Autism - The unspoken disability

Have you ever seen a person behaving strangely in public, screaming uncontrollably, banging their head with their hands or making faces at the people around them? You might not have realised this at the time, but this person may have been sick with a life-long disability called autism.

This illness does not receive very much attention in the public eye, which is why on 2 April the world recognises this disability on World Autism Awareness Day. Autism is a disorder that affects the way the brain functions. There are different types of autism and different cases vary from mild to severe. According to the National Autistic Society in the United Kingdom, all people with autism share difficulties when it comes to social communication and interaction.

As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members and future members on a range of healthcare topics, we would like to provide you with some valuable information on autism.

Social communication involves far more than just speaking to other people - it involves non-verbal communication such as body language as well. Autism sufferers cannot easily read body language, making it difficult for them to understand what other people are thinking. Because of this they often react inappropriately in social situations. This leads to their difficulties with social interaction. A person with autism may behave very differently to other people, sparking negative reactions in strangers. This can be highly frustrating for an autism sufferer and they may then lash out and make a scene. Naturally this usually makes the situation worse, though it is not the autistic person's fault.

There have been many sad personal accounts from autism sufferers telling of how the outside world appears to them. Many autistic people find the world to be an extremely scary place where people, places and events become confused and jumbled into a big mess that is difficult to understand. It may be the fear that this senseless and confusing world brings into the autism sufferer that causes them to behave unpredictably, particularly in public areas like shopping centres, parks and restaurants.

Despite the effects of autism on the brain, many of these sufferers display extremely high levels of intelligence and there seems to be a particular pattern of an ability for a memory of numbers and patterns in these individuals. There have been cases where individuals have been able to memorise entire telephone directories of large American cities.

The cause of autism is unknown, however it always becomes apparent in the early years of a child's development. It is for this reason that most experts believe it to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors, although there is no scientific proof on the subject. Because of this there is no way to knowingly prevent autism, nor is there a cure for it. The disorder largely affects communication abilities, this is why most parents don't know that their child is sick until around the age of two or older.

The lack of diagnosis in developing countries means that the World Health Organisation is unable to give any statistics on the global incidence rate, however the Autism Society of America estimates that one in every 110 babies is born with autism and that it is more common in boys than girls.

This lack of diagnosis also means that the condition of children with autism is likely to get worse, as although there is no cure for the disorder, early intervention has been proven to lead to significantly better results. Intervention ranges from medical and dietary treatment to psychological therapy, but because no two cases of autism are the same there are no set rules of recommendation for improvement.

If you know of any children displaying the following symptoms, they may have autism and should be seen by a medical practitioner as soon as possible:

• Lack of or delayed spoken language
• Repetitive mannerisms or tic's such as flapping of hands
• Lack of eye contact
• Lack of interest in family members or friends
• Lack of make-believe playing
•  Fixation with specific objects, or parts of objects

For members who have any questions on autism, please phone the GEMS call centre on 0860 00 4367 or send a SMS to 083 450 4367. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your family's health and wellbeing.