factors increase a child’s risk. These may include:
- Your child’s sex. Boys are about four times more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder than girls are.
- Family history. Families who have one child with autism spectrum disorder have an increased risk of having another child with the disorder. It’s also not uncommon for parents or relatives of a child with autism spectrum disorder to have minor problems with social or communication skills themselves or to engage in certain behaviors typical of the disorder.
- Other disorders. Children with certain medical conditions have a higher than normal risk of autism spectrum disorder or autism-like symptoms. Examples include fragile X syndrome, an inherited disorder that causes intellectual problems; tuberous sclerosis, a condition in which benign tumors develop in the brain; and Rett syndrome, a genetic condition occurring almost exclusively in girls, which causes slowing of head growth, intellectual disability and loss of purposeful hand use.
- Extremely preterm babies. Babies born before 26 weeks of gestation may have a greater risk of autism spectrum disorder.
- Parents’ ages. There may be a connection between children born to older parents and autism spectrum disorder, but more research is necessary to establish this link.
Complications
Problems with social interactions, communication and behavior can lead to:
- Problems in school and with successful learning
- Employment problems
- Inability to live independently
- Social isolation
- Stress within the family
- Victimization and being bullied
More Information
Prevention
There’s no way to prevent autism spectrum disorder, but there are treatment options. Early diagnosis and intervention is most helpful and can improve behavior, skills and language development. However, intervention is helpful at any age. Though children usually don’t outgrow autism spectrum disorder symptoms, they may learn to function well.
Source: Yahoo. Mayo Clinic 5/6/2025
자폐 스펙트럼 장애
진료 예약
증상 및 원인
진단 및 치료
의사 및 진료과
메이요 클리닉 진료
개요
자폐 스펙트럼 장애는 뇌 발달과 관련된 질환으로, 타인을 인식하고 타인과 교류하는 방식에 영향을 미쳐 사회적 상호작용과 의사소통에 문제를 일으킵니다. 또한, 이 장애는 제한적이고 반복적인 행동 패턴을 포함합니다. 자폐 스펙트럼 장애에서 “스펙트럼”이라는 용어는 광범위한 증상과 심각도를 나타냅니다.
자폐 스펙트럼 장애는 이전에는 별개의 질환으로 여겨졌던 자폐증, 아스퍼거 증후군, 소아 붕괴성 장애, 그리고 특정되지 않은 형태의 광범위 발달 장애를 포함합니다. 어떤 사람들은 여전히 ”아스퍼거 증후군”이라는 용어를 사용하는데, 이는 일반적으로 자폐 스펙트럼 장애의 경증 단계에 속하는 것으로 여겨집니다.
자폐 스펙트럼 장애는 유아기에 시작되어 결국 사회생활, 학교, 직장 등에서 기능 장애를 일으킵니다. 아이들은 종종 생후 1년 이내에 자폐증 증상을 보입니다. 소수의 아이들은 생후 1년 동안 정상적으로 발달하는 것처럼 보이지만, 생후 18개월에서 24개월 사이에 자폐증 증상이 나타나는 퇴행기를 겪습니다.
자폐 스펙트럼 장애를 완치할 수 있는 방법은 없지만, 조기에 집중적인 치료를 받으면 많은 아이들의 삶에 큰 변화를 가져올 수 있습니다.
제품 및 서비스
어린이 책: 자폐증을 넘어선 나의 삶
증상
어떤 아이들은 영아기 초기에 자폐 스펙트럼 장애의 징후를 보이는데, 예를 들어 눈 맞춤 감소, 이름에 대한 반응 부족, 보호자에게 무관심 등이 있습니다. 다른 아이들은 생후 몇 달 또는 몇 년 동안은 정상적으로 발달하다가 갑자기 위축되거나 공격적으로 변하거나 이미 습득한 언어 능력을 잃어버리는 경우도 있습니다. 이러한 징후는 보통 2세경에 나타납니다.
자폐 스펙트럼 장애가 있는 아이들은 저기능부터 고기능까지 고유한 행동 패턴과 심각도를 보일 가능성이 높습니다.
