|
Autism
Introduction
Treatment
Prognosis
Research
Organizations |
Autism
Introduction
- What is
Autism?
Autism
is classified as one of the pervasive developmental disorders of the brain. It
is not a disease. People with classical autism show three types of symptoms:
impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication,
and unusual or severely limited activities and interests. These symptoms can
vary in severity. In addition, people with autism often have abnormal responses
to sounds, touch, or other sensory stimulation. Symptoms usually appear during
the first three years of childhood and continue through life. Researchers have
identified a number of genes that play a role in the disorder. In some children,
environmental factors also may play a role. Studies of people with autism have
found abnormalities in several regions of the brain, which suggest that autism
results from a disruption of early fetal brain development. Autism affects an
estimated 10 to 20 of every 10,000 people, depending on diagnostic criteria
used, and strikes males about four times more often than females.
Is
there any treatment?
There is currently no cure for
autism, but appropriate treatment may foster relatively normal development and
reduce undesirable behaviors. Educational/behavioral therapies and drug
interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms. Educational/behavioral
therapies emphasize highly structured and often intensive skill-oriented
training. Doctors also may prescribe a variety of drugs to reduce symptoms of
autism other interventions are available, but few, if any, scientific studies
support their use.
What
is the prognosis?
People with autism have normal life expectancies.
Symptoms in many children improve with intervention or as the children age. Some
people with autism eventually lead normal or near-normal lives. Adolescence can
worsen behavior problems in some children, and parents should be ready to adjust
treatment for the child's changing needs. About a third of children with
autistic spectrum disorders eventually develop epilepsy. The risk is highest in
children with severe cognitive impairment and motor deficits.
What research
is being done?
NINDS supports studies aimed at identifying the
underlying brain abnormalities of autism through new methods of brain imaging
and other innovative techniques, and at identifying genes that increase the risk
of autism. Researchers also are investigating possible biologic markers present
at birth that can identify infants at risk for the development of autism. Other
studies are examining how different brain regions develop and function in
relation to each other, and how alterations in these relationships may result in
the signs and symptoms of autism. Researchers hope these studies will provide
new clues about how autism develops and how brain abnormalities affect behavior.
This
information is available courtesy of the National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke. It is in the public domain and can be downloaded, reproduced,
or copied without permission. For more information go to
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorder_index.htm
Return to the top of
the page
|
