Environmental and genetic factors combine to influence the development of ASD

  They have bright eyes but refuse to look at others; they have normal hearing but are deaf to the calls of their loved ones; they can make normal sounds but do not communicate with others; they may be considered mentally handicapped but often have extraordinary abilities in some areas …… They are a special group of children – -Children with autism, also known as autism, are called “star children” in Western countries – like stars, shining alone in another world.  This year, April 2 is the seventh World Autism Day. In line with this year’s theme of “scientific intervention, rational treatment and equal development”, we are promoting the scientific awareness of early intervention and treatment for children with autism. Here, let’s take a brief look at what “autism” is.  Autism, also known as autism in children, is a common term for a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deviations in social interaction, language communication, and interest behavior. It has four basic features: 1) lack of socialization interests and responses; 2) verbal impairment (ranging from lack of language to distinctive language patterns); 3) bizarre behavior, ranging from stereotyped behaviors and restricted play styles to more complex ritualistic and compulsive behaviors; and 4) early onset, with an age of onset before 30 months of age.  Studies have shown that environmental factors (10%) and genetic factors (90%) combine to influence the onset of ASD. Factors such as parental age at childbirth, immunization, and perinatal complications can be associated with onset. Of particular note, the older the father’s childbearing age, the greater the risk of the child developing autism. The Autism Diagnostic Interview Scale Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS), which are widely used abroad, have also been carried out in some hospitals and institutions in China. These two scales, when used together, are called the gold standard for autism diagnosis. When using medication for ASD, it is important to understand several premises: 1 all medications are supportive, and medications alone cannot fundamentally reverse or change the core problems of autism; 2 when certain symptoms are prominent (e.g., self-injury, aggression, destruction, etc.), a reasonable choice of medication can provide better control. Due to the limitations of medication, everyone’s attention is focused on visual education training and behavioral interventions, but clinical case interventions for ASD are full of pseudo-fraudulent, controversial, unsupported, unproven, and ineffective approaches. Educational training and behavioral interventions are both a science and an art, and the theoretical level and practical experience of the operator directly affect the effectiveness of the training. Among the mainstream intervention trends in this category, the most well-researched and empirically experienced are techniques and methods based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. These techniques and methods incorporate models of intensive intervention, interactive intervention, hands-on assistance, modeling, practice and feedback, and emphasize effective collaboration across the family, school, medical and community trinity to achieve sustainability and ultimate success of training models and strategies.