What is autism?

[Guest guest]

Anyone from land care to write this paper and give them some true facts? http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=659 & NewsID=727903 & CategoryID=4630 & show=localnews & om=3 What is autism? 06/22/06 Email this story to a friend Autism is a developmental disability and a spectrum disorder, meaning it affects

each child differently and with varying degrees of severity. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills.Recent research suggests that autism is most likely a group of disorders, not just one disorder. According to a recent Newsweek cover story on autism, scientists have found differences in the brain anatomy of autistic people, but they are uncertain whether these differences are caused by autism or if autism causes them.Autism on the rise: According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention, about 1 in 166 American children are born

with some degree of autism. This figure has increased dramatically since the early 1970s when autism, if diagnosed at all, was usually mistaken for retardation or mental illness.According to the Autism Society of America, there are currently somewhere between 1 million and 1.5 million Americans with autism. During the 1990s, diagnosed cases of autism increased by 172 percent while the overall U.S. population increased by only 13 percent.According to the land State Department of Education, there were 5,288 children with autism enrolled in the state's public schools in 2005. This was up from 260 in 1993, although some of the increase reflects a marked increase in recent years number of children whose autism is actually diagnosed.Early warning signs: A recent study conducted by the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry said that warning signs for autism sometimes appear in children as young as 2. These sometimes include poor eye contact, reduced responsive smiling, reduced social responsiveness and difficulty with language, play and social interaction.- Bob

gets better. Check out the new email design. Plus there’s much more to come.