Child Behaviour Specialists in the UK

It is a spectrum condition; this means that, whilst all people with autism share similar difficulties, their condition will affect them in various ways. Some people with autism are able to live fairly independent lives, but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support. People with autism may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light, or colours.

Autism spectrum disorder, also called ASD, is the name used for a certain set of behavioural, developmental challenges, and problems that go with them. A diagnosis of ASD means a child’s communication, play, and social skills are affected. The word spectrum in ASD means each child is unique and will have their own combination of characteristics that shape them with an individual social communication and behavioural profile. As your child is growing and developing, the manifestation or nature of these challenges and problems may change depending on their environmental and biological experiences. A person with ASD will generally have some form of behavioural and/or social differences throughout their whole life.

ASD affects people from all walks of life. Studies show that ASD affects one in a hundred children in the UK. It can affect people of every socioeconomic background and race. There are a lot of studies looking at the causes of ASD. Although no one specific cause is known, recent studies are indicating that ASD may be linked to differences in the brain. In some families, there seems to be a pattern of ASD or related differences in more than one family. This explains the genetic basis of the condition. There is no single gene identified. There are a number of researchers looking at the causes of ASD; it seems that the link with the gene may be just one of three to five or more genes that interact in some way to cause the condition. Scientists suspect that a faulty gene or genes might make a person more likely to develop autism when there are also other factors present, such as a chemical imbalance, viruses or chemicals, or a lack of oxygen at birth. In a few cases, autistic behaviour can be caused by rubella (German measles) in the pregnant mother, tuberous sclerosis (a rare genetic disorder that causes benign tumours to grow in the brain as well as in other vital organs), fragile X syndrome (the most common inherited form of intellectual disability), encephalitis, or meningitis (brain inflammation). However, bad parenting does not in any way cause ASD.

The diagnosis is typically achievable by the age of 18 to 24 months, although parents may observe certain symptoms of an ASD before the age of 12 months. A distinctive aspect of the onset is commonly a delay in the development of speech, regression in language, and social skills. The child will also exhibit repetitive stereotyped patterns of behaviour.

There is no cure for ASD. With an improved understanding of the condition, various interventions are available to assist the child with different aspects of ASD. Some interventions aim to ameliorate the symptoms; however, since this is a lifelong condition, individuals with ASD will always exhibit some of its characteristic features throughout their lives.

Parents play an essential role in providing support to children with ASD. They can ensure access to health services and appropriate education and offer the affection and care needed throughout the child’s life. Recent findings demonstrate that parents can effectively deliver psychosocial and behavioural interventions to their own children as well.

Since ASD is a lifelong disorder, different manifestations (such as changes in peer interactions over time) will occur. Early diagnosis enhances the outcome.

This is naturally one of the common questions that parents ask after their child has been diagnosed with ASD. They also want to know the strengths and needs of the child which might influence the prognosis over the child’s lifetime. There is no single answer that every doctor can give to every parent who is concerned about their child’s future. The causes of the disorder differ from child to child; therefore, the prognosis will also vary. This also depends on the presence of coexisting conditions, such as epilepsy, developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia), and learning difficulties.

In her NHS role, following the recommendations of NICE, Dr Kukendrarajah has established an exceptional service for autism spectrum disorder and some of the coexisting conditions. She developed a comprehensive assessment tool which has proven to be invaluable and is now starting to be recognized for use by multiple service providers. She continually reviews and updates her skills in accordance with current evidence and NICE/SIGN guidelines to achieve and maintain the highest-quality services.

Our service, in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team comprising speech and language therapists, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists, will diagnose, assess, and manage the social communication disorders such as autism spectrum disorders and coexisting conditions like ADHD, developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia), learning difficulties, as well as sleeping and feeding disorders.