Treatment of Autism: Qatar’s New Technology
Treatment of Autism: Qatar’s New Technology: Under new technology being developed in Qatar doctors will diagnose autism in a patient in minutes instead of months by simply tracking their eye movements.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
The device has a success rate of around 85% and it identifies eye gaze abnormalities that are linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). “The longer a child with autism goes without help, the harder intervention becomes. Therefore early intervention is the key for autism.”
The doctors believe that results from this new technology will locate the genetic factors that might activate autism and prove to be useful in terms of treatment of the disease.
ASD is a set of complex disorders that affect the patient’s brain development.
Symptoms are
- problems with communication,
- social interaction: the person’s inability to function properly in school, work, and other areas of life
- restricted repetitive behavior
- People with ASD may also experience sleep problems and irritability.
Causes Of ASD
Research suggests that genes can act together with influences from the environment to affect development in ways that lead to ASD. Some risk factors include:
- Having a sibling with ASD
- Having older parents
- Having certain genetic such as Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and Rett syndrome are more likely than others to have ASD
- Very low birth weight
In Qatar scientists discovered that at least 1 in 100 children in the country suffer from some form of ASD. The figure was previously around three in every 1,000 children. Also, as per the US Centre for Disease Control, one in 68 children are affected with autism, whereas the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a common rate of 1%, with boys being 5 times more likely than girls to be affected by the disorder.
Treatment
Treatment for ASD should begin as soon as possible after diagnosis. Early treatment for ASD is important as proper care can reduce individual’s difficulties while helping them learn new skills and make the most of their strengths.
Common way of treating autism is through medication and behavioral, psychological, and educational therapy.
Autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is said to be a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life.