What is Autism?
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder of development that lasts throughout a person’s lifetime. Because persons with autism exhibit different symptoms or behaviors, ranging from mild to serious, autism is a “spectrum” disorder, or a group of disorders with a range of similar features. Children with autism have difficulty communicating and interacting with others. Many individuals with autism seem to retreat into isolation, or fixate on a word, an object, or an activity. Sometimes symptoms are seen in infancy, while other children develop normally for a year or more before they begin to slip into their own private world. At best, a high functioning person with autism may simply seem eccentric, a loner. At worst, a person with more profound autism may never learn to speak or care for themselves.
A. Autism is a spectrum of chronic developmental disorders. The main characteristics of autism are difficulties in social interaction, communication, and restrictive and repetitive interests and activities. Autism may be noted initially in infancy as impaired attachment, but autism is most often first identified in toddlers, mostly boys, from 18 to 30 months of age. Although there is no cure, autism is treatable. Symptoms associated with autism often improve, as children start to acquire language and learn how to communicate their needs.
‘Miracle’ Therapies for Autism: The Secretin Story – 07/25/01 Applied Behavior Analysis: A Well-Studied Therapy for Autism – 07/25/01 How to Cope with a Diagnosis of Autism – 07/25/01 Red Flags for Autism – 07/25/01 The Types and Terminology of Autism – 07/25/01 Treating Autism, from Medication to Art Therapy – 07/25/01
Autism is a type of pervasive developmental disorder that interferes with a person’s ability to communicate with and relate to others. It is a lifelong condition involving a biological or organic defect in the brain. Signs of autism almost always develop before three years of age, although age at diagnosis varies. The current statistics state that the prevalence of autism is approximately 1 in every 166 persons, and this statistic continues to rise. The severity of autism varies, and no two persons with autism hold identical characteristics. It is much more common in boys, and four out of every five children diagnosed with autism are male. If you think that your child may have autism, seek a professional diagnosis as soon as possible. Early intervention greatly increases your child’s chance of success in a typically-developing environment.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees – this is why early diagnosis is so crucial. By learning the signs, a child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized intervention programs. Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.” The five disorders under PDD are: • Autistic
