Autism

=**Autism** =

What it is...
Autism is a developmental disorder that often shows itself within the first three years of life and it impacts the brain's development of communication and social skills (Autism-PubMed Health). Essentially it prevents a young child from developing normal social relationships and it causes them to behave in compulsive ways. Furthermore, it usually prevents the child from developing normal intelligence (Berkow 1316).

Causes
Currently the cause of autism is unknown, however it is believed to be somehow related to genetics. Another theory is that it could be related to a viral infection such as congenital rubella (Berkow 1316) Some other causes that have yet to be proven include: Diet, Digestive tract changes, Mercury poisoning, Vaccine sensitivity (Autism-PubMed Health).

Signs and Symptoms
The following are symptoms of autism and they generally persist throughout the person's entire life. (Berkow 1316)
 * Tends to prefer to be alone
 * Rarely, if at all, develops close relationships
 * Strongly resists change
 * Continually repeats certain acts
 * Struggle with speaking-may learn to speak later;may speak in a peculiar way; may not speak at all
 * Difficulty in comprehending what is being said
 * Disturbed by noise and touch
 * About 20-40% of autistic children have seizures
 * In some cases, the children have enlarged ventricles.

Public Perception
Generally speaking, people with autism are outcasts of society. They are usually discriminated against and many people are intolerant of them and as such they go into a state of isolation. According to a study done in 2007, the general public is highly unaware of how common autism is. In fact, 1 out of every 100 people in the U.K is autistic. What is even worse is that most people commonly associate autism with having special capabilities in either math or art. In reality only 1 out of every 200 people with autism had "special abilities" (Autism Misconceptions).

Treatments
There is no actual cure for autism however some children can benefit from psychotherapy and special education. Speech therapy along with physical and occupational therapy are other forms of treatment that can be helpful to those with autism. Another common treatment/therapy is behavioral therapy which allows the children to manage in everyday life. As for any medical route in treatment, they all just suppress the symptoms. Some of these medications include Haloperidol, Fenfluramine, and other serotonin reuptake inhibitors. (Berkow1317)

Associated Disorders
Tourette's @ADHD Asperger's, Retts, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and more