What is Autism?
- Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the functioning of the brain.
- Autism is commonly conceptualized as a spectrum disorder. While often used as the umbrella term for a number of pervasive developmental disorders, the term “autism” actually denotes a type of disorder with specific criteria and areas of impairment.
- Autism is usually diagnosed between 18 months and 3 years of age. Because there is no medical test for autism, diagnoses are based on clinical evaluation.
- There are three main areas of impairment in autism.
- Social Interaction – Children with autism may display difficulty with social interaction and often avoid eye contact. They may resist attention and prefer being alone. They often do not react to subtle social cues and they are often unable to see things from another’s point of view. They do not often engage in cooperative play, and instead spend time alone, engaging in repetitive motor movements or non-contextual vocalizations. Some people with autism become aggressive or self-injurious, especially when demands are placed on them.
- Communication – Children with autism usually have severe delays in language development, and many never develop functional language. Those who do speak may have overly regimented or irregular speech patterns and often have trouble with pronouns. Some children repeat things they’ve just heard, a condition known as echolalia, or continue to repeat scripts over extended periods of time.
- Playskills – Children with autism do not usually develop the pretend play skills that their peers develop. Instead, their play is often repetitive and solitary. As children with autism get older, they may not develop age-appropriate interests or hobbies.
- Hypo- or hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli is also a common characteristic of autism.
- The cause of autism is not known, though genetics has been positively identified as a contributing factor.
- While many people with autism have uneven patterns of intellectual functioning, showing marked strengths in certain areas and deficits in others, very few exhibit true “savant” skills.
- There is currently no cure for autism. The National Institute of Health (NIH) cites behavioral therapy as an effective treatment and also notes that some drug therapies have been shown to reduce symptoms. While other treatments exist, NIH points out that “few, if any, scientific studies support their use.”
- People with autism have normal life expectancies. While some grow up to be independent or nearly independent, most are affected by autism in some way throughout their lives.
Autism Facts
- The Centers for Disease Control, CDC, reports that autism is diagnosed in up to one out of every 175 children*, compared to one in 2,000 in 1984. *(CDC Figures 2006)
- Autism is about four times more common in males than in females.
- Autism occurs in all racial, ethnic and social groups.
- A 1996 CDC study found that autism is 10 times more prevalent today than it was in the 1980’s.
- The California Department of Developmental Services suggests that the average lifetime cost of care for a person with autism exceeds $2 million.
- A 2001 study at the London school of economics found that the lifetime cost of care for an individual with autism can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention. The same study found that 90% of costs are in adult services.
