Early infantile autism
| Autism | |
|---|---|
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| Repetitively stacking or lining up objects is associated with autism. | |
| Specialty | Psychiatry |
| Symptoms | Trouble with social interaction, impaired communication, restricted interests, repetitive behavior |
| Usual onset | By age two or three |
| Duration | Long-term |
| Causes | Genetic and environmental factors |
| Diagnostic method | Based on behavior and developmental history |
| Similar conditions | Reactive attachment disorder, intellectual disability, schizophrenia |
| Treatment | Early speech and behavioral interventions |
| Prognosis | Frequently poor |
| Frequency | 24.8 million (2015) |
| Classification |
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| External resources |
Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by troubles with social interaction and communication. Often there is also restricted and repetitive behavior. Parents usually notice signs in the first two or three years of their child's life. These signs often develop gradually, though some children with autism reach their developmental milestones at a normal pace and then worsen.
Autism is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Risk factors include certain infections during pregnancy such as rubella as well as valproic acid, alcohol, or cocaine use during pregnancy.Controversies surround other proposed environmental causes; for example the vaccine hypotheses, which have been disproven. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood. In the DSM V, autism is included within the autism spectrum (ASDs), along with Asperger syndrome which is less severe, and pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).
Early speech or behavioral interventions can help children with autism gain self-care, social, and communication skills. Although there is no known cure, there have been cases of children who recovered. Not many children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, though some are successful. An autistic culture has developed, with some individuals seeking a cure and others believing autism should be accepted as a difference and not treated as a disorder.
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