Related topics: children , brain , autism spectrum disorder , social interaction , vaccine
Autism
hideAutism is a brain development disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism involves many parts of the brain; how this occurs is not well understood. The two other autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are Asperger syndrome, which lacks delays in cognitive development and language, and PDD-NOS, diagnosed when full criteria for the other two disorders are not met.
Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by rare mutations, or by rare combinations of common genetic variants. In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. Controversies surround other proposed environmental causes, such as heavy metals, pesticides or childhood vaccines; the vaccine hypotheses are biologically implausible and lack convincing scientific evidence. The prevalence of ASD is about 6 per 1,000 people, with about four times as many males as females. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved.
Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. Although early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills, there is no known cure. Not many children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, though some become successful. An autistic culture has developed, with some individuals seeking a cure and others believing autism should be tolerated as a difference and not treated as a disorder.
For more information about Autism, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with autism
Rate of autism disorders climbs to 1 percent among 8-year-olds
Dec 18, 2009 |
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Autism and related development disorders are becoming more common, with a prevalence rate approaching 1 percent among American 8-year-olds, according to new data from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham ...
The Queen and I: How autistic brain distinguishes oneself from others
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Dec 14, 2009 |
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Scientists at the University of Cambridge have discovered that the brains of individuals with autism are less active when engaged in self-reflective thought. The study published today in the journal Brain provid ...
Research backs theory on autism, schizophrenia
Nov 30, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- New research by Simon Fraser University evolutionary biologist Bernard Crespi reinforces his theory that autism and schizophrenia are diametric or opposite conditions based on genes.
Hacker seeks reduced sentence, citing Asperger's
Dec 17, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A computer hacker who was a force behind one of the largest cases of credit card theft in U.S. history says he has a developmental disorder and is asking for a reduced sentence.
People affected by autism believe increase is 'real,' not diagnostic
Dec 09, 2009 |
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There has been a major increase in the number of children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders over the last two decades - the question is why? Researchers have found a sharp difference between the beliefs of ordinary ...
OrbiTouch keyboard: Removing the barriers of autism
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Aug 31, 2009 |
3.9 / 5 (8) |
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Autism can build a wall of poor communication between those struggling with the condition and their families. While a personal computer can help bridge the divide, the distraction and complexity of a keyboard ...
Genome-wide study of autism published in Nature
Oct 07, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- In one of the first studies of its kind, an international team of researchers has uncovered a single-letter change in the genetic code that is associated with autism. The finding, published ...
Study surprise yields new target for assessing genes linked to autism
Oct 21, 2009 |
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Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have uncovered a new genetic signature that correlates strongly with autism and which doesn't involve changes to the DNA sequence itself. Rather, the changes are in the way the ...
Autism skews developing brain with synchronous motion and sound (w/Video)
Mar 29, 2009 |
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Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) tend to stare at people's mouths rather than their eyes. Now, an NIH-funded study in 2-year-olds with the social deficit disorder suggests why they might find mouths so attractive: ...
Scientists propose new theory of autism
Apr 01, 2009 |
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Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have proposed a sweeping new theory of autism that suggests that the brains of people with autism are structurally normal but dysregulated, meaning symptoms ...
Treatments for asthma and pre-term labor may increase risk of autism in developing fetus
Dec 02, 2009 |
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Commonly prescribed beta 2 adrenergic agonist drugs for the treatment of asthma in pregnant women as well as pre-term labor may increase the incidence of autism-spectrum disorders, psychiatric pathology, cognitive problems ...
Naming may be key to brain's ability to recognize faces
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Jun 25, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Our tendency to see people and faces as individuals may explain why we are such experts at recognizing them, new research indicates. This approach can be learned and applied to other objects ...
First common genetic risk factors for autism demonstrated
Apr 28, 2009 |
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UCLA scientists, in partnership with 30 research institutions across the country, have identified a new gene variant that is highly common in autistic children. And when researchers scrutinized the activity ...
Early intervention for toddlers with autism highly effective, study finds
Nov 30, 2009 |
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A novel early intervention program for very young children with autism - some as young as 18 months - is effective for improving IQ, language ability, and social interaction, a comprehensive new study has found.
Study uses brain scans to discover how children 'read' faces
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 20, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Oxford University scientists are using brain-scanning technology to understand how we learn to recognise and 'read' faces as children.
