Hearing the word “Autism” has become more frequent over the last few years. Specialists aren’t sure if it is due to more children developing Autism or if it’s due to parents knowing more and detecting the disorder early.

What is Autism, you may ask. Autism is a combination of closely related disorders with a main list of symptoms. Autism is usually detectable in the first 3 years of a child’s life. Children with Autism have difficulty in learning how to talk, play and interact with other children or adults. There is no cure for Autism, but if detected early, one can drastically improve the outcome.

The main symptoms of Autism are:

• Poor eye contact
• Resists being held
• Does not always respond to their names when called
• Prefer to be on their own
• Can not keep an existing conversation going
• Speaks with an abnormal rhythm or tone
• Moves constantly
• Can not play make-believe games
• May be severely sensitive to light, sound or touch
• May play games that cause self harm
• May be fascinated by small things but never see the bigger picture

A child with Autism may have all these symptoms or only a few, but keeping a close eye is very important. Some children take a bit longer to learn than others and it may not be Autism. It is thus a good idea to focus on the things your child might be struggling with and see if there are any improvement. If you are not a full time parent, you can also relay your worries to your daycare centre so they can focus on these issues. See how things go for a month or two. If your child has improved it is wise to still keep an eye for any other signs and symptoms. If your child does not improve it is best to see a specialist.

Here are a few extra tips on knowing when to see the Doctor:

• Does not respond to expression or smiles by the age of 6 months
• Does not mimic your facial expression or mimic sounds by 9 months
• Does not babble by 1 year Does not make gestures by 1 year
• Not able to say single words by 1.5 years
• Not able to say two word phrases by 2 years
• Or if they loose acquired social, language or any other skills at any age

Autism is a very tricky and unexplained disorder. The battle with Autism is a very long and on-going. Getting help is very important. You can be the best parent in the world but these children need professional help as do you. These days there are numerous therapists available to help an Autistic child with their development and give you as a parent guidance on how to handle different situations.

Ozone therapy will be a great benefit to any family. We prefer that children over the age of 7 years use our saunas. This is due to the Ozone Sauna reaching high temperatures. Your child has to be able to tell you when the sauna is too hot or if they would like to get out. Ozone therapy has numerous benefits but when it comes to Autism it may improve your Childs brain function as Ozone increases the level of oxygen in the blood. Other benefits may include relief of signs and symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, improve concentration and memory function as well as neutralizing toxins and impurities in the blood keeping you healthy.

Here are a few tips on how to help your child with the learning process..