
Talking about autism is difficult, no parent wants to think that their child could suffer from it; however, considering the increase in cases, it is important to address this matter and to specially inform on which are the characteristics that would lead to an early diagnosis.
As a matter of principle, we must say that autism is not an illness as such, even now many experts acknowledge it as a group of behavioural characteristics of which there is a very wide spectrum that goes from mild to severe autism.
The fact is that there are details that are essential for the diagnosis, starting with a first delay in development that manifests in the first months, when the baby does not respond to external stimuli like music or its parents’ voices, or when time passes, and it still does not develop skills such as standing up or holding its head up. These are important warning signs.
It is also true that often autism is not detected in the first years when it is not as severe as to make some development delay evident. What usually happens is that people within the mild spectrum can manage their difficulties and have a superior intelligence, so it takes them many years to realize that they have some degree of autism.
The truth is that in recent years, medical institutions around the world have detected an alarming increase in the number of children born with this condition without knowing until now its cause, although it is suspected that it is related to pollution and the presence of heavy metals in the air of the large cities.
Olmo Cuarón, paediatrician and autism expert, highlights the importance of paying close attention to the development of the younger ones since it must be the parents who detect any anomaly or know when something is wrong with their children. And then it is important to attend to the family doctor who will determine if it is necessary to seek the help of a specialist to address the issue.
Olmo Cuarón is one of the most renowned paediatricians of Spain and is an expert in diagnosing autism and therefore has many patients across the country, people that look for an accurate answer since autism is a difficult condition to discover and is usually confused with other ailments.
Finally, as Olmo Cuarón himself says, there is no greater prevention than going to the doctor when the parents have any concerns, it is always a good idea to go for a check-up or undergo medical tests to rule out any problem that may be severe in the long term.