There is a saying circulating among parents of autistic children: "Children with autism will never live past the age of 40!" Is this true?
Children with autism have great deficiencies in social communication. In infancy, children with the disease avoid eye contact, lack interest and response to human voices, do not expect to be picked up, or are stiff and unwilling to get close to people when picked up. In early childhood, children with the disease avoid eye contact, are often unresponsive, do not feel attached or dependent on their parents, are unwilling to play happily with peers of the same age, and do not even know how to socialize with peers of the same age in an appropriate way and cannot share happiness. , will not talk about sad or sad things. After school age, as the child grows older and his condition improves, the child may become friendly to his parents and compatriots, and may seem to have improved, but in fact he still clearly lacks the interest and behavior to actively interact with others. Although some children with the disease are willing to interact with others, there are still problems with the way they interact. They do not understand empathy , lack understanding of social norms, cannot give the people around them a normal reaction, cannot regulate their emotions, and cannot Will adjust his behavior. After adulthood, children with autism still lack the interest in communication and social skills, and do not know how to fall in love, so that they will not get married... These psychological symptoms of loneliness will lead to They often unconsciously On busy roads, abyss where people are prone to drowning, and suburbs where few people go, the children with the disease don't know where they are going... Therefore, these behaviors of are likely to bring accidents to them. Injuries or even life-threatening injuries may prevent them from surviving to adulthood.
At present, the international medical community knows a lot about the symptoms of autistic children , but it knows very little about the development trajectories of autistic people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. This may also be one of the reasons why the saying "Autistic people cannot live past 40" has spread. In addition, another reason behind this statement lies in the potential influencing factors that threaten the health of autistic patients:
1, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia and various cancers some Overlapping genetic factors, are also biologically linked to parkinsonism.
2. Many autistic people have their own characteristics that increase health risks. For example, excessive preference for certain foods can lead to overweight and obesity.
3. Some autistic people need antipsychotic drugs , such as Aripiprazole can cause weight gain and high blood pressure in users, increasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Some antipsychotic drugs may also Causes parkinsonian symptoms.
4. A disease often leads to multiple complications , such as persistent sleep apnea, which often occurs in children with autism, and increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Many high-functioning autistic adults will hide their condition, disguise their autistic characteristics, and imitate the ways and behaviors of ordinary people. Such behavior will put a lot of pressure on them, and without adequate support, they may be in a state of exhaustion for a long time, which often leads them to suicide.
Therefore, the rumor that "autistic people cannot live past the age of 40" is not true and has no scientific basis. I hope that every "child of the star" can live a healthy and long life like ordinary people, and that their families can take good care of children with autism and let them live happily.
I am Wang Ling, a pediatrician. For more questions about babies with autism, you can comment in the comment area below or send me a private message in the small window. I will answer them in detail one by one.
