Autism

Autism is a brain disorder that is associated with a range of developmental problems, mainly in communication and social interaction. The first signs of this disorder appears before age 3. Although treatment has improved greatly in the past few decades, autism cannot be cured. But early treatment can make a difference.

It's estimated that three to six of every 1,000 children have autism. The disorder occurs three to four times more often in boys than in girls. The harshness of symptoms is changeable. Some children with autism will grow up able to live independently, while others may always need supportive living and working environments.

In general, children with autism have problems in three vital areas of development, such as social skills, language, and behavior. The most severe symptom of autism is the inability to communicate or interact with other people. Since the symptoms of autism vary widely, two children with the same diagnosis may act quite differently and have different skills. If a child has autism, he or she may develop normally for the first few months or years of life and then later become less responsive to other people, including their parents.

Young children with autism also have a hard time sharing experiences with others. For example, they're unlikely to point at pictures in a book when someone reads to them. This early developing social skill is crucial to language and social development later in life. Some children with autism become more engaged with others and show less marked disturbances in behavior as they mature. Some with least severe impairments lead normal or semi-normal lives. However, others continue to have severe impairments in language or social skills, and the behavior problems can worsen in adolescent years.

The majority of children with autism are slow to acquire new knowledge or skills. However, some have normal to high intelligence. These children learn quickly yet have trouble communicating, applying what they know in everyday life and adjusting in social situations.

Autism has no identifiable cause. The disorder seems to be related to abnormalities in several regions of the brain. Autism affects males four times more often that females, and there is a genetic basis for the disease. Families with one autistic child have a one in twenty chance of having a second child with the disorder. In some cases, relatives of autistic children show mild impairments in social and communication skills or engage in repetitive behaviors. Children with symptoms of autism have a higher than normal risk of also having fragile X syndrome, which causes mental retardation; Tuberous scierosis, in which tumors grow in the brain, Tourette's syndrome; and epilepsy.

If a parent suspects that their child may have autism, they should discuss their concerns with a doctor. Usually children with autism show some signs of delayed development by 18 months. The earlier treatment begins, the more effective it will be. The doctor may recommend further evaluation if the child doesn't babble or coo, gesture such as point or wave by 12 months. If the child doesn't say single words by 16 months, doesn't say two words phases by 24 months and loses previously acquired language or social skills at any age.

Properly diagnosing autism is very important, it may result from inappropriate and ineffective treatment. The child's doctor will look for signs of developmental delays at regular checkups. If a child shows some signs of autism, the parent may be referred to a specialist in treating children with autism. This specialist can perform a formal evaluation for the disorder with a team of professionals. Making a diagnosis for autism may be difficult. There is not a medical test to pinpoint the disorder. Instead, a formal evaluation consists of talking to the parent in the change and development of their child's social skills, language skills and behavior over time. To help with the diagnosis, the child may experience a number of developmental tests covering speech, language and psychological issues. Deafness is often the first suspected diagnosis, since autistic children may not respond normally to sounds. Occasionally, an autistic child has an outstanding skill, such as an incredible rote memory or musical ability. Such children may be referred to as "autistic savants."

Although, the signs of autism often appears by 18 months, the diagnosis isn't made until age 2 or 3, when there may be more obvious delays in language development.

Once the diagnosis has been made, the parents, physicians, and