Autism-World

Autism is a developmental disorder that some people are born with – it’s not something you can catch or pass along to someone else. It affects the brain and makes communicating and interacting with other people difficult. People who have autism often have delayed language development, prefer to spend time alone, and show less interest in making friends. Another characteristic of autism is what some people describe as “sensory overload”: Sounds seem louder, lights brighter, or smells stronger. Although many people with autism also have mental retardation, some are of average or high intelligence.

Not everybody with autism has the exact same symptoms. Some people may have autism that is mild, whereas others may have autism that is more severe. Because it affects people differently, autism is known as a spectrum disorder. Two people with the same spectrum disorder may not act alike or have the same skills.

As many as 1 in 500 people have autism, and it’s four times more common in guys than in girls. Although doctors do not know exactly what causes it, researchers believe autism is linked to differences in brain chemicals (neurotransmitters). These differences may be caused by something in our genes – families who have one child with autism have a higher risk of having another child with autism or a similar disorder. Research suggests that it’s probably a combination of genes that causes the disorder, not a single autism gene.

Sometimes you may hear other developmental disorders mentioned in the same way as autism, such as Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder. These disorders, along with autism, are all considered pervasive developmental disorders. People diagnosed with any of these disabilities have problems with social skills and communication.

Technorati : autism

This entry was posted on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 10:00 am and is filed under What is Autism.