• qualitative impairment in social skills and interaction
• impairment in speech and communication
• repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities

Onset of autism is typically before the age of three, which makes early and accurate diagnosis very important.

What is the difference between Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

Some researchers believe that ASD includes atypical behaviors with autistic-like tendencies, including Asperger Syndrome, but not including autism itself. There is a wide range of autistic tendencies from mild to severe and for those who come close but are not quite. The Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) that form the autism spectrum are as follows:

• Asperger’s Syndrome: a type of autism in which the person’s language skills are typical

• Autism

• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, which refers to children who develop normally for the first couple few years but who later loose the skills they learned including loss of speech.

• Pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). This is the “catch-all category for children who present with autistic traits but do not fit into one of the other categories. Often, children diagnosed with PDD-NOS will present with fewer symptoms of autism.

• Rett's Disorder is a genetic disorder affecting girls. It is rare and unfortunately, progressive.

What are some of the common signs of autism?

• Impaired social interaction
• Problems with verbal and non-verbal communication
• Failure to respond to name
• Avoidance of eye contact with other people
• Repetitive movements such as rocking or twirling
• Self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging

What causes autism?

Scientists aren’t certain what causes autism, but it’s likely that both genetics and environment play a role. Researchers have identified a number of genes associated with the disorder. Studies of people with autism have found irregularities in several regions of the brain. Other studies suggest that people with autism have abnormal levels of serotonin or other neurotransmitters in the brain. These abnormalities suggest that autism could result from the disruption of normal brain development early in fetal development caused by defects in genes that control brain growth and that regulate how neurons communicate with each other. While these findings are intriguing, they are preliminary and require further study. The theory that parental practices are responsible for autism has now been disproved.

Does inheritance play a role?

Recent studies strongly suggest that some people have a genetic predisposition to autism. In families with one autistic child, the risk of having a second child with the disorder is increased. In some cases, parents and other relatives of an autistic child show mild impairments in social and communicative skills or engage in repetitive behaviors. Evidence also suggests that some emotional disorders, such as manic depression, occur more frequently than average in the families of people with autism.

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