Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem talks about the "golden time" to intervene in children with autism

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem, who has worked with children with autism for more than 15 years, said that parents need to pay attention to their child's interaction with the surrounding environment and be ready to face them when they recognize the signs. questionable: “When treating children with autism, it is also necessary to treat their parents”.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem, Director of Vinmec Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology, advisor of the High-Tech Unit for the treatment of autism and cerebral palsy (Vinmec Times City), had a short talk on the sidelines of the Association. The conference on Causes and modern diagnostic and intervention methods for children with autism, took place from March 12 to 16, 2018.

Workshop on Causes and intervention methods for children with autism, taking place from March 12 to 16 at Vinmec Times City
Dear professor, recently people have started talking about genetic problems in autism . Do you think genetic factors are the cause of a child with autism?
Most authors believe that autism is due to genetic causes. However, there is no known gene or combination of genes that causes this disease.
Maybe this is a combination gene, a genetic variation or some gene interaction, because the vast majority of children with autism have completely normal parents. In fact, research on twins or pedigree inheritance, it is found that about 30% of children with autism have genetic abnormalities.
Many people think that parents' lack of interest in their children is the reason why children are easily autistic. Is this correct, professor?
That is the wrong view. However, parents' disinterest in their children often causes autistic children to be detected late and intervened late. Therefore, the outcome of the intervention is limited.
So when is the "golden" time to intervene in children with autism?
In terms of diagnosis, the advice given is that children need to be diagnosed with autism from the age of 2, but in my opinion, 2 years old is too late. In some countries, children have autism intervention before the age of 1, because from 9 months, children have abnormal signs in development.
Easy signs that a child has autism or not is mainly from the child's lack of interaction with everything around them. For example, at the age of 9 months, children know how to smile, interact, look up when called, are interested in things around them... If parents see that the child does not have the right signs of development. stage, the child should be brought to intervention immediately without diagnostic results. Early intervention increases the effectiveness of treatment.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem, Director of Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cells and Gene Technology, advisor of High-Tech Unit for Autism and Cerebral Palsy (Vinmec Times City)
The most difficult thing for parents Is it a recognition of their child's abnormalities or is there something preventing them from accepting that their child has signs of an autistic child, professor?
It can be said that the family plays a large part in determining the effectiveness of intervention for children with autism. Many parents do not accept that their child has autism syndrome. They say to themselves, I'm just slow to speak, I'll probably be able to speak in a few months, or I'm just running and jumping, not hyperactive.
Accepting your child with autism is difficult but very important. Only when parents accept them are they ready to face and find the best interventions for their children.
In addition, families with children with autism tend to blame each other. This not only does not help children get better treatment, but also wastes time and even breaks up families.
What problems does the disapproval and blame in a family with autistic children cause the family, especially parents?
An autistic child upsets the whole family, leading to depression in their parents. Imagine a family with a child running around all day, beating his grandparents, robbing that, snatching that, refusing to sleep at night, refusing to eat or drink, not recognizing his parents, what would happen? . Most families suffer from a heavy psychological burden. Therefore, when treating children with autism, it is also necessary to treat their parents.
Families need to agree and coordinate with medical staff to intervene and teach children, not just 1-2 family members trying to do it. Families need unity and determination to achieve the best possible intervention.


Workshop on Causes and modern diagnostic and intervention methods for children with Autism organized by the Institute of Stem Cell Research and Gene Technology from March 12 to 16, 2018 to provide information Update on modern methods of care and treatment for children with autism, improve the efficiency of coordination between family and medical staff. The conference had the participation of 5 American experts with extensive experience in autism treatment, psychologists, interventional therapists for autistic children from the High-Tech Unit for Autism and Cerebral Palsy treatment. Vinmec Times City Hospital) and many concerned parents.
At Vinmec High-Tech Center for Autism and Cerebral Palsy, in addition to special education classes, psychotherapy, and speech therapy, children with autism syndrome will receive interventional treatment and development. cognitive-skill development through music, art, and meditation/motion classes.