자폐 스펙트럼 장애 아동 중 일부는 학습에 어려움을 겪고, 일부는 정상보다 낮은 지능을 보입니다. 다른 아동들은 정상에서 높은 지능을 보입니다. 즉, 학습 속도는 빠르지만 의사소통에 어려움을 겪고, 일상생활에서 배운 내용을 적용하고 사회적 상황에 적응하는 데 어려움을 겪습니다.
각 아동마다 증상이 다르게 나타나기 때문에 심각도를 판단하기 어려울 수 있습니다. 일반적으로 장애의 정도와 기능 장애가 사회생활에 미치는 영향을 기준으로 판단합니다.
아래는 자폐 스펙트럼 장애를 가진 사람들에게서 나타나는 몇 가지 일반적인 징후입니다.
사회적 의사소통 및 상호작용
자폐 스펙트럼 장애가 있는 아동이나 성인은 사회적 상호작용 및 의사소통 기술에 문제가 있을 수 있으며, 다음과 같은 징후를 보일 수 있습니다.
자신의 이름을 불러도 대답하지 않거나 때때로 당신의 말을 듣지 못하는 것처럼 보입니다.
껴안거나 안아주는 것을 거부하고 혼자 놀거나 자신만의 세계에 갇히는 것을 선호하는 것처럼 보입니다.
눈을 잘 마주치지 않고 얼굴 표정이 없습니다.
말을 하지 않거나 말이 늦거나, 이전에 단어나 문장을 말하는 능력을 상실합니다.
대화를 시작하거나 이어가지 못하거나, 요청을 하거나 물건에 이름을 붙이는 경우에만 대화를 시작합니다.
비정상적인 어조나 리듬으로 말하고, 노래하듯이 노래하거나 로봇처럼 말하는 경우가 있습니다.
단어나 구절을 그대로 반복하지만 사용법을 이해하지 못합니다.
간단한 질문이나 지시를 이해하지 못하는 것처럼 보입니다.
감정이나 감정을 표현하지 않고 다른 사람의 감정을 인지하지 못하는 것처럼 보입니다.
관심을 공유하기 위해 물건을 가리키거나 가져오지 않습니다.
수동적이거나 공격적이거나 방해하는 방식으로 사회적 상호작용에 부적절하게 접근합니다.
어려움을 겪습니다. 다른 사람의 얼굴 표정, 자세 또는 어조를 해석하는 것과 같은 비언어적 단서를 인식하는 것
행동 패턴
자폐 스펙트럼 장애가 있는 아동이나 성인은 다음과 같은 징후를 포함하여 제한적이고 반복적인 행동, 관심사 또는 활동 패턴을 보일 수 있습니다.
흔들기, 회전하기 또는 손 펄럭이기 같은 반복적인 움직임을 합니다.
물기 또는 머리 부딪히기와 같이 자해를 유발할 수 있는 활동을 합니다.
특정한 루틴이나 의식을 발달시키고 아주 작은 변화에도 불안해합니다.
협응력에 문제가 있거나 서툴거나 발가락으로 걷는 것과 같은 이상한 움직임 패턴을 보이며, 이상하고 뻣뻣하거나 과장된 신체 언어를 사용합니다.
장난감 자동차의 회전하는 바퀴와 같은 사물의 세부 사항에 매료되지만 사물의 전반적인 목적이나 기능을 이해하지 못합니다.
빛, 소리 또는 촉각에 비정상적으로 민감하지만 통증이나 온도에는 무관심할 수 있습니다.
모방이나 가상 놀이에 참여하지 않습니다.
사물에 집착하거나 비정상적인 강도 또는 집중력을 가진 활동
몇 가지 음식만 먹거나 특정 질감의 음식을 거부하는 등 특정 음식 선호도가 있음
자폐 스펙트럼 장애가 있는 일부 아동은 성장하면서 다른 사람들과 더 활발하게 교류하고 행동 장애를 덜 보입니다. 일반적으로 가장 경미한 문제를 가진 아동은 결국
이하 생약