What is Autism?

Autism is a life-long neuro-developmental disorder that appears very early in life. Although there is no known cure for autism, many children with this diagnosis can experience good outcomes with intervention. Autism is characterized by disordered or delayed development in basic human interactions such as the ability to identify and express feelings, communicate with others and establish social relationships. The precise neurobiological mechanism that causes autism is not known, so the primary method for determining if a child has autism is through the observation of behavioral characteristics.

Autism Spectrum Disorders are unique when compared to other developmental disorders in that, with appropriate and intensive early intervention, the deficits that characterize the disorder can be significantly reduced, if not completely eliminated. Although children with autism seem to vary in their response to treatment, the fact that appropriate and intensive intervention can have such a huge impact on the symptoms of the disorder makes the quality of the intervention for children with autism of the utmost importance.

Autism is a considered a "spectrum disorder", meaning that different children are affected to different degrees. Some children are very severely affected, while others are only mildly affected. The new terminology is Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autistic spectrum disorder may occur along with mental retardation and other specific language disorders. Disorders on the spectrum include Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Rett's Syndrome.

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Autism Society of America Educating Children with Autism. Published by the National Research Council. 2001. Washington, D.C., National Academy Press.