What is Autism?
Autism is a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain in the areas of reasoning, social interaction, and communication skills. It occurs in about 15 of every 10,000 individuals, and usually appears before the age of three. This disorder makes it difficult for the autistic individual to communicate verbally and non-verbally (e.g. gestures, facial expressions) with other people. It is difficult for them to relate to the world around them. They may also display repetitious body movement such as rocking, hand and arm flapping, unusual attachments to objects, and they may resist any changes in their routines and environments.
The areas that may be affected by autism:
Communication: Language may develop slowly or not at all. Use of words without attaching the usual meaning to them. Communicates with gestures instead of words; short attention spans.
Social Interaction: Spends time alone rather than with others. Shows little interest in making friends. Less responsive to social cues such as eye contact or smiles.
Sensory Impairment: Unusual reactions to physical sensations such as being overly sensitive to touch or under-responsive to pain. Sight, hearing, touch, pain, smell, taste may be affected to a lesser or greater degree.
Play: Lack of spontaneous or imaginative play. Does not imitate others actions. Doesn't initiate pretend games.
Behaviors: May be overactive or very passive. Throw frequent tantrums for no apparent reason. May perseverate on a single item, idea or person. Apparent lack of common sense. May show aggressive or violent behavior or injure self.
What causes Autism?
Currently, there are many research studies being conducted, all in an effort to find a cause, or causes, of autism. At this time, there hasn't been one single cause for autism found, but autism has been linked to differences in the brain. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET (Positron Emission Topography) scans have shown abnormalities in the structure of the brain in autistic individuals. There are differences in the cerebellum, including the size and number of Purkinje cells.
In some families, there are multiple occurrences of autism. This would suggest there might be a genetic basis for the disorder, though at this time no one gene has been found that can be directly linked to autism. It is believed that about ten percent of cases of autism can be accounted for genetically. As yet, no one can tell what specifically causes autism.
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