Autism

Did you know ?

There are just around 25,000 neurologists in EU. Some regions are better covered than others: depending on the country, there are between 4 and 13 neurologists per 100,000 people.1

To help you find the best help possible, Concilio’s medical team is by your side to help you find the solution to your medical problems.

What is autism ?

Autism is characterized by limited and repetitive behaviors as well as reduced social interaction and abnormal communication. Autism is currently defined as neuro-developmental troubles with multifactor origins. The American psychiatrist, Leo Kanner, described it for the first time in 1943.

Signs and symptoms of autism

First signs of autism appear generally around the 36th month, and sometimes within the first months or later in a child’s life.

Symptoms can be more or less severe and vary:

  • Alteration of social interaction

An autistic child has great difficulty interpreting behaviors of his/her entourage. They have trouble playing with others, isolate themselves in a corner, avoid eye contact, and don’t react to being called.

  • Alteration of communication

The majority of autistic children acquire speech late, or not at all. Language is used for essential needs of daily life (food, toilet, sleep). The child struggles to speak, usually lacks intonation, has a high-pitched voice, and does not speak in first person. There is also a lack of emotional response in verbal solicitations.

  • Limited and repetitive behaviors

Autistic children often use repetitive gestures and get easily upset to changes in their daily routine. They are uninterested in others, but can be fascinated by insignificant objects (feathers, wheel on a car…). Autistic people can have auto-aggressive behaviors (ex. Hitting their head against a wall).

  • Symptoms associated with autism: Partial cognitive competence (exceptionally developed memory in certain domains), troubles of motricity and posture (affected fine motricity skills, stiffness…).

  • Troubles associated with autism: Mental retardation (affects 70% of autistic children), visual and auditory deficit, epilepsy, sleep problems, etc.

Why is it important to obtain the best care when you are ill?

Concilio enables you to access the best healthcare available to you. Our medical team will personally assist you to help you deal with any health issue.

  • In 45% of cases, your diagnosis or treatment plan could be optimized
  • 9 out 10 doctors prescribe unnecessary medical acts: surgery, repeat investigations, non-compliance with recommended best medical practice
  • All hospitals and clinics are not equal. Some are better suited to treating your illness than others.
  • Medicine is becoming more and more specialized. It can be complicated to obtain reliable medical information and ensure you get to see the medical practitioner that’s right for you and your condition

Treatment

There currently is no cure for autism, only modalities of care. Assistance for people with autism is essentially done with pedagogical and therapeutic education. Care should be individualized to adapt to the specific particularities of each person and their family. The objective of educative assistance is to privilege autonomy of the person. Therapeutic care focuses on the mental and physical health of the person. Medical intervention should be done early and intensively to support progression, which continues through their entire life. Certain medicines can be used to treat certain symptoms (agitation, anxiety, sleep troubles…).

Fiche Autism

  • Author : Florian Reinaud, MD
  • Date :
  • Author of revisions : Amine Morjane, MD
  • Revision date :

1736 peer-recommended neurologists have been identified by Concilio