What is Autism ?

      Many people have different definitions of what autism is and who they are. People think that if their child or teenager is speaking and has done every milestone on time, that they are the ones that don't have autism. That theory or thought is completely wrong, it doesn't work like that. I know several people who talk and are very verbal and have autism or any type of disorder.

       There are different kinds of autism and I browsed thru Web MD website and found this:

• Autistic disorder. This is what most people think of when they hear the word "autism." It refers to problems with social interactions, communication, and imaginative play in children younger than 3 years.

• Asperger's syndrome. These children don't have a problem with language -- in fact, they tend to score in the average or above-average range on intelligence tests. But they have the same social problems and limited scope of interests as children with autistic disorder.

• Pervasive developmental disorder or PDD -- also known as atypical autism. This is a kind of catch-all category for children who have some autistic behaviors but who don't fit into other categories.

• Rett syndrome. Known to occur mainly in girls, children with Rett syndrome start developing normally but begin to lose their communication and social skills. Beginning at the age of 1 to 4 years, repetitive hand movements replace purposeful use of the hands.

• Childhood disintegrative disorder. These children develop normally for at least two years and then lose some or most of their communication and social skills. This is an extremely rare disorder and its existence as a separate condition is a matter of debate among many mental health professionals.

     According to "Autism Speaks" website this is what I found that I would love to share with everyone on the statistics in people with autism in present time:

• Autism now affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys
• Autism prevalence figures are growing
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
• Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
• Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to have autism
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism

    Autism is something that is affecting a lot of families everywhere. There is no scientific reason why it is happening, but there are several theories to why.