How not to miss the first signs of autism in a child? About this told the director of ‘Child with Future’ kindergarten Natalia Struchek, as well as the founder and head of ‘Mifne’ Center for Treatment and Training in Israel, Hanna Alonim, to the Channel 24 website.
Signs of autism which were reminded to parents include lack of direct eye contact with people, excessive passivity or activity, lack of response to the voice or presence of parents, delayed motor development, lack of appetite, or refusal to eat.
But Hanna Alonim emphasized, if a child has any of these signs, this does not mean that he/she is autistic. But this may indicate other problems. Therefore, parents must definitely monitor the child’s development, and, if any suspicions, contact specialists.
In Israel autism is detected between the ages of 12 and 20 months, or even earlier. According to Hanna Alonim, the main thing is to notice it no later than at 18 months of age.
“Treatment in infancy is very effective because of the brain plasticity during this period,” said the ‘Mifne’ Center founder.
Natalia Struchek spoke about early intervention in Ukraine. After all this year ‘Child with Future’ kindergarten for the first time in the country has opened its doors for children up to 1 year of age.
“As the Israeli experience shows, 75% of children who are treated up to 1 year of age, develop according to the classical model and did not receive a ‘special’ diagnosis. The sooner we jointly discover even the slightest peculiarities in the development of a child, the greater the chances, that later he/she will not receive autism, alalia or any other mental disorder,” Natalia Struchek emphasized.
She urged parents to be attentive and study what exactly children should be able to do at each stage of their development in order to quickly notice if the child is developing differently.
Read the full conversation with Hanna Alonim and Natalia Struchek here: https://healthy.24tv.ua/ru/ne-upustit-pervye-priznaki-autizma-u-rebenka_n1572698
