The World Health Organization estimates that about one in 100 children around the world has autism. However, autism may only be diagnosed in late childhood stages or even in adulthood. This is sometimes due to long waiting periods to obtain a diagnosis, which causes great challenges for families and health care providers in determining the need for early intervention.
Scientists have developed the AQ-10 test, which is an assistance to an early detection of autism, as it helps to determine the need for additional checks, thus ensuring the appropriate time support is provided, according to the British Daily Mail.
What is autism?
The World Health Organization has defined autism, or what is known as autism spectrum disorder, as a neurological disorder that affects the development of the brain and is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication, in addition to behavioral patterns and limited and repeated interests. It is not a treatment disease.
The effect of autism varies from person to person, as some people with him can live a normal life without the need for constant support, while others need permanent help in many aspects of their daily lives. Some of them also have unique skills and capabilities that distinguish them from others, to the point that they may achieve great successes with appropriate support.
The symptoms of autism are multiple and vary depending on the severity of the condition, but there are some common signs that may indicate a disorder in the autistic spectrum, including:
- Difficulty communicating with others and understanding their feelings.
- Limited interaction with people around them.
- Repeated behavior such as repetition of verbs or words.
- Excessive sensitivity to sounds, lights or touch.
- Difficulty understanding intentions and feelings through facial or body expressions.
Fast and effective tool for early detection
AC1 10 is a questionnaire that doctors can use to determine whether a person needs additional tests to assess autism. This test is a tool to accelerate the diagnosis and direct individuals to specialized tests, that is, its result does not mean the final diagnosis, but rather a step to help you provide appropriate care early.
This test consists of 10 simple questions, aimed at measuring the child’s ability to interact, and deal with social feelings and situations in a way that enables doctors to determine if he needs additional examinations, if he gets 6 points or more in this test.
Questions deal with a set of topics such as:
- The child’s ability to focus on fine details.
- They are the intentions of others through the expressions of their faces.
- Social interaction, boredom or stress in social situations.
- The child’s ability to manage daily challenges and pressures.
- The child’s ability to focus on tasks for a long time.
- Attention to a variety of activities instead of focusing on only one topic.
Early detection of autism is an important matter to provide appropriate support and treatment at a time when the effect of this support is greater. The more autism is recognized early, the greater opportunities for children to take advantage of the interventions that can improve their social and communication skills, which enhances their ability to adapt to their surroundings and keep pace with the development of their peers.
This support includes behavioral therapy, educational support, and family guidance, which helps children adapt to the challenges of daily life more effectively.